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A We share the sorrow on the passing of Helene Krivosha k ”z Beloved wife of the late Hon. Norman Krivosha k ” z We extend our condolences to her daughters and relatives. Yahrtzeiten May her Memory Be for a Blessing • lurc vrfz hvh Contributions may be sent to Beth Tikvah’s Chesed Fund. A 120 sg vfrck oburfz Aug 26 • 9 Elul Howard Cohen – Father of Gayle Chizzik Carl Robins – Father of Stacey Baum Ruth Barber – Wife of Martin Barber Aug 27 • 10 Elul Joy Mayfield Whisnant – Sister of Jill Valesky Aug 29 • 12 Elul Esther Lebowitz – Grandmother of Ron Lebowitz Rose Sherer – Mother of Peter Sherer Sep 1 • 15 Elul Charles Brinn – Relative of David Siegel Birthdays Aug 25 Aug 26 Anniversaries Fran Alpert Jacob Poznansky, Stuart Mest Aug 27 Christine & Bernard Portnoy (45) Aug 28 Debra & Michael Silow (57) jna `skuv ouh Shabbat <strong>Ki</strong>ddush Sponsored by: cuy kzn Jill Valesky In memory of her sister Joy Mayfield Whisnat k”z Debra & Michael Silow In honor of their Anniversary Maven: Steve Chizzik Assisted by: Rosalee BogoSue & Joe Hammerman, Harvey Jacobson, Elaine Kamin, Shep & Linda Scheinberg Sponsor a <strong>Ki</strong>ddush Contact Arleen Sivakoff: 239.455.8811 • dsivakoff@aol.com
Torah & Haftarah Readings: Shabbat Re’eh: Deuteronomy 21:10 - 23:7 (Etz Hayim p. 1112) 1. 21:10-14 2. 21:15-17 3. 21:18-21 4. 21:22-22:7 5. 22:8-12 6. 22:13-29 7. 23:1-7 M. 25:17-19 (p. 1135) Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10 (p. 1138) Torah Commentary D’var Torah: Amalek or Me? - Bex Stern-Rosenblatt Our parashah finishes with three chilling verses: “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you came out of Egypt, how he fell upon you on the way and cut down all the stragglers, with you famished and exhausted, and he did not fear God. And it shall be, when the LORD your God grants you respite from all your enemies around in the land that the LORD your God is about to give you in estate to take hold of it, you shall wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens, you shall not forget.” As is the case with much of the Book of Deuteronomy, this is Moses’s retelling of prior events. The first time we heard about Amalek was back in Exodus. The story is very different there. We read that Amalek came to do battle with Israel, and we learn of Moses raising his hands up to ensure success in battle, eventually having his hands supported with stones. But there is no mention of Amalek coming to take advantage of the weak among us when we were at our worst. Moreover, God says, “Write this down as a remembrance in a record, and put it in Joshua’s hearing, that I will surely wipe out the name of Amalek from under the heavens.” In Exodus it is God who will wipe out God’s name, rather than us, the Israelites, as it is in Deuteronomy. Biblical scholar Diana Lipton has a fascinating read on why Deuteronomy tells a story of Amalek as aggressor and Israel as responsible for dealing with Amalek whereas Exodus presents Amalek as having done nothing exceptionally wrong and holds God as responsible for wiping out Amalek. By reading the story told in Deuteronomy 25 about Amalek in context with the rest of Deuteronomy 25, Lipton adds a new layer of meaning. The story becomes a narrative to reinforce the laws mentioned before it in the parashah, much as in Deuteronomy Moses retells the story of Miriam getting skin disease when he mentions the laws around skin disease. They become examples, almost parables, to help us understand the importance of observing the law and how to do so. The law cited at length before the story of Amalek is about protecting the weakest members of society. The law of levirate marriage is intended to protect the widow and the deceased among the Israelites. Of course, these are the very people that the Deuteronomy presents Amalek as attacking - Amalek fell upon us and attacked the stragglers, the weak, those unable to defend themselves. This becomes his great crime in the Deuteronomic retelling. Moreover, with levirate marriage, we read that if a husband dies, leaving his wife without a son, his brother becomes responsible for fathering a child, “in the name of his dead
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