Weekly Newsletter

Week of June 4th, 2021
24 Sivan 5781
​​​​​​​Shabbat Mevarchim
Sh'lach

Erev Shabbat June 4th (24 Sivan)
7:00p Kabbalat Shabbat IN SHUL Register Here
8:05p Candle Lighting

Shabbat Mevarchim Sh'lach, June 5th (25 Sivan)
9:30a Shabbat Services IN SHUL Register Here
9:13p Shabbat Ends. Gut Vuch and Shavua Tov!
9:30p Havdalah FROM YOUR HOME TO OURS via ZOOM

Sunday, June 6th (26 Sivan)
4p ZOOM Gala There is still time to register!

Tuesday, June 8th (28 Sivan)
7p - 8:15p Rabbi Leead Staller's Parshat HaShavuah Shiur via ZOOM

Wednesday, June 9th (29 Sivan)
7p - 8:15p Rabbi Leead Staller's Tefillah Shiur via ZOOM

Friday, June 11th: Rosh Chodesh Tammuz (1 Tammuz)
8a Women's Tefillah Group Rosh Chodesh Services via ZOOM

Thank you to this week's DONOR
We are grateful to have such a committed community

Thank you to all who have contributed thus far to the Gala!

Margie Segal BIG thank you to Jill Slater for her incredible, indefatigable work on
The Stanton Street Shul Zoom Gala 2021!
Diane Hodges in honor of Rabbi's Installation

Drasha 

Arguably one of the most consequential moments in Jewish history, the sin of the spies in the desert gets center stage in our Parashah. The first half of our Parshah is all about the details of who was sent to spy out the land of Israel, what exactly their mission was, and how they failed to live up to their charge– giving us great detail of the entire episode. Of course, the punishment for the Jewish people’s lack of faith and appreciation for the land God was about to give them was a condemnation to a death in the desert, as they had to wander 40 years until the sinful past generation died out before entering Israel. 

Capturing the significance of this moment, Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt”l groups the sin of the spies with the sin of the Golden Calf as two pivotal moments in the Jewish people’s time in the desert. Much like the Sin of the Golden Calf changed the Jewish people’s relationship with God forever– inventing the need for new rituals of Teshuvah, arguably contributing to the creation of a new holiday, Yom Kippur, and perhaps even leading to the need for the construction a physical Temple– the sin of the spies also left a lasting impact on the Jewish people, turning the desert into a period of wandering and soul-searching instead of a short transitionary period in the desert. In many ways, these two sins represent a rejection of the two elements of the Jewish mission. By the sin of the Golden Calf, the Jewish people rejected the Torah and its commandments, by worshipping a foreign God. By the sin of the spies, the Jewish people rejected the mission of conquering Israel and using their landed peoplehood as a base to spread their message of divine justice. 

But despite this parallel, there is one major difference between the stories. While both stories feature an aftermath of Moshe beseeching God on behalf of the Jewish people, resulting in a compromised punishment, there is a key difference between the conclusion of the two stories. In the case of the Golden Calf, God responds by reemphasizing the prohibition of making molten idols, and reminds the Jewish people that when they enter the land of Israel they are forbidden from adopting any of the idolatrous practices of those who live there. In other words, God gives a series of commands that directly relate to the problem at hand and reinforces a corrective measure to ensure the Jewish people don’t do it again. Thus, God emphasizes the prohibition of idolatry, and preempts the need to avoid it when entering the land of Israel. ... continued

Click HERE for an archive of Rabbi Staller's Drashot

Misheberach: We pray that all who are sick may have a full recovery. To add a name to our communal misheberach prayer list, email us. 

Refuah shelama for Diana Halperin who just underwent hip replacement surgery and is recuperating at home. Best to David Wander her able attendant 

Security Protocols for Entering Shul:
At all times as a security precaution, please close the gate behind you and use the code to enter the door on the right side of the building. If you do not know the code, knock and someone will let you in.

It is important for our health and that of our city, country and world -- that we get vaccinated.
Walk-in vaccines are now available throughout the city. Or speak to your doctor. Or call the main vaccine hotline for NYC: 877-VAX-4NYC or 877-829-4692. Or visit https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/ or  https://www.turbovax.info/

SPONSOR A CLASS
Please sponsor a virtual class for as little as $36. Thank you!!! 

Rosh Chodesh
Women's Tefillah Group Services via ZOOM
Friday morning, June 11th at 8am
Join by Phone: 1(929) 205 6099 and enter Member ID: 852 1655 6353

ONLINE ARCHIVES
Click HERE for an archive of shiurim by Rabbi Staller
Click HERE for an archive of drashot by Rabbi Staller
Click HERE to go to our YouTube Channel for an archive of our ZOOM classes