Home

Register for all services and meals here. 

Dear Friends,

In his commentary on Pirkei Avot entitled "Peirush Man", R’ Menachem Nachum Friedman of Itcani notes an apparent contradiction in this week’s parshah. In Chapter 15 verse 4, we are told “there shall be no needy among you—since the HaShem your God will bless you in the land that the HaShem your God is giving you as a hereditary portion”, but later, in verse 11, we are told “for there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kin in your land.” How is it that there will be no needy among us and yet there will never cease to be needy ones in our land?

R’ Menachem Nachum says that “HaKadosh Baruch Hu, master over all the Earth, gave the Jews the Land of Canaan as an inheritance and the land was divided portion by portion. Someone who lost their income due to poor decisions will be forced to sell their property; this is what the verse is referring to when it says ‘there will never cease to be needy ones in your land.’” The realities of life are such that, at times, a person may lose the land given to them and the subsequent financial security it affords. For that reason, there will inevitably be people in need.

At the same time, the Torah mandates safeguards to help such a person. R’ Menachem Nachum points out that, for one thing, during the Jubilee year, all land reverts back to its original owners. But if even after the Jubilee year, a person is forced to sell their land again, thus forfeiting any future rights to that land, we are told in Leviticus 25:35 that “if your brother grows poor, and his hand becomes shaky among you, then you shall relieve him”. This is expressed in the Torah’s mandate to leave the gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and corners of our fields unharvested and to give them, instead, to the poor and the stranger (Leviticus 23:22). 

R’ Menachem Nachum observes that leaving these gleanings and corners to the poor is not, in fact, an act of charity, where the owner of the field gives of their own property to the poor. Rather, by Divine mandate, the owner of the field has absolutely no rights to this produce and it truly belongs to the poor and the stranger. He likens it to a partnership in the ownership of the field’s produce where the owner of the field owns the lion’s share but the poor and the stranger own the gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corners.

Life happens. People will always face unforeseen circumstances and financial hardships and in that sense there will always be needy in our land. At the same time, the Torah sets up a system of safeguards to ensure that the needy among us will always find their feet and never fall too far. This, says R’ Menachem Nachum, is why even though need will always arise, we are promised that there shall be no needy among us.     

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Birkeland

Thank you to everyone who joined our Annual Membership Meeting, and to all who participated in our Board elections. 

Please Note: 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.

Dear Stanton Community, 
 
We are shaking from the war breaking out in Israel. Hamas has fired thousands of rockets, over 167 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

MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Patron Level

Family Level

Individual Level

Under 35 Level

Out-of-Town Family Level

Out-of-Town Individual Level

If you are already a member, it's time to renew your membership for the new calendar year at our shul. Please consider increasing your membership level.

If you are not a member, please consider joining!! We'd love to have you. 

StantonKIDS
Shabbat Programming for 5785

Shabbat Program September 7: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program September 21: 10:30am-12pm

Rosh Hashana October 3: Childcare provided from 10:00am-1pm, Family services from 10:30am-11:30am
Rosh Hashana October 4: Childcare provided from 10:00am-1pm, Family services from 10:30am-11:30am
Yom Kippur October 12: Childcare provided from 10:00am-2pm, Family services from 10:30am-11:30am
Sukkah Decorating October 13: 10:00am-12pm
Shabbat Program November 2: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program November 16: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program December 7: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program December 21: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program January 11: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program January 25: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program February 1: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program February 15: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program March 1: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program March 15: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program April 5: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program April 26: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program May 3: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program May 31: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program June 14: 10:30am-12pm
Shabbat Program June 21: 10:30am-12pm

Click HERE to see more great photos from our long history as a landsmannschaft shul on the Lower East Side.