CONTENTS

• Upcoming Events and Classes
• A Torah Thought: The Beauty of Holiness or the Holiness of Beauty
• Shabbat Schedule

KIDDUSH & THIRD MEAL

This week's Shabbat Kiddush is sponsored by Jessica Arango in the merit of a full and speedy recovery for Eileen Rose (Chaya bat Leah). Amen!

The Third Meal of Shabbat is available to be sponsored.

Our Shabbat morning Kiddush is one of the highlights of life at Aish. We gather to share stories, laugh, and greet new and old friends. With our Kiddush, we build the connections that make Aish a strong and vibrant community. Please consider supporting this important institution with your sponsorship.



SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

Some vetted ways to help support our brothers and sisters in Israel:

Shabbat Alone Together: Shabbat is a sacred and meaningful time. By ensuring that our Jewish soldiers have proper Shabbat meals, we're not only meeting their physical needs but also nourishing their spirits and telling them they are not alone. Donate here to show support for their service.

IsraAID: A good friend and community member is on the board of IsraAID, a wonderful organization that is providing urgent assistance and psychological support to children and families evacuated from affected areas near the Gaza border. Donate here.

Supplies for Soldiers: IDF reservists responded to their calls from across Israel and abroad. However, the Army was simply not prepared for this. Our good friend Nurit Coombe is spearheading a drive to send warm blankets, socks and Shabbat food to many on the front lines. Reach out to Nurit.

Equipment for the IDF: The son of our good friends Dafna and Brian Berman of Potomac is a lone soldier in the IDF. After hearing what his and other units needed as they prepared for battle, the Bermans organized the purchase and distribution of these supplies. Donate here.

SECURITY AT THE AISH CENTER

We are in close contact with the Montgomery Police Department to ensure we are taking all proper precautions. We have also been working directly with our regular security officers to ensure that the Aish grounds are patrolled in the best way possible with an increased visible presence to the street. 

OFFICE HOURS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 12-3 pm. Email office@aishdc.org or leave a message at 301-881-9010 to make appointments.

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Image courtesy of Aish.com

The Beauty of Holiness or the Holiness of Beauty

by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks ob"m

In Ki Tisa and in Vayakhel, we encounter the figure of Betzalel, a rare type in the Hebrew Bible - the artist, the craftsman, the shaper of beauty in the service of God, the man who, together with Oholiab, fashioned the articles associated with the Tabernacle. Judaism – in sharp contrast to ancient Greece – did not cherish the visual arts. The reason is clear. The biblical prohibition against graven images associates them with idolatry. The idea that one might worship "the work of men's hands" was anathema to biblical faith.

More generally, Judaism is a culture of the ear, not the eye. As a religion of the invisible God, it attaches sanctity to words heard, rather than objects seen. Hence there is a generally negative attitude within Judaism towards representational art.

There are some famous illustrated manuscripts in which human figures are given bird's heads to avoid representing the full human form. Art is not forbidden as such; there is a difference between three-dimensional and two-dimensional representation. Indeed several ancient synagogues in Israel had quite elaborate mosaics. In general, however, art was less emphasized in Judaism than in Christianity, in which the Hellenistic influence was strong.

Positive references to art in the rabbinic literature are rare. One exception is Maimonides, who says the following:

If one is afflicted with melancholy, he should cure it by listening to songs and various kinds of melodies, by walking in gardens and fine buildings, by sitting before beautiful forms, and by things that delight the soul and make melancholy disappear from it. In all this he should aim at making his body healthy, the goal of his body's health being that he attain knowledge.

The very terms in which Maimonides describes the aesthetic experience make it clear, however, that he sees art in strictly instrumental terms, as a way of relieving depression. There is no suggestion that it has value in its own right.

Complete article

More Inspiration from Aish.com

Goals and Desires by Sarah Maddali

Great Idea Harry Rothenberg (video)

So It Is Written by Rabbi Yitzchak Zweig

Learn more at Aish.com!

Support Your Aish Center

Thank you to all who support the Aish Center, and remember, every little bit, given in any way you are comfortable, helps. 

Here are some other ways:

KIDDUSH

Sponsor our weekly in-person kiddush in honor of or in memory of a special person, or for any reason. Click Donate below or email info@aishdc.org.

CLASSES & PROGRAMS

Sponsor an individual class, program, or series, or make a custom donation online, or by check. To donate stock, click here and choose Aish Center of Washington DC.

Shabbat Schedule

29 Adar Rishon* 5784 / March 8-9, 2024

Rosh Chodesh for Adar Sheni is Sunday and Monday



Parshat Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1 – 38:10)