The opening pasuk in this week's sedra tells us that "when we go out to battle against our enemies, and G-d gives them into our hand..." G-d will make us victorious... This, however, is not an unconditional situation. We will defeat our enemies IF we remain faithful to Him and do His mitzvot. If we love G-d, (and if our enemies are wicked, and undeserving of merit from G-d) then the formula will hold. D'varim 21:10 totals 2493, as does T'hilim 145:20, which is towards the end of ASHREI - "G-d protects all those who love Him, and all the wicked people He will destroy".

Getting closer... We are planning for Slichot night at the new building, then back at 10 Straus for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday pre-Rosh HaShana, and IY"H starting with Tzom Gedalya, it will be 22 Keren Hayesod all the way! We would like to enlist your help in several ways: Volunteers: To sort the library books To assist in the reception and Help desk To help man the new cafeteria To introduce speakers at our events To help Olim with Hebrew and their children with their Bar/Bat Mitzva preparations Dedications Several dedication possibilities are still open, including - The Jewish Values Education Center and Library Beit Knesset 'library' Beit Medrash 'library' The Education Wing Conference Room or specific items such as Mezuzot and Book and Sfarim collections, etc. For more information, contact: Menachem Persoff, Director at 02-500-3333 ext. 202

"Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li" - 'I am for my friend and my friend is for me.' This sentence, whose acronym spells the current Hebrew month of ELUL, most surely sums up the spirit of our parsha, Ki Teizei.

Replete with mitzvot of a social nature, the parsha describes a model society. The most mundane events and occurrences are proscribed: What should we do if we find stray animals or a mother bird sitting on her eggs? What are the rules of building a protective railing on the roof?

Regarding the return of lost animals, Rabbi Yehudah Muriel has noted that the Torah refers first to "the ox of your enemy" (in parshat Mishpatim), while in Ki Teizei the Torah states, "You shall not cast off the ox of your brotherא"

The first injunction is directed at our overcoming indifference to the suffering of others and the negative tendency to hold a grievance against those we dislike. The second, however, focuses on the positive inclination to take care of our brothers. The Sefer Hachinuch indicates that this latter goal is not only altruistic but also serves to build a sense of community responsibility that serves as a major building block of a healthy Torah-oriented society.

If it seems to you improbable that returning lost property could have such a powerful effect on human relationships, then consider this: The Hebrew word for "brother" occurs no less than six times within the four sentences describing the mizva!

Sincerely yours, Menachem Persoff, director, Israel Center

On Shabbat Parshat Shoftim, NCSY hosted a group of 26 secular teens from the Tzofim youth movement. Together with the pioneering spirit of Rafi Even-Donan, they arrived Friday in the new Massuot Yitzchak in Gush Etzion to erect tents and settle in for Shabbat.

Kabbalat Shabbat was hosted by the good people of Bat Ayin who welcomed and included the group in their joyous tefila. The singing and dancing continued late into Friday night with a very lively tisch. On Shabbat day, the teens were hosted by families in Alon Shvut and spent the afternoon learning at Har Etzion in informal groups on the grass. By late afternoon, the topic evolved into the state of their own Judaism in a modern Israel.

Shabbat was escorted out with a beautiful and spirited havdala.

Some feelings and reactions to this special Shabbat experience are reflected in the following letters we received: פNew worlds were revealed to usאwe learned tremendous amounts about our Judaism that we never knewאthank you for expanding our horizons.צ

We all-us at NCSY and the folks at Tzofim- hope and plan to continue our joint activities and cooperation in the pursuit of a stronger Am Yisrael.

NCSY b'Yisrael - Rabbi Michael Fredman, director

The schedule for the upcoming months of programming is coming together nicely with a staff of committed madrichim, guest lecturers and exciting tiyulim. Most significant, however, is the presence of our new bat sherut. Yes, NESTO has a bat sherut - and a fantastic one at that. The Israel Center welcomes on board Ilana Milo, originally from Dayton, Ohio, now from Chashmona'im, to our NESTO (and Nitzotz) staff. After finishing her first year of sherut in Kibbutz Shluchot, Ilana comes to us excited and enthused about working with our NESTO kids. Currently sharing an apartment in Kiryat Moshe, Ilana will be availble to NESTOites for evening events as well as daytime office hours. Come give Ilana a big welcome at the BBQ this...

Tuesday, 5:30pm - BBQ BLOWOUT at Gan Sachar.

Besides stuffing your faces and getting reaquainted with old friends, you will have a chance to meet some of our new madrichim and Ilana, and also sign up for membership. If you pay before Rosh Hashanah the membership fee is 55 shekels; 70 shekels thereafter. Along with reduced payment for many NESTO events, you will also receive a 10% discount at over a dozen of your favorite stores and restaurants in the center of town.

As the Israel Center prepares for their move to Rechov Keren HaYesod, the NESTO office is getting psyched about the opening of the teen lounge in the new building. More news to follow - but get ready for a jammin' dedication of our lounge in November!

See y'all at the BBQ!!!

Rabbi Avi (500-3333 ext. 203)

NESTO, the Israel Center's youth program for Anglo-Israelis. 10 Straus St. ע P.O.B. 37015 ע J'lem tel. 500-3333 ext. 203 ע fax: 538-5186. Rabbi Avi Silverman, Director email: aviditz@netvision.net.il

Those who devote their life to the Household of Israel are greater than those who devote their life to the Ruler of the Universe alone. Just as those who devote their life to a prince prove that their devotion to the Ruler is so great that not only do they devote their life to the Ruler, but to the Ruler's child as well. - Rabbi Elimelech of Grodzisk

I wish that I could love the most righteous person in Israel as much as the Blessed Holy One loves the most evil person in Israel. - Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin

Some TT readers expressed disappointment that L'DAVID was not included in last week's issue. In the spirit of BLTN (better late than never), we include it this week.

L'DAVID is said from the first day of Elul (2nd day of Rosh Chodesh Elul) until, and including, Hoshana Rabba. (Some say it on Shmini Atzeret too.)

It is said at the end of Shacharit (Shofar is blown right before it on Elul weekdays - custom might vary) and either at the end of Maariv or Mincha, depending upon the minhag of the community.

For the statistically-minded... It will be said 29x2=58 times in Elul and another 21x2=42 times in Tishrei, for a total of 100 times. No doubt, there is a significance to this fact.

According to the Minhagim of the GR"A (Vilna Gaon), L'DAVID is not said.

The p'sukim have been divided up and punctuated to enhance the flow of reciting this Psalm, and hopefully to facilitate understanding its words and messages..

The practice of saying this chapter of T'hilim during this time period is based on a Midrashic analysis of the opening words and a phrase from pasuk 5.

G-d is my light - on Rosh HaShana, and my salvation - on Yom Kipur... He will hide me in His Sukka - on Sukkot.

The implication is that G-d shows us the light on Rosh HaShana so that we will repent. On Yom Kipur, we receive atonement, which is a spiritual salvation. Then G-d protects us from our foes, as He protected our ancestors in the Wilderness. That protection is symbolized by the mitzva of Sukka.

FRUMSPEAK, the First Dictionary of Yeshivish (Weisner/Aronson)

Sample - beginning of the Gettysburg Address: Be'erech a yoivel and a half ago, the meyasdim shtelled avek on this makom a naiya malchus with the kavana that no one should have bailus over their chaver, and on the yesoid that everyone has the zelba zchusim.

The book is a mix of serious and lighthearted, as evident from the following entry:

gantz(e) adj. Entire; complete; WHOLE. "He looks puny, but I once saw him down a gantze pizza pie."

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