Seder's Over, But These Articles Are Terrific

I'm hope everyone had great Sedarim. I highly recommend the following two must read articles by Rabbi Noson Weisz: The Spark of Freedom and Festivals of Spring.

FRIDAY PRE-PESACH TRASH PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF

There will be a special Pesach trash pick-up in Kew Gardens Hills
tomorrow morning, Friday, April 22, between midnight and 10:30 AM.
Trash should be placed at the curb on Thursday evening after 6 PM.
Separate your trash for recycling, which will also be picked up.

Special pick-up bins for chametz/trash will be available on Friday
from 6 AM to 11 AM at: Main Street/Vleigh Place/72 Road (at the KGH Library).

Please DO NOT PARK near these pick-up points -- trucks will need the space!

Malbim Haggadah On The Web

For those of us who process Torah better visually, a translation of the Malbim Haggadah is available online. Putting aside the question if the Malbim really wrote it, the author does an incredible job of showing that the entire structure of Maggid is derived from the one verse "And you shall relate to your child on that day, saying: "It is because of this that Hashem acted for me when I came forth out of Egypt."

Rabbi Yakov Haber mp3 - Miracles and Revelation: Complement and Contrast

Click on the link to Rabbi Yakov Haber's recent shiur on Miracles and Revelation: Complement and Contrast.

Note: If you want to save any shiur to your PC, use the right button on your mouse (right-click) and choose Save Target As (Save Link As in Firefox) from the menu. Then save it to somewhere on your hard drive. You can then play it at your leisure, even if you are not connected to the Internet. You can also burn it to a CD using Windows Media Player (newer versions only) or download it to your Mp3 player (assuming you have one).

Rabbi Label Lam Mp3 on Pesach

To hear a shiur on Pesach from Rabbi Label Lam, just click here.

Two Minyanim for Mincha-Maariv This Week 4/22/05

Congregation Ahavas Yisroel

Friday - April 22, 2005

Two Minyanim for Mincha-Maariv

Early Plag HaMincha - 6:00 PM

Sh’kia - 7:30 PM

Z'manim for Pesach

Here are the z'manim for Pesach, page 1 and page 2. It prints better than it looks in your browser.

Rabbi Tatz Mp3s on Pesach and a Multitude of Other Subjects

Rabbi Akiva Tatz has a number (138) of files available for free download. The files have recently been converted from Real Media Format to Mp3 making them more accessible and portable.

For Pesach, I highly recommend TZ 28 Pesach: Maintaining Inspiration.

Do You Need an Aliya or Other Kibud on First Days of Yom Tov

R' Yechezkel Rosenberg will be serving as Gabbai for the 1st days of Yom Tov and he would like you to contact him at HRosenberg@shufsd.org if you want need an Aliya or Kibud on the First Days of Yom Tov.

Erev Pesach That Occurs on Shabbos - By Rabbi Herschel Welcher

Erev Pesach That Occurs on Shabbos
by Rabbi Herschel Welcher

When Erev Pesach occurs on Shabbos, it is necessary to observe a number of the Mitzvos in an unconventional manner. I am issuing this letter as a guide to practical observance.

1. B’dikas Chametz should be conducted on Thursday evening, April 21.

2. The first Bitul Chametz should be done immediately after the B’dikah.

3. Biur Chametz should be done on Friday morning, April 22, before 11:45 AM. If the Biur was not done before this time, it may be done at any time before Shabbos. The second Bitul Chametz is not done on Friday.

4. Preferably, we should finish eating Chametz before 10:13 AM on Shabbos morning, April 23. We must finish eating Chametz before 10:37 AM.

5. The second Bitul Chametz must be done on Shabbos after we have finished eating Chametz. Preferably, it should be done before 11:33 AM. It must be done before 11:45 AM.

6. There are two basic approaches to fulfilling the mitzvah of S’udas Shabbos. Some make HaMotzi on challah and eat the challah in an area of the house that is not adjacent to the table where the actual meal will be conducted. After each person eats the equivalent of a large slice of challah, the crumbs should be cleaned away, the clothes should be shaken clean, and the tablecloth should be removed. The hands should then be washed and the mouth should be rinsed. Then the actual meal should be eaten; it should consist of Pesach foods, served on Pesach dishes. Some use egg matzos, instead of challah. If egg matzah is used, it may be eaten at the same table where the meal will be conducted. Even though we don't eat egg matzah on Pesach, it isn't considered Chametz. It is permissible to keep egg matzah in our home on Pesach. If egg matzah is used, the HaMotzi is recited on two egg matzos. Preferably, each person should eat two egg matzos at each meal. The minimum amount of egg matzah is one egg matzah per meal.

7. The most significant difficulty with the Shabbos meals concerns the S’udah Sh’lishis. It is appropriate to recite the HaMotzi for this meal. However, on this Shabbos afternoon it is not permissible to use bread or matzah. Preferably, one should divide the morning meal into two parts. One should make the HaMotzi and eat the first course of the meal. Then the Birkas HaMazon should be recited. After the Birkas HaMazon, it is necessary to take a fifteen-minute break, which should be used for learning, strolling, or any other activity. Then, one should wash again and recite the HaMotzi. After finishing the challah (by 10:13 AM or 10:37 AM – See #4 above), the main Shabbos meal should be eaten. If egg matzah is used, it may be eaten until Chatzos (12:54 PM). During the afternoon, it is preferable to eat a piece of meat or fish (or at least a fruit) to fulfill the view that this S’udah cannot take place before Chatzos. Those who wear braces on their teeth should only use egg matzah on this Shabbos (Such a person should not eat solid Chametz or liquid Chametz which is hot or sticky after 10:13 AM on Friday morning.).

Rabbi Moshe Gordon - Mp3s - On Inyanim Seder and Haggadah from Rishonim and Achronim

Rabbi Moshe Gordon from Ohr Yerushaliyim has made available two amazing series on Inyanim of the Seder and the Haggadah with a focus on Rishonim and Achronim that you can download here.

Seder Series
1 Kadesh and Arba Kosos
2 URchatz Karpas Yachatz.mp3
3 Hallel Rachtza Matza Heseiba.mp3
4 Maror Korech Shilchan Orech
5 Afikomen Barech end of Hallel Nirtza after Seder

Haggadah Series
1 Intro to Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim
2 Ha Lachma Anya Akiras HaShulchan Intro to Ma Nishtana
3 Ma Nishtana
4 Avadim Hayeinu Arami Oved Avi
5 Arami Oved Avi 2
6 The 10 Makos End of Magid

Bonus Download
The Difficult Mitzvah of Feeling As If You Personally Left Mitzrayim

Download MP3 From Rabbi Yakov Haber on the Haggadah from 04/04/04

Here is Rabbi Yakov Haber on the Haggadah from a shiur given on 04/04/04 in the Shul.

Sharing Shabbos Meals

The response to the Sharing Shabbos Meals Initiative has been terrific. We will not being calling everyone, so if you want to participate, please get your form in as soon as possible.

Matzah Pickup Motza'ei Shabbos - 10:30PM-11:30PM Sunday 8:30AM-9:00AM

If you ordered matzah from Rabbi Welcher, you must pick it up on either Motza'ei Shabbos from 10:30PM to 11:30PM or on Sunday from 8:30AM to 9:00AM.

What the Internet Was Created For

After you have finished listening to Rabbi Welcher's shiurim on Pesach, why not head over to the Pesach Audios at 613.org for an audio shmorgasbord to help you prepare for Pesach.

Insights into the Haggadah - Download MP3

Rabbi Welcher gave a great shiur on "Insights into the Haggadah", focusing on the section of the Haggadah beginning with "The Aramean [almost] destroyed my father...". Rabbi Welcher relates some great ideas on the connection between suffering and redemption and chesed and redemption as well as a number of other gems.

You can download Insights into the Haggadah here.

Selling Your Chometz Online

Last year we tried to figure out how people might be able to sell their Chometz over the Internet. Maybe you could pick up the mouse to make the kinyan, video yourself appointing the Rav to be your shliach and email the the resulting mpeg file. We're still looking into it.

In the meantime, you can print this Selling Chometz Contract, fill it out and bring it to Rabbi Welcher after Shacharis or Maariv.

Queens Communal Pesach Seder

Queens Communal Pesach Seder

Congregation Etz Chaim
147-19 73 Ave Flushing, NY 11367

Led by the Rav of Etz Chaim, Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg

First Seder Night, Motzai Shabbos After Ma’ariv Saturday April 23, 2005

Suggested Price: $36 Adults, $25 Children

Please Call to Reserve: 718-459-8876

Blessing the Baal Habayis

Who should make Hamotzi and who should lead the benching are among the topics discussed in today's shiur by R' Yechezkel Rosenberg in the Seventh Perek of Berachos, Mem Vav Amud Aleph. Also discussed is why and how we bless the Baal Habayis in the Fourth Beracha of Benching.

You can download the shiur here

Queens Shidduch Committee

Several members of the Central Queens, NY Jewish community have taken upon themselves to offer an incentive for people to make shidduchim of single women from Central Queens. The committee is offering a $2,000 gift to the shadchan of a woman from this area. (This money will be in addition to the customary “shadchanus” gift that may be given by the families.) This program is being modeled after the one operated by the Star-K of Baltimore, with some minor variations.

See the Queens Shidduch Committee for details.

Cleaning for Pesach - Download Mp3

Here is Rabbi Welcher's Cleaning for Pesach mp3. I split it into the drasha and halacha parts because it ran close to 90 minutes and if you want to burn it to an audio CD you can only burn 70 minutes on each CD.

Here is the Cleaning for Pesach drasha.

Here is the Cleaning for Pesach halacha.

Reminder: Rabbi Herschel Welcher - Cleaning for Pesach - 4/5/2005 - 8:00 PM

Congregation Ahavas Yisroel
Join us for a Shiur for men and women

Rabbi Herschel Welcher

“Cleaning for Pesach”

Tuesday – April 5, 2005

8:00 PM

Shiur will be available for download

Sharing Shabbos Meals Initiative

An initiative is being brought forward by the congregation to create a greater sense of community within our Shul. By creating a stronger community, our congregation can become a warmer place for our current members and an attractive option for potential new members.

A practical first step for this initiative is inviting guests for Shabbos. Not just our usual friends, but newer families, or families we have never taken the opportunity to get to know. A program has been developed which will allow us to share Shabbos meals with other families without feeling overwhelmed.

Over the Shabbosim between Pesach and Shavuos (May 6 – June 11), participants will share meals with three different families from our Shul. Committee coordinators will facilitate the invite process. By the time Shavous rolls around, we will be one stage closer to creating stronger community connections within our Shul.

Please participate in this worthwhile endeavor by filling out this form and dropping it off, or mailing it to Mark Frankel, 141-17 72nd Crescent, Kew Gardens Hills, NY 11367 or
email the info to Caykgh@gmail.com

Thanks in advance for your involvement in making our Shul a better place.

Name and Phone Number___________________________________________

Number of adults __________

Number of children (and ages)____________________________

□ Would like to be on the Committee and serve as a Coordinator
□ Would like to be either a guest or a host
□ Would only like to be a guest
□ Would only like to be a host

Please list between 5 and 10 members with whom you have never shared a Shabbos Meal.

Please send in the form as soon as possible?

You can download the original letter here.

Saying Amen to Your Own Brocha - Praiseworthy or Despicable?

Is it praiseworthy or despicable to say amen to your own brocha. You give us 22 minutes and R' Yechezkel Rosenberg will masterfully guide you through the sugya.

Click Here to Download.