Shul Bulletin

• Shabbos Candle Lighting: 7:31 pm
• Last Time To Read Shema: 9:19 am
• Chassidus for Early Minyan: 8:45 am 
• Shiur Chassidus by Rabbi Raichik: 9:00 am
• Early Minyan Shacharis: 9:30 am
• Shacharis: 10:00 am
• Kol Yaakov Yehuda: 10:00 am
• Rabbi Raichik's Pirkei Avos Shiur: 6:30 pm 
• Mincha: 7:30 pm - Followed by Pikei Avos - 3
• Shabbos Ends: 8:34 pm

• Dr. & Mrs. Zeev Rav-Noy in honor of Mrs. Varda Rav-Noy’s double birthday. May she have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
• Rabbi & Mrs. Boruch Braude for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Boruch Braude’s father Reb Moshe ben Reb Shmuel ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Rabbi & Mrs. Shalom Elharrar for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shalom Elharrar’s parents Reb Yihya Amram ben Reb Nissim ob"m and Chana bas Reb Moshe ob"m. May the neshomos have an aliya. Also for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Leible Raskin ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Rabbi & Mrs. Jonathan Glabman for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Julie Glabman’s father Reb Ozzie ben Reb Zev ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Mr. & Mrs. Reuven Horwitz for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Sarah Horwitz’s father Reb Sender Elya HaKohain ben Reb Avram Yosef ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Mr. & Mrs. Martin Leaderman for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Martin Leaderman’s mother Tzipora bas Reb Moshe ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Mr. & Mrs. Elozor Plotke for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Elozor Plotke’s father Reb Shmuel ben Reb Kurt ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Rabbi & Mrs. Yossi Schneerson for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yossi Schneerson’s grandmother Soro bas Reb Chaim Leib ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Mr. & Mrs. Reuven Solomon for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Roberta Solomon’s mother Etel bas Reb Gershon ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya. 

• Rabbi & Mrs. Yitzchok Arnold for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Chana Arnold’s father Reb Moshe Bunim ben Reb Shlomo ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Rabbi & Mrs. Chaim Fyzakov in honor of Rabbi Chaim Fyzakov’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
• Mr. & Mrs. Ari Kaufman in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together.
• Mr. & Mrs. Michael Zaghi in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together.

Sara Thaler
Invites all women to her Shabbos Kalla
6 pm at 126 N Sycamore
Speaker: Mrs. Devorie Kreiman

• Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Davidoff on the birth of their granddaughter (to Sadya Davidoff & Shimona Davidoff.)
• Dr. & Mrs. Sholom Fine on the birth of their granddaughter Sara (to Dov & Lea Fine.)  

Upcoming Birthdays

• Menachem Mendel Plotke - 14 Iyar
• Moshe Arnold - 15 Iyar
• Rabbi Shaya Berkowitz - 16 Iyar
• Mr. Aleksandr Ganzburg - 16 Iyar
• Mr. Yrachmiel Kahn - 16 Iyar
• Rabbi Dovi Gorelik - 19 Iyar
• Mr. Ephraim Piperno - 19 Iyar
• Mendel Raichik - 19 Iyar
• Yaakov Moshe Sroka - 19 Iyar
• Ephraim Piperno - 19 Iyar

Upcoming Anniversaries

• Mr. & Mrs. Aleksandr Ganzburg - 18 Iyar
• Mr. & Mrs. Michael Zaghi - 18 Iyar
• Mr. & Mrs. Ari Kaufman - 18 Iyar
• Mr. & Mrs. Yirmiyahu Andrusier - 18 Iyar

Upcoming Yahrtzeits

• Reb Sender Elya HaKohain ben Reb Avram Yosef (Mrs. Sarah Horwitz’s father) - 13 Iyar
• Reb Zeida Moshe ben Reb Alter Asher Anchel (Rabbi Sholem Perl’s father) - 14 Iyar
• Soro bas Reb Chaim Leib (Rabbi Yossi Schneerson’s grandmother) - 14 Iyar
• Tzipora bas Reb Moshe (Mr. Martin Leaderman’s mother) - 14 Iyar
• Reb Tzvi Hersh ben Reb Shmuel (Mr. Isser Goldstein’s father) - 14 Iyar
• Chaya Mushka bas Reb Menachem Mendel (Rabbi Mendy Spalter’s daughter) - 14 Iyar
• Reb Daniel ben Reb Nochum (Mr. Efraim Lezak’s father) - 15 Iyar
• Reb Yihya Amram ben Reb Nissim (Rabbi Shalom Elharrar’s father) - 15 Iyar
• Reb Ozzie ben Reb Zev (Mrs. Julie Glabman’s father) - 16 Iyar
• Chana bas Reb Moshe (Rabbi Shalom Elharrar’s mother) - 16 Iyar
• Reb Shmuel ben Reb Kurt (Mr. Elozor Plotke’s father) - 16 Iyar
• Reb Moshe Bunim ben Reb Shlomo (Mrs. Chana Arnold’s father) - 17 Iyar
• Reb Moshe ben Reb Shmuel (Rabbi Boruch Braude’s father) - 17 Iyar
• Reb Nosson Nota ben Reb Zalman Yudah (Mrs. Rochel Eisenberg’s brother) - 18 Iyar
• Shosha Vita bas Reb Yitzchok Aryeh (Mrs. Etty Bastomski’s mother) - 18 Iyar
• Etel bas Reb Gershon (Mrs. Roberta Solomon’s mother) - 19 Iyar

If the Rebbe were here 
he would agree that I am doing what he wants!?
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik

This week’s parsha contains the mitzvos of Sefiras HaOmer, counting the Omer and the Shtei Halechem, the offering of the two loaves on Shavuos. The counting of the Omer occurs between Pesach and Shavuos, days that are seemingly opposites. On Pesach chametz is completely forbidden to the extreme. The slightest trace of chametz is not tolerated on Pesach. On the other hand on Shavuos not only is chametz tolerated it is used as an offering as specifically required in the two loaves. If chametz is so wrong on Pesach that any trace must be obliterated why is it so welcome and required as a central focus on Shavuos? Chassidus explains that Pesach is the beginning. When we left Mitzrayim what we needed was pure emunah. We entered the uncertainties of the desert with no idea how to provide food and care for everyone. What was the plan? The answer is that there was no plan only pure emunah in Hashem.

What is emunah? It’s the strength to place our questions on the side and place our intellect on the side and rely on our unwavering connection to Hashem and his servant Moshe Rabbenu. Matzah represents bitul, our complete nullification and reliance on Hashem under all circumstances. On the other hand when we received the Torah on Shavuos we received Hashem’s will and wisdom. Our job in receiving the Torah was not just to accept (na’aseh) but to also understand (nishmah). We are not supposed to simply and robotically fulfill the mitzvos but also to use our intellect to understand and our hearts to feel them; to know the ways of Hashem to the best of our ability.

The order however is first Pesach and then Shavuos. We begin with the acceptance of the mesora, accepting Hashem’s overall plan for us without reservation. This bitul, our participation of nullifying our personal ambitions and opinions to Hashem’s mesora is message of Pesach. After this we can then continue in implementing Hashem’s plans by understanding intellectually and feeling in our own terms the best we can all that we can; this is the message of Shavuos. In order to get from Pesach to Shavuos we need Sefiras HaOmer. During the counting of the Omer we refine reorient and prioritize our perspectives.  We no longer rely solely on our emunah but we go on to integrate our emumah into our daily living during Sefiras HaOmer through the process of personal refinement. This is what prepares us for Matan Torah when it is no longer just naaseh (we will do) but also nishma (we will understand).

When we make a bracha before learning the Torah we shift our perspective. It’s not just having an idea of what we want and then looking into the Torah to support those ideas but the other way around. There is a story from the Chasam Sofer who told his students the following. If you’ll say my Torah in your own name I will have no complaints. If however, you will say your Torah’s in my name; that I won’t accept. This story also applies to us as Lubavitcher Chassidim. When we speak about how the Rebbe felt about something or what he said, we need to be accurate. Someone who isn’t sure or wasn’t there needs to go back and to learn. This is our mesora. When we leave the mesora we forget the Giver of the Torah. So too in general, when we make a bracha over the Torah first we have placed Hashem first. When we fail to make a bracha we are at that very moment off track because intellect has taken 1st place instead of second.

There is a pasuk in Devarim (32:7) that reads: “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations; Ask thy father, and he will declare unto you, your elders, and they will tell you.” The message is clear, first listen then analyze. This applies to all areas of life and all issues, be it an eiruv, Eretz Yisroel, a beard, cholov Yisroel, chinuch or tznius. It all begins with a look into the mesora with acceptance and listening. When we don’t find the answer, we turn to ask those who do know or heard directly. We don’t use these situations out to decide how we want it to be. Once, when Chassidei Chabad went to visit Ariel Sharon they complained that what he was doing in Gaza (giving it to the Arabs) was blatantly against the Rebbe’s wishes. He responded by saying that if the Rebbe were here he would agree that I am doing what he wants. No one wants to feel they are not doing what the Rebbe wants. When it is not one hundred percent clear to me what the Rebbe said, we can end up saying our own ideas in the Rebbe’s name.

The Hayom Yom for the 8th of Iyar says:

“An emissary is one with his sender. This concept is similar to that of an angel acting as a Divine emissary, when he is actually called by G‑d's name. If this is so with an angel it is certainly true of the soul; in fact with the soul the quality of this oneness is of a higher order, as explained elsewhere.

Chassidim are emissaries of the Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe. So if the Chosid actively discharges his mission, he is bound up with his Rebbe, bound up in his entire being - there walks a Chosid, there eats a Chosid, there sleeps a Chosid.”

Surely by connecting to the source and then implementing our shlichus to the best of our abilities, using our minds and hearts we have the strength of the Sender and we will therefore be successful in accomplishing the goal of revealing Moshiach now.

A Good Shabbos

In an effort to make the shul a safer environment we have made several security changes and will implement others in the coming weeks.

As everyone has observed we have security guards between 9.00am -1.00pm on Shabbos. Privacy screening has been put up in the backyard and a combo lock has been installed on the rear gate.

Starting this Monday, the walk gate between the tent and the backyard with be locked down the entire week except for Shabbos when the parking gate in shut. Access to the shul will only be available through the main rear gate. The combination will be given out on a need to know basis. Others will have to wait for someone to open the gate or they can walk around to the front entrance of the shul. We are aware this may be an inconvenience but in the effort to make the shul a harder target we must lock down the multiple open and unguarded entries. On Shabbos afternoon, after the shul is cleaned and the parking gate is opened, the walk gate and rear doors to the shul will be locked down. Members coming to shul for Mincha will need to walk around to the front entrance  on La Brea.

The front doors will be retrofitted with combination locks. Anyone looking for entry into the shul will need to know the combination to get in. Other will have to knock or wait for a someone to open the door. Again, we know this will cause an inconvenience to some but this in a necessity in the current environment we find ourselves facing. Again, the combo will be given out on a need to know basis.

PLEASE DO NOT PROP OPEN ANY DOORS. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THEY STAY CLOSED. IF YOU SEE A DOOR PROPPED OPEN PLEASE CLOSE IT. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE PROPPING A DOOR OPEN PLEASE SAY SOMETHING.

Shul members should talk to their children and tell them they cannot leave the shul and hang out in unprotected areas i.e. the alley or on La Brea Ave, specially after Mincha on Shabbos as there will be no guards on duty or adults to supervise. Parents should  instruct their children not to open locked gates for strangers or really anyone they do not know. Our ability to stay as protected as possible will be a result of all members being a part of the solution.

As was mentioned in Shul a week ago, the shul is looking into security training for a handpicked group of members to conceal carry in shul. This will take some time and serious training before we implement such a program. At the present time, The Shul Board has not given permission for anyone except the security guards to carry a gun on Shabbos (concealed or open) on shul premises.

Lastly, an emergency plan of action is being developed and will be discussed at a later date. Most likely we will discuss this on a Shabbos when most members are present. This plan is a crucial component of the overall security plan. It puts in place a plan of action if G-D forbid an attack should occur.    

We are asking all members to take these changes seriously and help in their implementation. This will only be effective if everyone participates.

Thank you,

Congregation Levy Yitzchak Board

• Click here for the KYY newsletter. 
• Click here for this week's Lmaan Yishmeu publication.
• Click here for this week’s JEM “Here’s My Story”. 
• Click here for a list of our ongoing shiurim. 
• Click here to pay up all your building fund, kibud or yiskor pledges and outstanding membership. Thank you to all of our supporters!!

• Shabbos Candle Lighting: 7:25 pm
• Last Time To Read Shema: 9:22 am
• Chassidus for Early Minyan: 8:45 am 
• Shiur Chassidus by Rabbi Raichik: 9:00 am
• Early Minyan Shacharis: 9:30 am
• Shacharis: 10:00 am
• Kol Yaakov Yehuda: 10:00 am
• Rabbi Raichik's Pirkei Avos Shiur: 6:25 pm 
• Mincha: 7:25 pm - Followed by Pikei Avos - 2
• Shabbos Ends: 8:28 pm

Rabbi & Mrs. Sholom Glick
Invite the community to a Sholom Zochor
at 182 N Mansfield Ave.

• Mr. & Mrs. Reuven Horwitz for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Reuven Horwitz’s father Reb David ben Reb Yitzchok ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
• Rabbi & Dr. Leaderman in honor of Dr. Leaderman’s birthday. May she have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
• Rabbi & Rebbitzen Shimon Raichik for the yahrtzeit of Rebbitzen Chana Liba Raichik’s parents Reb Yaakov ben Reb Menachm Mendel Hilel ob”m and Rivka bas Reb Yisroel Noach ob"m. May the neshomos have an aliya.
• Mr. & Mrs. Berl Sroka for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Berl Sroka’s father Reb Leibish Ephraim ben Reb Aaron ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya. Also, for the yahrtzeit of Mrs. Mindy Sroka’s mother Shaindel bas Reb Moshe Yitzchok ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

6:15 at the home of Mrs. Tova Levine
361 N Vista
Speaker: Mrs. Chana Rochel Schusterman

• Rabbi & Mrs. Sholom Glick on the birth of their son.

Upcoming Birthdays

• Aryeh Habibian - 6 Iyar
• Avrohom Menachem Arnold - 8 Iyar
• Mr. Avrohom Plotkin - 8 Iyar
• Mr. Dovid Kagan - 9 Iyar
• Sholom Dovber Berkowitz - 9 Iyar
• Mr. Sholom Berkowitz - 9 Iyar
• Shmuel Dovid Yehoshua Perl - 11 Iyar
• Mr. Yitzchok Michael - 11 Iyar
• Chaim Dovid Sroka - 12 Iyar

Upcoming Yahrtzeits

• Reb David ben Reb Yitzchok (Mr. Reuven Horwitz’s father) - 6 Iyar
• Reb Yaakov ben Reb Menachm Mendel Hilel (Mrs. Chana Leeba Raichik’s father) - 6 Iyar
• Harav Yisroel ben Reb Shneur Zalman Halevy (Rabbi Mendel Duchman’s father) - 6 Iyar
• Henya Chasha bas Reb Zusman (Rabbi Gershon Schusterman’s mother) - 7 Iyar
• Shaindel bas Reb Moshe Yitzchok (Mrs. Mindy Sroka’s mother) - 8 Iyar
• Reb Baruch ben Reb Yehudah Mordechai (Dr. Ze'ev Rav-Noy’s brother) - 8 Iyar
• Rivka bas Reb Yisroel Noach (Mrs. Chana Leeba Raichik’s mother) - 9 Iyar
• Reb Ber ben Reb Isroel (Mr. Mottel Polityko’s grandfather) - 11 Iyar