The VIEW 4, Vol. 12

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 4 FEBRUARY 8, 2013 28 CHESVAN 5773

UPCOMING Parshat Vayera By: Rabbi Landsman
EVENTS
Parshat Vayera is known as the parsha portraying the great hospitality and acts of Gemillut Chas-
Candle Lighting: 5:52 sadim of Avraham Avinu. Even though Avraham was ill and suffering, he went out of his way to seek
Havdallah: 6:51 guests to host in his tent. Avraham was the archetypical "benefactor of kindness".
Sun., Oct 20
Rabbi Yissocher Frand quotes Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky, who in his Emet L'Yakov makes the fol-
Parent Child Sunday lowing observation. The Medrashim are replete with the various types of hospitality that Avraham demon-
Learning with strated. "He planted an Eishel in Beer Sheva". Chazal tell us that the word Eishel (which superficially refers
to a tree planted for shade) is an acronym for Achilah, Shtiyah, and Lina. Avraham's tent was open on all
Rabbi Bernstein four sides to make sure he would catch the guests from whichever direction they approached. Throughout
9-11 AM the words of our Sages, Avraham is associated with the Divine Attribute of Chessed.

Tues., Oct 22 Yet it seems that this is the only parsha where we see explicitly that Avraham engaged in acts of
BJE Entrance Exam kindness. This incident at the start of Vayera is the paradigm of Avraham Avinu's chessed. We find no
mention of it in Lech Lecha or in Chayei Sarah.
General Studies
8th Grade Rav Yaakov also wonders about the juxtaposition of this act of kindness to the story of the de-
1PM struction of Sodom. Rav Yaakov suggests that the Biblical proof that Avraham Avinu was such a master of
kindness is not from the brief incident with the Angels at the start of the parsha. Rather, the proof emerges
Wed., Oct 23 from the juxtaposition of the two stories -- that of hosting the guests and that of the destruction of Sodom.
New Family
Sodom was noteworthy for their lack of hospitality. They had mandated local legislation prohibit-
Welcome Reception ing hospitality. Any person caught practicing acts of chessed in Sodom was severely punished. This society
8PM did not only have laws forbidding loitering and all kinds of other things they actually had anti-chessed
laws!
Tues., Oct 29
Picture Day The nature of human beings is that if one has a proclivity to act in a certain way and someone else
Grades N-5 has a proclivity to act in a diametrically opposite fashion then the people by nature have negative feelings
towards each other. The people of Sodom represented the very antithesis of Avraham's personality. All that
Wed., Oct 30 he preached and practiced throughout his lifetime regarding kindness towards one's fellow man was
Picture Day JHS mocked and rejected in its entirety by the Sodomite society. They negated and undermined all the influence
8th Grade Parents HS Avraham was trying to exert in the world by acting in the way they did.

Night 8PM Therefore, it would be only natural and understandable for Avraham's reaction to be one of joy
and jubilation upon hearing the news from HaShem that "I am going to destroy Sodom". At the very least,
YCQ Family News we would have expected an attitude of "Good riddance! Go for it!

Mazal Tov to Mrs. Rashi states that the word Vayigash connotes three different things. It can mean drawing near for
Hoffman (5th Grade the sake of war, for the sake of prayer, or for the sake of seeking to appease. Rashi cites Biblical citations for
each usage of the word. We can understand how Avraham's approach might be for prayer or might be to
General Studies seek to mollify HaShem. However, how shall we understand the third connotation of the word drawing
Teacher) on the birth near to do battle? Rav Frand learns that this was a personal battle that Avraham had to fight within himself.
He was torn. On the one hand, he felt "Get rid of these people. They deserve to be wiped out for their
of a baby girl! meanness and selfishness." On the other hand, Avraham overcame this emotion and countered it with his
plea on behalf of the Sodomites which was the other side of his personal battle regarding the matter.
Mazel tov to Max
Simanowitz and Eitan This is the paradigm of Avraham's great attribute of Chessed according to Rav Yakov Kamentsky.
It is not merely that as an ill and elderly man, he rushed to serve three travelers on a hot day when he was
Masturov on their suffering from recent surgery. The paradigm is the juxtaposition of the two incidents. Immediately after
Bar Mitzvah! being introduced to Avraham's propensity for hospitality, which might lead us to assume Avraham would
be satisfied with the demise of an anti-hospitality society, we see that Avraham wrestles with that natural
Mazel tov to Rabbi inclination and prays for the welfare even of the Sodomites. He does this not in a perfunctory fashion, but
Lonner on the Bar in a long and eloquent dialog with HaShem, pleading for the welfare of the Sodomites. He begs for them!

Mitzvah of his This is the quintessential Baal Chessed one whose love of people is so great that it overrides every
other intellectual or emotional consideration that he might have. This is why Parshat Vayera is known as
the parsha which personifies the great attributed of Chessed manifested by Avraham Avinu.

grandson! Have a Shabbat Shalom!

Sunday Learning Program

This past Sunday, October 13, 2013, we were honored to have the world famous
speaker Rabbi Jonathan Rietti both inspire and entertain. He challenged us not to be
fooled by the media distortion in what real happiness is. Rabbi Rietti taught us that
true happiness can be attained and it lives within ourselves. It is us who need to find
eternal happiness, and does not require those around us to influence our personal
happiness. The recording of Rabbi Rietti’s shuir will be available soon on ParentLocker
for the those who were unable to attend the lecture and are interested in learning
this important trait. Special thanks to Rabbi Bernstein for coordinating this program!

Healthy and Wise is off to a Great Start!

This month in our Healthy & Wise nutrition program we learned about healthy foods in each
color of the rainbow. We sang a great song, "Today I Ate a Rainbow" to help us remember to
eat healthy foods in a variety of colors. We also talked about the story "The Very Hungry Cater-
pillar" and discussed why eating too many unhealthy snacks can make us sick. In the first
grade classes we colored our "healthy picnic foods" basket and hung them up on our beautiful
bulletin board. Eating more colorful fruits and vegetables is our first step to a healthier life-
style.

YCQ 5TH - 8TH GRADE STUDENT
PARENT-CHILD

SUNDAY LEARNING PROGRAM

PLEASE JOIN US THIS SUNDAY

October 20, 2013

16 th CHESHVAN 5774

9 AM - 11 AM
11-11:20 3-on-3 Basketball

FOR AN INSPIRATIONAL
LEARNING PROGRAM

SPEAKER:

Rabbi Bernstein, JHS Rebbe

TOPIC:

The Elements of Creation

3rd‐4th & 5th‐6th Grade Boys

Social Skills Group


Dear Parents,
Following the success of last year’s groups, I am proud to
announce the formation of 2 therapy groups designed
specifically for 3rd‐4th & 5th‐6th grade boys that may be
struggling socially/emotionally.


Skills include (but not limited to):

‐ Developing and Maintaining Friendships
‐ Listening
‐ Coping with frustrations and other emotions
‐ Conversation skills
‐ How to handle bullying, teasing, rejection
‐ Assertiveness training



About the group:

‐ Group will run for 8 sessions; more if necessary

‐ Ongoing coordination with the school and teachers
Cost:
$30 a session

Where and When:
3rd – 4th grade: Sundays at 10:15am in YCQ
5th – 6th grade: Sundays at 11:30am in YCQ


For more information, feel free to contact me:

Avi Shteingart, LMSW CASAC

201‐410‐5883
[email protected]

The YCQ Parents Association
Cordially invites you to its annual

New Family Dessert Reception
Meet and Greet

Wednesday, October 23, 2013
8:00 PM

JHS Multi-Purpose room

(parking lot will be open)

Featured Speaker:
“Expectations for our Children”

Marcy Davidovics, LCSW
YCQ Social Work Director

Refreshments will be served

Please rsvp to
[email protected] or 718-793-8500 x325

c''qa

Yeshiva of Central Queens

DATE REBBE SUBJECT

10/13 Rabbi Rietti True Happiness
10/20 Rabbi Bernstein
10/27 Rabbi Kramer The elements of creation

11/10 Rabbi Russek Jelousy, do you really want to be
11/24 Rabbi Nat like him?
12/8 Rabbi Shay Schachter
12/29 Rabbi Hammer A letter from the rxd xvi
2/2 Rabbi Rohr dxezd zxeqn
2/9 Rabbi Hamel
2/23 Rabbi Pearl dninz 'd zxez
3/2 Rabbi Finestone
3/9 Rabbi Glatstein Practical dkld
3/23 Rabbi Finkelstein The purpose of the ycwnd zia
The process of making ziviv
Practical dkld
ecaln cer oi`
mixet
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DON’T FORGET:

Weekly Prizes





CHALLAHS ‘N MORE

OVEN-READY CHALLAH BY FRUMA RUSSEK

PRE-SHAPED CHALLAH READY FOR BAKING IN YOUR HOME
Enjoy the wonderful aroma of baking challah and the delicious taste of home-made challah
without the mess and hard work!

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY

Challahs are shaped and ready to be baked FRESH in your own oven
CHOOSE FROM OUR STANDARD, WHOLE WHEAT, AND SPECIALTY
LINE

SPECIALTY CHALLAHS:
OLIVE OIL/ZAHTAR – GOES GREAT WITH CHUMUS, TEHINA, AND ALL
YOUR DIPS!
CRUMB TOPPING – TASTES LIKE CAKE; YOU CAN SKIP DESSERT!
CHOCOLATE CHIP – PERFECT FOR THE KIDS!
TRY OUR DELICIOUS KUGELS - CHOOSE FROM POTATO KUGEL AND
DIET BROCOLI KUGEL

PRICE LIST: $4.00
STANDARD ROUND CHALLAH $4.50
STANDARD BRAID CHALLAH $4.50
WHOLE WHEAT ROUND $5.00
WHOLE WHEAT BRAID
Additional .75 for specialty challah $4.75
Potato kugel $5.25
Diet broccoli kugel

To place your order, please call: (347) 724-0844 or E-mail: [email protected].

Please write “challah” in the subject line. If you would like to submit a name for a refuah / yeshuah at the
time of the hafrashas challah bracha, please feel free to include it. (Also available: unshaped dough to make
hafrasha on your own)

Out with the Old—In with the New!

YCQ Sunday Learning Program

YCQ Healthy and Wise