Minyan Schedule at Chabad of NCI
| Sundays | 8:15AM |
| Monday - Friday | 7:00AM |
| Shabbat Day | 10:00AM |
B'H Chabad of North County Inland has now become the only Shul in our area that has Minyanim everyday. I want to thank everyone for their commitment to making the Minyanim at Chabad of NCI so strong. A Minyan is the Backbone of a Shul and is the Collective Soul of the Community.
A Message from the Rabbi
"Money is soul-energy, it represents the very energy of life itself; depending how you use it can either free you or enslave you" — The Rebbe
Is money a blessing or a curse?
Most people measure their self-worth by the size of their bank account. The bigger it is, the better they feel about themselves. Because we put so much energy into earning money, it represents the very energy of life as we see it.
Some people feel that they and they alone are responsible for their success, that their intelligence and abilities made it so. This is the serious challenge of wealth: to not be deceived by your own ego but to remember that it is G‑d who gives us the power to become prosperous.
 Charity is one of the simplest yet most profound ways to help refine the material world and unite with your fellow man and with G-d |
This is not to say that your success is not a result of your efforts; of course it is. And you must do everything possible to ensure success, not just sit back and wait for money to come your way. But you must acknowledge that it is G‑d's blessing, and not your effort alone, that creates wealth.
On its own, money can be a curse. Money can cause endless anxiety, for no matter how much you have, you can never be sure that you will not somehow lose it all.
When you put money in perspective and recognize why it was given to you, it becomes a blessing instead of a curse. And by using your wealth for charitable and philanthropic purposes instead of spending it all on the desire of the moment, your money becomes eternal.
How does giving charity turn money into a blessing?
The power of charity does not allow you to become bogged down in your own self-interest. Acts of goodness and kindness are virtuous, but giving money to charity is the most powerful way to elevate your soul, for it means giving a piece of everything that you are — your abilities, your efforts, your ambitions, your compassion.
| When we recognize that G‑d's blessing is the ultimate source of wealth, charity becomes the wisest investment there is |
The key to charity lies in understanding that it is not just a gift to the receiver, but to the giver as well. The need to be charitable is one of the most fundamental human needs; just as we need food and protection and love, we need to share what has been given to us. If a wealthy person gives arrogantly, thinking that he is doing a great favor, he is sadly mistaken: the favor is being done to him. "More than the rich man does for the pauper," say the sages, "the pauper does for the rich man."
If I give charity, won't there be less for me?
From a pure business perspective, one may argue that charity simply reduces one's financial resources. But when we recognize that G‑d's blessing is the ultimate source of wealth, charity becomes the wisest investment there is. If someone is having financial difficulty in his business, he should increase the amount of his charitable contributions in order to increase G‑d's blessing for wealth. As the sages say, "Give charity, so that you may prosper." Charity opens up new channels of wealth from above.
During the Three Weeks, from 17th of Tamuz to the 9th of Av, we commemorate the conquest of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Holy Temple and the dispersion of the Jewish people. Citing the verse (Isaiah 1:27) "Zion shall be redeemed with mishpat [Torah] and its returnees with tzedakah," the Rebbe urged that we increase in Torah(particularly the study of the laws of the Holy Temple) and charity during these 3 weeks
It is the call of our generation to increase charity in any way possible. We should all be inspired — and inspire others — to make charity a regular part of our lives.
From a Meaningful Life
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Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Yehuda |
Rabbi Moss Question of the Week
Question of the Week
I want my kids to be happy more than anything. Now my pre-teen is throwing that philosophy back in my face. He argues, “I don’t want to go to Bar Mitzvah lessons in my free time. You want me to be happy, right? So let me do my own thing.” I was stumped. Where have I gone wrong?
Answer
Many parents tell their children that happiness is number one. But is it? Is nothing more important than being happy? I don’t think you really believe that.
Let’s test it. Imagine telling your kids the following:
“I don’t mind if you are not nice, as long as you are happy.”
“It’s okay to be dishonest if it gets you what you want.”
“Do what makes you feel good without worrying about other people’s feelings.”
“If you see it and you like it, take it. Don’t think about the consequences.”
No normal parent would say any of these statements. But this is what our kids hear if we tell them happiness comes first.
The message we really want to convey to our children is this:
The most important thing is to be a good person. How you behave matters more than how you feel. I would rather you do the right thing even though it’s hard, than do what’s wrong even though it feels good. Kindness, compassion, purpose and integrity are higher than happiness.
If it’s hard to be nice, so be it. If it’s uncomfortable for you to own up to the truth, do it anyway. If it’s inconvenient to do the right thing, it is still the right thing.
It may make you happy to take your brother’s remote control helicopter away from him. But it is not nice. You may not enjoy cleaning up your room. But it’s good for your character. You aren’t always in the mood for Bar Mitzvah classes after school. But that’s where you learn the ideals that make you a good person. There’s nothing more important than that.
And here’s the secret: When we prioritize goodness over happiness, we get both. We learn that happiness comes from not focusing on yourself, but transcending yourself. When you put others first, when you serve a purpose beyond yourself, you find true happiness.
If happiness is our goal, we become self-centered and never happy. If goodness is our ideal, we become a mensch who is happy to share, to give, to learn - and even to attend Bar Mitzvah classes in our free time.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
Parsha in a Nutshell
The name of the Parsha, "Pinchas," refers to Phineas, who zealously avenged G‑d’s name, and it is found in Numbers 25:11.
Aaron's grandson Pinchas is rewarded for his act of zealotry in killing the Simeonite prince Zimri and the Midianite princess who was his paramour: G-d grants him a covenant of peace and the priesthood
A census of the people counts 601,730 men between the ages of twenty and sixty. Moses is instructed on how the Land is to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel. The five daughters of Tzelafchad petition Moses that they be granted the portion of the land belonging to their father, who died without sons; G-d accepts their claim and incorporates it into the Torah’s laws of inheritance.
Moses empowers Joshua to succeed him and lead the people into the Land of Israel.
The Parsha concludes with a detailed list of the daily offerings, and the additional offerings brought on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh (first of the month), and the festivals of Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana,Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.
Haftorah Commentary
Haftorah Matos Commentary
(Yirmiyahu 1:1-2:3)
The Haftorah of the first forty-one Sidrot, weekly torah portions, is related to, one or more points touched upon in its Sidrah. After the Destruction of the Second Temple however, the sages ordained that the Haftorah read on the three Shabbatot (Sabbaths) between the 17th of Tammuz and the ninth of Av, be drawn from the prophecies that forewarned the nation of the First Temple’s Destruction. On the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the enemies of Israel breached Jerusalem’s walls, and on the Ninth of Av each of the two Temples was burned to the ground. The three Haftorahs are the opening chapters of Jeremiah and Isaiah, each threatening the dire consequences that would be visited upon Israel in response to its sinfulness. Nevertheless, each of the Haftorahs of gloom ends on a note of hope and inspiration.1
This week’s haftorah starts off telling us Jeremiah’s lineage. Then, G‑d gives him the prophecy of the impending devastation of Judah and tells Jeremiah to warn the Jewish people.
Jeremiah lived in a time of great darkness, when the Jewish people were at a spiritual low. He himself was taunted regularly because of his pedigree, as his great-grandmother was Rachav, a gentile convert. It didn’t matter that she was a great woman who helped the Jewish people in the conquest of the Holy Land. (In Parshas Shlach she hid the two spies, Caleb and Pinchas).
The Three Weeks is the time of darkness, symbolic of our dark exile. G‑d is telling us how to approach times of darkness, and how specifically we, in this darkness, can bring everlasting change and light to the world.
The first thing you have to know is that you are worthy. You may think: “Who am I to make a difference; the whole world looks down at me?” To this, Hashem answers: “You are from Kohanim; you are holy and worthy.”
The next thing is that we were hand-picked by G‑d for this task. “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you . . . ”
Don’t say. “I am a youth, without the wherewithal to withstand the world’s negativity. You can do it. “Don't be afraid . . . , for I am with you.”
This is the purpose of the exile. G‑d has spread us all over the world. He has appointed us “over nations and over kingdoms” to have a positive effect on our surroundings. This is the message of The Three Weeks—that specifically from the darkness, we are able to do the most good.
G‑d wants us to affect the physical world and our own bodies to serve him as well. One who says, “Let me stay in my cocoon of light, of Torah and spirituality, and not deal with the physical,” is making a mistake. It is the effect on the physical world and our physical nature that G‑d wants most, and it is why G‑d put us in a physical world—to develop the world, from the bottom up, to be a dwelling place for His presence. This is the everlasting reward we all yearn for and will be experienced with the coming of Moshiach.2
May he come soon.
- Haftora Parshas Matos by Reuben Ebrahimoff
- On the Haftara: A Lesson from Jeremiah and Pinchas by Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz
Chai Club
THANK YOU TO
Michael Palais Oscar and Lynda Stewart
Andrew Kwittken. Dr Rob and Jill Reichman
Michael and Svetlana Kritzer Jonathan and Esther Rosenberg
Ben Bebashkin. Moe and Sarah Shemirani
Sol and Ellen Pinczewski. Scott and Sarit Reich
Jay Hecht. Dr Roger Acheatel
Jeff Eisman Josh and Rebecca Jacobs
Todd Frank
For being part of our Chai Club (those who committed to a monthly contribution of any amount) and for your continuous support!
With no outside funding, we rely on your support to make things happen. "Chai Partnership" is a unique way to support the work at Bais Betzalel Chabad of NCI
It's a form of collaboration and together, we protect, perpetuate and build the essential identity that has been bequeathed to us by our parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
Together, we ensure a vibrant and joyful Jewish future!
Kosher Recipes
Shabbat
A Memorable Shabbat Dinner Menu
Vegetarian Menus
A Plant Based Shabbat Menu
Menu of the Week
A Rocky Moroccan Shabbat Menu