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Mishpatim (2025)

 Shabbat Parshat Mishpatim

Dvar Torah
This week I feel compelled to share a Dvar Torah related mostly to current events:
The first Kinna (lament) recited on the morning of Tisha B’Av begins “Shavat tzura shimauni ocherei”. Rabbi Soloveitchik explains that “Shavat” implies a suddenness to the destruction of Jerusalem. Although the people had been warned and the writing had been on the wall, when the Hurban actually occurred, it came as a shock – amplifying the tragedy to a whole new level. For many of us this has been the experience of the past few days. The pain and horror of the murder of the Bibas family, though perhaps intellectually foreseeable, still came as a terrible shock bringing back the searing pain of October 7th.
This Shabbat however is also Shabbat Mevorchim for the month of Adar. It is the first formal announcement of the most joyous and auspicious month of the year (Esther 9:22, Taanit 29a) and a reminder that the suddenness of Hurban and tragedy, is to be eclipsed by the suddenness of redemption celebrated on Purim. In the spirit of the Megillah, it is a reminder that we are confident in our future, that the Jewish people will band together, and that we will rise up once again.
Am Yisrael Chai

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 16:55/18:09
Nir Oz 17:06/18:12
Vienna 17:09/18:15
NYC 17:20/18:21
Houston 17:57/18:52
Lima 19:21/20:18
More times here

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