Candle Lighting: 7:49 pmHavdalah: 8:57 pm

SHABBAT WORKSParashat Balak

SHABBATService Schedule

SATURDAY MORNING9:00 AM Birkot HaShachar Early Morning Blessings9:10 AM - Rabbi Finley’s 9:30 AM Morning Study Session Doors Close (no wandering in and out)9:45 AM Morning Prayer Service Doors remain open for the remainder of the morning10:30 AM Amidah The Standing Prayer10:45 AM Torah Service11:15 AM - Rabbi Finley’s 11:45 AM Torah Study12:00 PM Concluding Prayers12:15 PM Kiddush, HaMotsi12:30 PM Lunch1:00 PM Lunch then Learn

Teachings Led by Rabbi Mordecai Finley

Community Hazan Jacob KantorVocal Accompaniment Belinda LamsCommunity Torah Readers Rabbi Mordecai Finley

Julie GiuffridaRebecca Pidgeon

Community Gabbai’im Joshua AbarbanelCurt Biren

David Dressler Julie Giuffrida

Pianist Arie SalmaPercussion & Keyboard Jeff LamsAccordionist Art Shane

Friday night July 07 - Saturday July 08 2017

14 Tammuz 5777

PARASHATHASHAVUA

Parashat Balak NumBers 22:2 - 25:9

(pp 384-393 in the Stone Tanakh)

haftarah:Micah 5:6 - 6:8

(pp. 1380-1383 in theStone Tanakh)

FOR OUR MEMBERS AND GUESTS

MINHAG HAMAKOM*ATTIREMen and boys must wear kippot/yarmulkes while attending Ohr HaTorah.

Please dress up a little to respect and honor the Sabbath (no blue jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, shorts, cut-offs, immodest dress, etc.)

ELECTRONICSCell phones, pagers, cameras, and other electronics must remain off in the sanctuary. If you must make or receive a call, find a private place.

YOUNG CHILDRENAll parents with infants are kindly requested to leave the service when their child needs immediate attention. We ask that parents with young children sit in the back rows to help minimize any disruption to the service.

MORNING STUDY SESSIONThe Morning Study Session (9:10-9:40AM) is part of the Adult Education Program at Ohr HaTorah. It is open to members, prospective members and visitors for their first few times at Ohr HaTorah. If you are a visitor or prospective member, please sign in on the guest sign-in sheet at the front table in the lobby.

Rabbi Finley’s Morning Study Session begins at 9:10 AM sharp. Please arrive early enough to be seated when study begins.

Doors close at the beginning of Rabbi’s 9:10 AM study session, so that people do not continuously walk into the sessions the Rabbi is teaching. Anyone leaving the session will not be readmitted until the study session is completed.

Doors reopen after the study session and remain open through the rest of the morning.

Those entering during the Rabbi’s Torah study (approximately 11:15-11:45AM) should be seated in the back, and not seek a seat in the front of the sanctuary.

*THE LOCAL CUSTOM(FOR SHABBAT)

Synopsis of the Torah PortionNumbers 22:2 - 25:9

Parashat

1. Balak ben Tsippor, king of Moab is frightened at Israelite success. He sends messengers to Bil’am, a prophet, to ask him to curse Israel. Bil’am replies that he may only speak what God tells him. Balak keeps sending officers. Finally, God allows Balak to go, but adjures him: “Speak only what I tell you.” (vss.22:2-20)2. While Balak is on his way, an angel of God blocks his way. Only Bil’am’s donkey sees the angel, so Bil’am beats the donkey for turning from the road. The donkey reproves Bil’am for the unfair beating. Bil’am can finally see the angel, who reminds him: “Speak only what he is told to say.” (22:21-35)3. Balak greets Bil’am - he reproves him for not reporting to him directly. Bil’am warns him: “He will only say what God commands him. Bil’am gives directions for the preparation of the prophecy.” (22:36-23:3)4. Three attempts of Bil’am to curse Israel - God places a blessing in his mouth instead. Balak reproves him. Bil’am gives a final, glorious prophecy for Israel and an ominous one for some of Israel’s neighbors, including Moab. (23:4-24:25) (Note: in Bil’am’s third blessing, vs. 24:5, we have the opening words to the synagogue service: “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy sanctuaries, O Israel.”)5. Israel settles in Shittim and the men begin promiscuous behavior with the Moabite women. They begin worshipping the Moabite Gods. Moshe orders a general alarm to attack the idolaters. An Israelite man took a Moabite woman in the sight of Moshe and all the Children of Israel - Pinhas follows them into the tent and skewers them both. The plague against the people subsides. (vss. 25:1-9)

Synopsis of HaftarahMicah 5:6 - 6:8

Micah was a contemporary of the first Isaiah, active ca 740-700 BCE. He railed against the moral decline both in (northern) Israel and (southern) Judah. His seven chapters are characterized as a high point in prophetic fluency, and style. During the selection today, he mentions the prophecy of Bil’am, but is most known for the words: 6. With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with one-year-old calves? 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love loving mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Balak

Curses (adapted from 2016)Rabbi Mordecai Finley

Unbeknownst to the Israelites, great hostility is brewing just over the next hill. The main focus of this week’s portion, King Balak’s hiring of the prophet Bila’am to curse the Israelites, takes place out of the sight of the encamped tribes of Israel. The Israelites sit oblivious to the fury, fear and drama that are taking place nearby.The Israelites ask to cross Moabite land to get to the plateau that overlooks Canaan, just across from where Jericho is today. The Moabites apparently think this is a ruse. They believe that the Israelites will attack them once they are behind Moabite lines. King Balak has heard of the recent string of Israelite victories. He has to find a non-military solution. He hires a prophet of God to curse the Israelites. Maybe that will work. It doesn’t work for a couple of reasons. First, since Bila’am really was a prophet of God, he could only say the words toward which the holy spirit moved him. Since we are at a relatively unusual place in the Torah where God happens to be kindly disposed toward the Israelites, Bila’am ironically can’t get the curses out of his mouth. Blessings come out instead.Second, I doubt whether, in general, cursing one’s enemies is a reliable path to victory. If cursing worked, everybody would be dead by now. “Cursing” nowadays no longer means calling down malevolent forces on others; it simply means using foul language. Insulting others can certainly hurt their feelings, but such language does not seem to call in supernatural forces to break their bones.There is a real dimension of being cursed, though. I should say, “feeling cursed.” I have spoken with many people who feel that they are cursed – that there is something wrong with them that seriously impedes their well-being. I call this a “shame wound” – a sometimes hidden belief that there is something fundamentally wrong with you. Shame wounds are some of the hardest things to experience, and treating shame wounds is the hardest spiritual work that people do. This shame wound is probably the source of people cursing at themselves. I recently spoke to a person whose inner chatter was filled with imprecations. A voice inside told her that she was worthless, that her life was a waste, she made no difference, that everything was futile. She felt cursed. Something inside her was cursing her. I told her that I know a lot of people, and that many people have given me a view of their inner world. I let her know: everyone has moments like these. Maybe the words of the curses and imprecations that haunt her are different and maybe the severity is greater than most, but everyone has felt these things. And everyone who has felt that inner cursing knows that the emotional consequences of the language of inner attack are bitter. Something in the brain is producing awful thoughts. Many psychologists believe that we are repeating the kinds of things said to us when we were defenseless children. I think this is largely true. The harsh criticism we experience as children takes root inside of us and can haunt us for the rest of our lives. The initial inner wounding can manifest as constant inner criticism, or go outwards as criticism of others, or both. The damage that harsh words of others can have on us is one of the reasons I focus so often on “no criticizing, complaining, condemning, or protracted conflict.” First, such language rarely gets you what you want in the long run, and secondly, such language really does have a toxic effect on certain kinds of people. We human beings have a capacity for creating harm through language, to ourselves and to others, that is astounding in its depth and versatility. Many of us are quick to judge and condemn others and ourselves; empathy and understanding are what takes work. We are not just narrow-minded – the mind narrows into hard heartedness.

Continued on page 4

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresidentRabbi Mordecai Finley, Co-CEOrabbifinley@ohrhatorah.orgVice-President, SecretaryMeirav Finley, Co-CEOMeirav@ohrhatorah.orgSecond Vice-PresidentEndre Balogh, Endre@ohrhatorah.orgTreasurerPamela MahoneyPam@ohrhatorah.org Director at LargeHelana BarryHelana@ohrhatorah.org

OFFICERS OF THE CONGREGATIONAL COUNCILJosh Abarbanel, Gabbai, Religious Service LeaderStacey Abarbanel, Officer at Large Alex Abramovici, Officer at LargePam Abramovici, Officer at LargeEndre Balogh, Community Photographer, Music CommitteeAdela Barnett, Officer at LargeCurt Biren, Gabbai, Religious Service LeaderEmily Blakeney, Preschool Parent Committee Chair, Fundraising EventsShia Blakeney, Rabbinic Intern Paul Brooks, Men’s Group Co-ChairMalcolm Brown, Officer at LargeBella Cohen, Early Childhood Committee, Sophos CafeNeisha Cohen, MembershipDavid Dressler, GabbaiRandi Dressler, Fundraising EventsTamara Effron, Religious SchoolJanet Ehrenberg, Community OutreachMatt Ehrenberg, Community PhotographerKaren Feldman, G’milut Chassadim, Membership ChairpersonDaniel Frohlich, Officer at Large Louise Kotze Frohlich, Officer at Large Audrey Giuffrida, AdministrationJulie Giuffrida, Sophos Cafe, Programming, PublicationsNoam Gonen, Technology

Stephen Grynberg, Community OutreachDavid Guth, MembershipJacob Kantor, Cantorial Leader, Music CommitteeJulia Kantor, Officer at Large Larry Klein, Music CommitteeBelinda Lams, Music Committee, Sophos CafeJeff Lams, Sound Engineering, Music CommitteeJeff Linnetz, HHD CommitteeStephen Macht, G’milut Chassadim CommitteeDavid Mamet, Building CommitteeSheri Manning, Officer at Large Debra McGuire, Fundraising EventsGene Miller, Music CommitteeSusan Miller, Music CommitteeAnna Rose Moore, Cantorial Committee Masoud Moradzadeh, Fundraising Events, Religious Service CommitteeArlene Nelson, Sophos Cafe David Nelson, Sophos CafeIlbert Phillips, Men’s Group Co-ChairMelinda Rosenthal, G’milut Chassadim CommitteeArie Salma, Music Committee, Web DesignArlene Sarner, Gala CommitteeArthur Shane, Music CommitteeLoriAnne Shane, Officer at Large Rina Shapira, Officer at Large Andrea Spector, Officer at LargeRoss St. Phillip, Officer at LargeRobb Strom, Legal CounselYolanda Strom, Membership Outreach, Fundraising EventsSonya Sultan, JWWJodi Swartz, Officer at LargeEric Taub, Technology Committee Anna Turco, Special MembershipKathy Wisnicki, Officer at Large Colette Yosef, Early Childhood Committee, Sophos Cafe

The Ohr HaTorah staff is available to assist you during normal office hours: Mon. - Fri. 9am - 4pm

11827 Venice BlVd. los angeles, ca 90066 phone: (310) 915-5200 Fax: (310) 915-5792

email: info@ohrhatorah.org

Please Note: All materials for the Weekly Update, as well as flyers for Shabbat, must be in the OHT office no later than the end of business hours the preceding Monday!

COMMUNITY

Com

ing Up

@ The H

UB

on Venice

Saturday, July 08 LunchThenLearn,1PM SophosClosed

Wednesday, July 12 NoWeeklyWisdomSeminar

Friday, August 18 Shabbaba,5:30PM

Want more information? Visit www.thehubonvenice.com

Our Condolences to...The family of Nigel Grainge who passed away on

Sunday, June 11.Sheri Manning on the passing of her father, Henry

Manning, on Tuesday, July 04.David and Diana Guth on the passing of David’s

father, Dr. Paul Guth, on Tuesday, July 04.

continued from page 3We all have an inner Balak, aiming to destroy others and/or ourselves with words. We have an inner Bila’am, pretending to be an agent of truth, hiding a motivation for personal gain, a prophet pretending to be following God’s will when he was actually aiming to please King Balak. It took the talking donkey to awaken Bila’am. We should all be so lucky, that when the ego self is in the midst of a mission to harm ourselves and others, that our words of harm supernaturally turn into blessings. Nowadays, Divine intervention is not likely. We are stuck with the difficult truth that we have an inner tendency to curse ourselves and others, either with our words or our behavior, and God won’t intervene and hijack our vocal chords. Something Godly within us can intervene, though. We can catch ourselves when we are set to let loose words or deeds that harm others. We can choose a holy path.