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A very positive week at shul. After the rabbi made the point of bringing nachis, we’re back on the right track of not messing up what the previous generations did. There were no renovations done to the shul this week. They cancelled the plans for redoing the coatroom, once Milt told the board that the hangers work. The only issue is that the ark is still covered by the community quilt the rabbi doesn't like. The congregation loves it, as they made it. The rabbi arguing for the tradition of using a curtain the congregation purchased.
Tons of leftovers in the shul. Every event has so much leftover. Eating leftovers. That’s all Herman does. He eats the leftovers. He comes at the end of every event, and the sisterhood loads him up. At the Chanukah party, Sadie smacked Bernie's hands when he went for latke seconds. There were around fifty left and Sadie still smacked his hand, yelling at him, 'Those are for Herman.' I don’t think Herman has had to cook the last three months. First the holidays, then Chanukah. Then the convention. He’s scoring on the leftovers. They expected over a hundred for the convention. Because of COVID, only forty came. I think our shul is losing a lot of money on this COVID thing. The Tzedakah Charity collector is making everybody feel guilty. He stands there with the box for extended periods. He stares at the guys at davening during the week. I even saw him tilt his head and let out a 'nu,' in question form. The daily minyin is losing people who feel guilty not giving Tzedakah. The rabbi said that if people can't give more Tzedakah, he doesn't want them at Minyin. He did ban Herman from weekday Minyin. He's worried that Herman will take the leftover money in the Tzedakah box. Social climbing has been an issue in the shul. People pretend like they didn’t see me, and then want to talk to me when I'm talking to somebody they want to climb with. It's nice when they want to show they know me. At least they say 'Shabbat Shalom' then. Between us, I can't stand the social climbers. They're like Paroh. If you're going to socially climb correctly, at least pretend like you know me, so that I can think you really like me, and support you when you're climbing. I'm fine being used, as long as people do it with a smile. Rabbi Mendelchem’s Drasha Shabbat Shalom We were slaves in Egypt. Remember that. I Remember that when I come to work, every day. I see the guys at Minyin and I remember that I was a slave. It gets me by... I hear moms saying, 'I am slaving.' If cooking with an oven on 375 and a timer is slaving... At least they remember it, Ben. We were slaves. The least you can do is give charity… You try to hide from the Tzedakah box, Yitzi. You were doing Tachnun the other day. Your head was in your arm. You were hiding from the Pushka, Tzedakah box… I know that the Tachnun prayer calls for the head down. It was still the Amdiah… You didn't have your head down when you were trying to be popular. Your square in the quilt is an embarrassment. Your head wasn't down for that. When you took leftovers the other day, from the Chanukah party... No money on you? Mr. Freustein. You are the biggest mogul in this region. You can’t find a dollar… We know you deal in cash. Don’t lie… You can give a hundred to the Pushka... It’s not a Jewish tradition to never give more than a dollar... I know that nobody gives more than that. hanan was taking change the other day... Leave it in, Chanan. So, you give five dollars. That’s fine... Always a dollar. Give a hundred if that’s all you have Mr. Freustein… Max might take it. But he needs it. He has it bad. Look at him. I think his pants were quilted by the congregants… You don't give Tzedakah to socially climb. You don't have enough money Frank. If you're going to socially climb, you need a plaque. You don't have plaque money. The Freusteins have plaque money. They can climb with that. They can pay for somebody else to go to Mount Wall Climb and climb for them.... Tzedakah is charity. You were slaves. Give charity… You have to remember you had it bad… Seeing the congregants. I have it bad. That’s why I treat people nicely, Bernie. You have to remember you had it bad. I suffer every day, to remind me that I have to be kind to other people. I look at Bernie, and I realize that I can’t be that annoying… I know the Zimlowitz Bar Mitzvah had it bad. Gifts were all from the Dollar Tree… No. The kid didn’t enjoy the bags of three Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups as his Bar Mitzvah gift… Not even an eighteen dollar tradition here. Everything's a dollar. That's why no dues are paid. Too much... Nobody in this congregation ever gives more than a dollar to the charity box… I know everybody does it. It's not a tradition to make sure poor people only get a dollar. Ma’ser. Tithing is important. It’s not even yours… Like Paroh. You think it’s all yours. You’re worried the poor people will have it good. Just like Paroh… You could give money to the shul. Nobody here has it good. Look at Shlomo. He’s sitting next to Frank... You know it's bad and you still don't give more than a dollar... Slaves don't get Pushka money... You have to remember you were slaves, so you are fine with other people not being like the Himmelmans… They have it bad. Everything in that house is messed up. I saw the candelabra. It’s purple… You’re not working forensics, Himmelman. In the beginning of the Parsha, we see all the generations that led to Paroh not knowing them, turning the Jews into slaves. When I look at the shul plaques, I see all the great people who led to no Jews wanting to live in Topeka and the messed-up quilt on the ark… It’s a messed up Parochet. You don’t use a community quilt to cover the ark… The Torah is not cold, Fran. Slaves are cold… Nobody can stand anybody else’s success. It bothers you. Seeing poor people with money bothers you. You see a poor person eating sushi and you’re attacking them. ‘You’re not sushi eaters. Save that money. I gave you a dollar’… Can't stand seeing a new addition to a home. Can't stand seeing a car that hasn't been banged up. Can't stand seeing kids in a private school uniform.... You are scared of other people's success, because you’ve accomplished absolutely nothing. Look at Mark over here. 28 years old. College degree. Working at stocking shelves at 7-Eleven. Fulltime. There are only 10 shelves… Stocking shelves at 7-Eleven is not a fulltime job. People work the whole place… You stock and then work the register… I’ve been there for coffee. You went to private school. You had a uniform.... What are you scared of? Paroh has fear of other people's success. That’s what led to slavery. You’re lack of Bar Mitzvah gifts causes slavery… Yes. You’re like Paroh. If you could, you would've shut down the Slurpee machine… People love Slurpees. And you would deny them of what they love. You would treat them like slaves in your 7-Eleven… Slaves can be just as selfish as kings… (Shemot 1:9-10) Paroh scares the Egyptians into reacting against the Jews, saying, 'They are more than us' oh No!!! They're multiplying like crazy. They've got to share their rooms with their brothers and sisters. Oh shoot. They’re going to multiply and then they’re going to leave… The only time in history they don’t want the Jews to leave their country, they want them to be slaves. Couldn’t even discuss if social welfare was good or not... Are we scared of the other shul that has more people? No. We don’t want more congregants. Look around. Do you want another Bernie and Tzimi? That's what's out there… We’re not scared that they have bigger Kippahs. They’re better crocheters. Let them make bigger Kippahs. Why don’t you focus on yourself and get better at knitting. It’s fear that somebody else will have it better. That’s what drives hatred. That's what drives slavery... ‘Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we are… let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they increase, and a war befall us… and depart from the land.’ Thinks they will be greater than them and attack them. The anti-semite. Can't stand Jewish success. Sees too many yarmulkes. Does he not understand that with Jewish success comes non-Jewish labor?!... It’s about control. That’s why all you give is a dollar to Tzedakah. You can't see success... You give eighteen dollars and they can start investing.... Deal shrewdly? Keep them down. That’s what the ark quilt is doing. It keeps this congregation down… How does it happen? When you lose a sense of tradition. Connection to the past. There is tradition. Your grandparents gave Tzedakah… More than a dollar. They also paid their dues. People wanted to live in Topeka till new congregants came… When you connect, you’re not worried about what other people have… Give the quilt to a poor person. They won't take your job. Is that what this is about? You're worried that if you give too much Tzedakah, they'll be your neighbor?... And if the quilt brings them success... (Shemot- 1:8) ‘And a new king arose in Egypt that did not know Yosef.’ This is the root of the problem. New. Forgetting the past. Not knowing how to embroider. A new ark cover that makes no sense… Your ancestors new how to knit... You’re all bad at crocheting. This shul can’t even knit. I’ve never seen a congregation of people that can’t make a decent blanky. You have children walking around with pathetic looking rags. Even the kids know they’re bad. At two years old, they’re already not walking around with blankys. That’s why everybody here should be wearing the satin glow in the dark Yarmulkes… Neon purple is perfect. I love that color. It’s nicer than the Kippah Chanan got from that girl… They’re safer at night, Bernie. Knit Kippahs look bad over here. Messed up. Stop with the new… Tradition. A decent ark cover. Like a beautiful window shade… So you can see outside, and give to people who need… More than a dollar… That’s why they broke up. He knew he would have messed up blankets. All crooked… Nothing is wrong with a new king. However, there is something wrong when that king has no tradition. He becomes selfish. He has no connection with his past. A king that is all powerful and by himself, is a king that is powerless and with no basis for his rule. Just like the shul president... He knows nothing. I have no idea how he got the position. He's not even plaque worthy. The 'new king that did not know Yosef.' He was a king that had no history. No roots. Kind of like our new board member from New York, who thinks he knows everything in this town. Does Mickey even know where to get good kosher meat? Exactly. If you don’t know where to get the kosher meat for a better price, you're not connected with the tradition… A new board has been created who did not know the rabbi.... When they don’t follow tradition. When they don’t know what was before… A decent ark cover was here before... As this has been a very profound Dvar Torah. Let your rabbi add a few more words (Pirkei Avot 2:2) 'Raban Gamliel.... And anybody that works with the community, should work with them for the sake of Heaven. That the merit of the your forefathers should last, and their righteousness should last forever.' That is a quote of sorts. Raban Gamliel did not speak English. He may have not meant anything I rendered as English for his saying. But it does fit the beautiful Dvar Torah. Raban Gamliel is talking about respecting the past. Not messing up the congregation with new ideas... Yes. The idea for a wine tasting is messed up. The only kosher wine is Manischewitz... I don't need cheese with that. I drink Manischewitz with ice. Because I have tradition... If you connect with the past, you cannot be selfish. Your life is greater than you. And with that, you are happy with the success of others. You're fine with Felvel getting Aliyahs... I understand that he gets more than you, but the Gabai likes him more... If you do it for heaven and your forefathers' righteousness, you’re happy with the old ark cover, that looked good. You’re fine giving the congregants of Anshei Sinah credit for their crocheting skills… We have to support their quilt drive, because we make really bad quilts… Do you not see the quilt behind me??? You accept the success of others and it becomes yours. You don't need other people to be slaves. That is for the sake of Heaven. The success of the past... Keep it alive. Keep it in motion. The selfish ego is what halts the movement and growth. This quilt has stunted the growth of our youth. Have you seen how short... It's the quilt... With that acceptance of our legacy we can share in the happiness of others and be proud of the new $50,000 raise your rabbi has just received in these hard financial times. Yes, we understand that there are hard times for many in this congregation. But we must connect with the tradition of this congregation of paying the rabbis well. It's about selflessness... We need more plaques... t is to not listen to the 'new' board, as the 'new' Paroh, who is trying to scare you into anti-semitism- trying to stop the success of Jews. No matter how poor you may be Mark, you must pay your dues and put into the rabbis fund for his new convertible, he has decided to purchase in solidarity with the converts of Israel... We have to show solidarity. That means giving more than a dollar, Pinchas. That is our tradition, to support Jewish success and to not be anti-semites. But to connect that success with our ancestors. Which is why your rabbi has decided to take Bernie's home as his own inheritance, and as an act of selflessness dedicating himself to the past… If you accept the success of others, you don’t have to scheme. They’re part of your people… No. Anshei Seniah is not part of our shul. They don’t pay dues, we don’t want them here for Kiddish…. (Shemot 1:6) ‘And Yosef died and all his brothers, all the generation.’ It was over. The generation had passed. But it was not seeing that generation. Only seeing the future. That is what led to slavery. We have become slaves to the messed up ideas of the shul's board. Always looking to the future... You haven't visited a nursing home in thirty years, Rivka... New starts are not good. We see what happened to this congregation and the renovations... You stained the glass with grape juice... That's not art. It's a spill... Charity is what makes you good. You donate in honor of your relatives of the past… They donated. Paroh didn’t give charity. And Yitzi doesn’t give… It all leads to wanting to kill... (Shemot 1:15-17) The king of Egypt told the midwives to kill the Jewish boys. They didn’t. Why? Because they ‘feared God; so they did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but they enabled the boys to live.’ You don’t do wrong when you fear Gd. You don’t mess up the youth, like this congregation did, by planting an orchard in the garden outside... That's where the kids play. You have to care about the past. Once you stop caring about the past, you stop caring about the future... It's because you're selfish, Bernie. Global warming!!! Solidarity with poor people. means giving them decent food... Don’t treat people wrong. You give decent leftovers to other than Herman... We don't even know what those leftovers are. They've coagulated already... There is no tradition in leftovers. This stuff is not healthy for the youth... Rivka’s Notes on Rabbi Mendelchem’s Sermon Fear that somebody has it better causes hatred said everything. That’s why we have to know that we were slaves. To remind us that we can be fine when we have it bad. So, treat people better than Bernie does. It was a beautiful message. The rabbi even got in on me for not visiting the nursing facility. He's right. There are more people that pay dues at there than in the shul itself. It was very interesting to me that not connecting with the past can cause for somebody to want to kill our children. I can tell you that if it wasn't for the fact that I love their parents, I would've shot the Kiminsky kids. I like how the rabbi said that social climbers are Parohs. Slavery comes when it’s people you don’t know. When you’re scared of them, you want them to be slaves to you. That’s what the rabbi was talking about. The congregants are worried about the new congregants, so they make them join the sisterhood. It's a lot of hard work, and they're slaving in that kitchen, to make our Kiddish. Truth is the rabbi didn't like the idea of giving leftovers to the poor people because he loves them. He's been scoring leftover tuna and egg salad for years. He has an issue with Herman. Ever since Herman became the sisterhood's charity, the rabbi has had to hide the tuna halfway through the events. Many have complained that there hasn't been enough food at the shul events and Kiddishes. The rabbi’s main message was that there is tradition. Without tradition, we are all slaves to the shul’s board. If we can’t get better at crocheting, we will never be free Jews. We’ll have to buy the knit Kippahs, and that costs a lot. It’s that simple. Knitting and crocheting is at the foundation of our people. It's a tradition. And any new knitting styles come out messed up. When you're making a Kippah, you're not working with lanyard. Now the social climbers are into the knitted Kippah thing. It’s messed up. They want to look good among the people of Anshei Sinah. I just hope that someday I have enough money for a plaque. I think the rabbi is on the side of the Tzedakah Gabai. After Minyin, he told him to stand there until they put money in the box. Stand right in front of them, with the Pushke, and stare. The rabbi told him to follow them home if he has to. As the rabbi said, ‘They will break. They will never give more than a dollar. But they will break.’ The only issue is that they will never give more than a dollar. I think our Tzedkah guy needs training from the shnurers that come from Israel. They'll take down address and knock on doors. They’re scary. I get the feeling that most of them are criminals knocking on my door. I find myself giving more when I feel like I'm going to get robbed. I don’t get the purple light in Himmelman’s dining room. It’s messed up. Whenever I eat there, I feel like my plate is part of a crime scene. I felt bad eating the brisket. It looked like evidence. Same people are always waiting for leftovers. They don’t clean up. The rabbi said that if they want leftovers, they have to start cleaning. That caused a ruckus. Now, they have to offer to help clean. The cleaning offer met with a big fight, until Herman and the others realized that they’re helping by taking the food home; in essence, cleaning the leftovers. The rabbi started a leftovers food bank, for poor people. He thinks poor people are slaves or something like that. That’s why he linked it with the Parsha. All I know is that didn’t make it more than a week, as the shul was under investigation for food poisoning. It was decided that we should get poor people fridges. Being that some are homeless, we had to start a fridge kitchen. The only issue is that people only gave a dollar and we couldn’t afford the electric bill. Since that didn't work out, Herman has started showing up again, for the leftovers. Mount Wall Climb was a great shul activity. The rabbi's talking about social climbing and dealing with the issue led the social action committee to make a shul event at the climbing center. It was more than a dollar, but everybody can afford that. As long as it's not going to straight to charity, they're fine putting out the money. They'll give to fundraisers, but not to the Tzedakah box. The idea of using the fact that people like social climbing to go to the wall climbing center made no sense. Nonetheless, it was a great shul event. And people were too scared to say that they would not pay their dues when the rabbi was holding their rope and spotting them. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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How these work, I don’t know. I appreciate all the healthy cookies and chips... I put on a few pounds eating a lot of healthy. It seems that too many healthy peanut butter cups will also get you fat. False advertisement.
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It’s tradition to eat more fruit on Tu BShvat, to praise Gd for his creation and to walk around with an upset stomach.
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12/24/2021
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