Re'eh Excerpts

ראה

Shabbat Shalom

Blessing and Curse, that is what we see at the mountains, that is what we see here today. Curse to see Frank getting dressed...At least the belt, Frank. You do the belt at home…This is shule. You are getting dressed. Yes, we need a minyan. It is hard to get a quorum. But we need a quorum that is fully clothed.

Tie never tied…Yes Frank. The tie is part of the clothing. Is it something you wear?...OK.

Can't just sacrifice on your own altar? No. You can’t just do what you want. You can’t just fill in the shule’s questionnaire with a pencil…It is not a scholastic test Sharon. It is survey. Half the answers got erased. The only result that is 100% for the study is that nobody likes to answer all the questions…Because it was erased Bernie. You have to serve in the place of the community. The Community altar. Our shule is where we chose to have the prayers, together, with clothes.

Now let us talk about supporting the altar. In other words, dues that you do not pay.

(14:22) You Tithe. Yes. 10 percent of what you have, you give. 

You don’t have a choice. It is not a, ‘Maybe I will pay dues this year, if the shule ends up giving us the private pews so that I can get dressed in shule.’ It goes to its designation…You do not designate. You designated a Tallis for the Chazan/cantor and the guy opening up the ark took it…Every time you designate, somebody else designates. It would be good if we had one Gabai. We don’t need 15 people asking each other who wants to pray…That is why we go with H’s designation.

(1423) Eat the tithes in the in the place that H' chooses. 

You can't just eat anywhere. Kiddush stays in the Kiddush room. So much babka in the carpet. Merv can't balance the stuff on the plate...Arthritis? Use a table. The table is designated for eating. Your questionnaire was full of scribble. Not one circle was filled in. it looked like the floor near the coat room after Kiddush.

And no more lollipops. You cannot just eat half of it and throw the rest on the floor. I understand it takes time, but people have to watch over these children…They are taking all the Kiddush food…It is about designation.

Frank. You get dressed in a dressing room. Maybe at home. Not in the middle of shule.

At least cover yourself with a Tallis…

(14:24) Can’t make it to Jerusalem because it is too much? Too far. You redeem it and you bring the money. There is always a way. You can prepare at home. At least check the zipper.

Can’t make it to shule. Walking two miles is too much? You send one of your children who cares about being Jewish.

Is there a Bracha here, or is it all just a nightmare of witness to Frank rolling down his sleeves?

(14:27-29) You do not forsake the Levite, for they do not have a portion. Poor people, widows, orphans…You take care of them. You make sure they get some of the Kiddush. You don’t make an altar. You feed them. That is how you serve H.’ You all filled out in pencil that you do not care. That was choice ‘d.’

‘In order that H’ will bless you in all the work of your hand that you do.’

That is where blessing comes from. When you care about other people. I am still asking if I should throw down the Torah…Just to make the point Bernie. It is more dramatic. People appreciate that more. Will they care?

On the synagogues questionnaire, it came out that nobody wants to see Frank until he has all of his clothes on…Nobody wants to pay dues. That one didn’t get erased at all. People made sure that one was marked real strong.

From now on, we will not forsake the people getting dressed in shule. There will be a Gabai walking around with a Tallis.

We will not forsake the people who want to take their food wherever they want. There will be a Gabai with a whet nap.

We will not forsake the people who come every Shabbat and do not want to pay dues. There will be a Gabai to make sure they do not come into this shule again, until they understand that being part of a community means you have to participate in the designated payment, just like their country club.