Weekly Newsletter

Parshat Pinchas
Week of July 26, 2024
Tammuz 5784

Erev Shabbat, Friday July 26, 2024 (20 Tammuz)
Candle Lighting at 7:59pm

Shabbat, July 27, 2024 (21 Tammuz)
Services will begin promptly at 9:30 and will be followed by a Kiddush open to all at 12pm.

Havdalah at 9:03pm  

Kiddush this week is sponsored by the house. If you'd like to sponsor Kiddush in the future, please reach out to info@stantonstshul.com.

Our Annual Membership Drive Is Ongoing!

** Membership Invoices have been sent out to all who held Memberships last year (2023-2024) and have not yet paid for the 2024-2025 year. Please reach out with any questions about renewing your membership or beginning a new membership.**

Dear Friends,

This week, we will be reading Parshas Pinchas. There are two haftaros associated with this parshah and whether Pinchas falls before or after Shiva Asar B’Tamuz determines which one we read. This year, when Pinchas falls after Shiva Asar B’Tamuz, we will be reading Yirmiyahu 1:1-2:3, the haftarah linked with Mattos (next week will be the double portion of Mattos-Masei and we will read the haftarah for Masei). I would like to focus, however, on the other haftarah.

When Pinchas falls out before Shiva Asar B’Tamuz, we read from 1 Kings 18:46-19:21. In these passages, we read about Elijah the Prophet running away to the desert to escape Achav and Jezebel, who are out on a mission to kill him. Elijah, like Pinchas, is a zealot filled with the fire of God’s truth and has dedicated his life to holy rebuke. Some Midrashim even go so far as to say Elijah and Pinchas are one and the same.

Elijah runs all the way to Sinai. When he gets there, he is confronted by God who says, “Why are you here, Elijah?” Elijah responds that he is there because he has been exceedingly zealous for God while the rest of the Jews have been worshiping idols and abandoning the covenant. God then makes a strong wind blow, followed by an earthquake, and then a fire, but it is made clear that God was not present in any of them. Finally there is a still, small voice in which God does seem to be. After this encounter, God asks again “Why are you here, Elijah?” and Elijah responds with the same answer he gave previously. It is then that God tells him to go back to where he came from, and to appoint a successor.

It seems that God was trying to tell Elijah to ease up some - to stop being a strong wind, an intense earthquake, a consuming fire. God’s ways are not supposed to be so destructive. Still, Elijah could not see that and this marks the beginning of the end of his prophetic tenure. Passion for God and truth is good but we cannot let it blind us to the needs and worth of others, even when they aren’t being the best versions of themselves. This altruistic concern for others is embodied by Elijah’s successor, Elisha, who makes a point to go home and kiss his parents, then slaughter his oxen and feed them to the people, all before joining Elijah on the road.  

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Birkeland

** Want to get in touch with me? Please Note: I can be reached at stantonrabbi@gmail.com. **

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Engagements
Mazel Tov to the Levinson-Chu family on the engagement of their daughter, Malka Chu to Ethan Feuer! 

Misheberach 
Rachel Devorah bat Elke
Cecile Cohen זיאסל מלכה בת אסתר 
Manny Kaplan מאיר ראובן בן לאה        
Chana Mera bat Fruma Henna
Gitche bat Honcha
Ella bat Leah
Chaya Malka bat Esther Leia
Nolan Rhodes נתן צבי בן פרידה
Ashlynn Elizabeth Helen Coffman
 Moshe Asher Ben Esther Sarah
Chaim Yechezkel Ben Leah
Reuven ben Rochel
Rivka bat Miriam Sara
Eliyahu Natan ben Shayndel
Shayna bat Chana Kayla 
Yitzhak Calev ben Leetza Tzvia
Ashira bat Yosef
Malka Devora bat Chaya
Chaim Yonah ben Dubrah
​​​​​​​Efraim Ben Sore
Shimon Sumer HaLevi Ben Malka
Jim Lee
Leah Zahava Bat Elka

We pray that all who are sick may have a full recovery. We are especially sending prayers to those who are wounded and in need of healing in Israel and Gaza, and daven for the safe return of those who are still unaccounted for.
To add a name to our communal misheberach prayer list, email us.

If you have a Yahrtzeit, birthday, anniversary or other milestone coming up, please reach out!
We'd like to update our Yahrtzeit database. Please send us your yahrzeit details. If you don't know the exact hebrew date, just let us know the date of passing and we will figure it out and add it to the shul cloud calendar.

Dear Stanton Community, 
 
We are shaking from the war breaking out in Israel. Hamas has fired thousands of rockets, over 136 citizens are hostages, and over 1,200 Israelis are dead with thousands more wounded. There are also thousands dead in Gaza -- innocent civilians caught in the line of fire. 
 
This is unprecedented and the most deadly attack on Israel in a generation. We must take action.
In addition to our prayers, we ask you to consider making a generous donation to one of the listed causes.
 
The One who makes peace on high, may He bring peace down below to us, 
Dvir and Shalhevet Cahana

StantonKIDS
Shabbat Programming for 5784

Our schedule for 5785 will be released in the coming weeks.

Women's Tefillah Group

Thank you to all who have joined us for services this year. Our schedule for 5785 will be released in the coming weeks.
If you would like to layn, lead services, or give a d'var Torah with us, or if you have questions, please be in touch!

ONLINE ARCHIVES

If you missed services this past shabbes, or arrived too late to hear the drasha, you can go to our archives and read a copy! This week, find Lina Morales' drasha on Lech Lecha. 

Click here for an archive of shiurim
Click here for an archive of drashot
Click here to go to our YouTube Channel for an archive of all of our ZOOM classes