Kol K.I.N.S.

The weekly bulletin of Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park

23 Cheshvan 5769 - November 21, 2008 - Parashat Chayei Sara
Welcome to Congregation K.I.N.S.! This week’s sponsors
K.I.N.S. is a warm and vibrant shul dedicated to meaningful Tefilla, engaging Torah study, Early Minyan Kiddush today is
community involvement, and support for Israel. sponsored by Moshe and Shoshi Kahn
in honor of the upcoming marriage of
Mazal Tov to… their daughter Menucha to Naftali

Rabbi Barry Robinson on receiving the "Educator of the Year Award" from the Associated Talmud Brenner.
Seudat Shlishit is sponsored by Larry
Torahs this Sunday evening. For more information call the ATT: 773-973-2828. and Sharon Chambers in

Moshe and Shoshie Kahn on the marriage of their daughter, Menucha to Naftali Brenner. commemoration of the yahrtzeit of

Ari and Esther Maryles on the birth of a son. Mazal tov to the grandparents Jack and Anne Maryles their mother, Esther Robinson z”l.

Hal Lennon on the engagement of his granddaughter Malka Segal to Nachman Rosen. A donation to the Kiddush fund
was made by Debbie Fox in

Cheryl and Asher Karp on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter Hadassah Leah commemoration of the yahrtzeit of her
Refuah Shlaima to… mother, Anne Blumoff

Al Ross who is recuperating at home. Davening Times
Condolences to Jack and Anne Maryles, and Barry and Brenda Maryles on the passing of their Friday 11/21
step-mother, Mrs. Bella Maryles, a"h. Shacharit: 6:45 and 7:30 a.m.
Candle Lighting - 4:05 p.m.
Please share your news with us by contacting the shul office or sending an email to webmaster@congkins.org Mincha - 4:10 p.m.
To guarantee inclusion in the bulletin please send by Thursday 1:00 pm Shabbat: 11/22
Upcoming KINS and Community Events Shacharit: 7:30, 9:00, 9:15 (BA)
Mincha: 1:45 and 4:00
This Motzaei Shabbat, November 22nd at 8:00pm: Come to the KINS Art Auction – Sunday: 11/23
Bring your friends! Featuring: Shacharit: 7:55 and 8:30 a.m.
The all new, totally revamped KINS Art auction! This year we have been Mincha: 4:05 p.m.
working with Marlin Arts to bring you a completely new selection of exciting pieces Late Maariv: 9:45 p.m.
Monday 11/24
from a wide range of artists in a variety of price ranges. Open to the entire community –
Shacharit: 6:25 and 7:15 a.m.
bring your friends! Doors open at 8:00pm. Mincha: 4:05 p.m.
Back by popular demand – the KINS KIDS Art Auction! Come bid on the work Late Maariv: 9:45 p.m.
of our budding young artists! All proceeds from the children’s art auction go towards Tuesday 11/25
the KINS Youth Program. Shacharit: 6:45 and 7:30 a.m.
Mincha: 4:05 p.m.
Sunday, November 23: The 2008 Keter Award Banquet of the Associated Talmud Torahs Late Maariv: 9:45 p.m.
of Chicago. Our very own Rabbi Barry Robinson will be honored with the ATT Teacher of the Wednesday 11/26
Year Award. For more information or to make reservations please contact the ATT. Shacharit: 6:45 and 7:30 a.m.
Mincha: 4:05 p.m.
Sunday, November 30: the Annual Sisterhood Membership Brunch. You should have
Late Maariv: 9:45 p.m.
received your invitation. For more information or to make a reservation contact the shul office Thursday 11/2 -THANKSGIVING
Motzaei Shabbat, December 20 – The Sisterhood’s Children’s Chanukah Carnival Shacharit: 7:55 and 8:30 a.m.
Mincha: 4:05 p.m.
Save the date - January 9–11: Religious Zionists of Chicago 5th Family Shabbaton at the Late Maariv: 9:45 p.m.
Indian Lakes Resort. Speakers will include Rav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Rabbi Yona Goodman, Friday 11/28 – R”C KISLEV
and Rabbi Reuven Brand. Shacharit: 6:15 and 7:00 a.m.
Candle Lighting - 4:01 p.m.
Mincha - 4:10 p.m.
There is still time to add your family to the beautiful Kol Hanaarim Talis at the
Contact Info
discounted rate! Must be submitted by December 1st. Please speak to Becca Magence or
Congregation KINS of West
Ilana Karesh for more details or to make corrections. Rogers Park
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky
Rabbi Daniel M. Kroll
Preview of Rabbi Kroll’s Wednesday night shiur this week: In this week's shiur we will
2800 North Shore
examine the moral dimension of Yitzchak's blessings. First we are faced with the tricking of a old Chicago, IL 60645
blind man, using his vulnerability in order to deceive him into blessing the son whom he had not 773-761-4000
intended to bless; second, the taking of a blessing which was intended for the older twin by the www.congkins.org
younger, an act which causes deep pain and anger on the part of the wronged brother. Why did info@congkins.org
Rivkah not tell her husband that Yaakov deserved the blessings? Why did she trick him? Join us Shul office hours:
Wednesday night at 9 PM as we examine one of the most intriguing stories in Tanach through the Sunday 9am-1pm
eyes of one today's leading Biblical commentators. Monday-Thurs 9am-5pm
Friday: 9am-11:30am
CLASSES @ KINS
* SHABBAT
8:00am - Topics of the Week from Daf Yomi
8:30am - Parashat HaShavua with Rabbi Myers
3:00pm - Parashat HaShavua with TI
3:15pm - Talmud Class with Rabbi Matanky
* SUNDAYS
9:00am - Contemporary Halacha Topics with Rabbi Kroll
9:00am - Sefer Melachim II with Rabbi Matanky - WILL RESUME
DECEMBER 7th
8-9:45pm - Night Seder with YU Torah Mitzion Kollel
8:00pm - Rav Kook: L’Netivot Yisrael, with Rabbi Michael Shtiglitz
(Hebrew)
8:45pm - Contemporary Halacha, with Rabbi Michael Shtiglitz
(Hebrew)
* WEEKDAYS
Daf Yomi - following the first Shacharit minyan (Sundays@6:30 a.m.)
2-3:00pm - Halacha and Chumash for Men with Rabbi Kroll
8-9:45pm - Night Seder with YU Torah Mitzion Kollel
* MONDAYS
8:15pm - Jewish Heroes: Text and Tradition with R. Mendel
Breitstein - for women
9:00pm - Hilchot Shabbat with Rabbi Reuven Brand for men &
women
9:00pm - Nefesh HaChaim with Rabbi Bill Kanter
* TUESDAYS
8:15pm - Women’s Gemara Shiur (Mesechet Shabbat) with Rabbi
Reuven Brand
8:15pm - Ta'amei Ha’Mitzvot: The What and the Why with R. Aaron
Leibtag, for men
* WEDNESDAYS
8:15pm - Gemara B’Iyun Shiur with R. David Pri-Chen, (Hebrew)
9:00pm - 20th Century Commentators on Parshat Hashavua with
Rabbi Kroll
9:00pm - Religious Zionist Philosophy with R. David Pri-Chen, (English)
* THURSDAYS
8:00pm - Parsha Shiur with Rabbi Michael Shtiglitz (English)
8:30pm - Advanced Talmud Shiur with Rabbi Aaron Segal - WILL
NOT MEET
8:30pm - Talmud Sanhedrin with Barry Robinson
Come for minyan, stay for the doughnuts!
How would you like to daven Shacharit, enjoy
breakfast with friends, and participate in an enlightening
½ hour shiur With Rabbi Kroll?
Join us after the 8:30am Shacharit. Makes for a great start to your
Sundays!
New Topic: Halacha Mini-Series. Currently we are studying Halachot
of the Workplace.
K.I.N.S. Youth Programs Pl
Ne ease
K.I.N.S. offers a variety of programs for the w
enrichment of our children and youth: St Not
ar e
t
Ti
Every Shabbat Morning: me
s!
Preschool-1st grade – Library (9:45am)
Girls grades 2-5 – Conference Room (9:45am)
Boys grades 2-5 – Classroom 6 (9:45am)
Bnei Akiva Minyan – Downstairs in the Yaakov Matanky Beit
Midrash (9:15am)
Celebrate a special occasion by sponsoring our youth programs.
Only $54 per Sponsorship
For more information about KINS youth programs contact the shul
office or email info@congkins.org
HALACHA OF THE THE WEEK: V'tain Tal U'matar - Part 2
According to the Talmud [Taanit 4b], while the rainy season in Israel begins
around the time of Sukkot, we don't begin to recite the prayer for rain ("v'tain tal
u'matar") until two weeks later (Cheshvan 7). The reason for this delay is to allow
those Jews who had travelled to Jerusalem for the holiday to return home before
the onset of the rain.
However, those of us who live in the Diaspora wait even longer until we insert
this prayer into our daily Shemona Esrei. This is based on the custom of Babylonia,
a land of abundant water, which did not need rain until the 60th day after the
autumnal equinox [Taanit 10a]. In a famous responsum of the Rabbeinu Asher, he
ultimately ruled that all of the Diaspora, regardless of their individual needs for
rain should follow the custom of Babylonia [Teshuvot HaRosh 4:10].
The only problem is today we know that the autumnal equinox is on
September 23rd - and 60 days later is November 22nd. So why do our siddurim
say that we begin to insert "v'tain tal u'matar" on December 4th or 5th?
The answer is found in a little bit of history.
In the year 46 B.C.E., Julius Caesar established a 12 month calendar with
365.25 days per year. Every four years, the "quarter days" were converted in to a
single added day - a leap year.
However, the actual length of a solar year is only 365.24219 days - slightly less
than the Julian Calendar. In the short run, this difference was negligible, but over
time it eventually caused the seasons to gradually shift away from their proper
time.
To fix this, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted a new calendar - which
became known as the Gregorian calendar - and which included two significant
changes. The first was an adjustment of 10 days (in other words, when it was
instituted October 4th of that year was followed by October 15th). As a result,
"v'tain tal u'matar" also shifted from November 22nd to December 1st.
The second change was that the rule for leap years was slightly altered, with
every century year NOT divisible by 400 losing its leap-year status. Thus, 1600
was a leap year, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. This had the effect of
changing the average length of a year to 365.2425 days, a difference that is much
less noticeable over time (a margin of error of roughly 3 days in 10,000 years). As
a result of this second change, the date for "v'tain tal u'matar" was shifted one day
in each of those three years, bringing us to our current date of December 4th
(Please note: after 2100, the date will become December 5th).
Finally, in the year BEFORE a Gregorian leap year, "v'tain tal u'matar" is added
from December 5th. The reason for this is that since the Jewish year begins
several months earlier (Approximately in September), it already factors in the
extra day from Rosh HaShana onwards.

Happy Birthday to… Happy Anniversary to…

11/21 Ashira Domsky 11/27 Mr. Zave Domsky 11/24 Abe and Sharon Altman
11/22 Ayelet Gershman Rabbi Yehuda Isenberg 11/27 Marc and Ruki Halpert
Mrs. Jodi Gershman Mrs. Rebecca Magence Benjamin and Shoshana Neikrug
Mrs. Margo Strahlberg 11/28 Amalya Heifetz Robert and Shoshana Zaretsky
11/23 Mrs. Rachel Mauer Sarah Clara Shiner
11/26 Judge Erwin Katz 11/29 Mrs. Bernice Novick
Meira Lebowitz
Mrs. Dorine Magence
Celebrate your special occasions with KINS! Sponsorships available: Kiddushes, Kiddush Fund, Youth program, Kol K.I.N.S.
Don’t see your name here? Please send your updated info to the shul office – info@congkins.org

Sign up for the weekly K.I.N.S. e-bulletin at www.congkins.org

23 Cheshvan 5769 - November 21, 2008 - Parashat Chayei Sara