Parshas Lech Lecha Shabbos Times Erev Shabbos Shabbos Day Plag HaMincha 6:16pm Latest time for Shema 9:50am Candle Lighting 7:19pm Shabbos Ends 8:21pm Shkiya 7:37pm Mazal Tov Shaarei Tefillah!! This Shabbos is the 16th Anniversary since Shaarei started See attached flyer for something special for the whole family Short Vort on the Parsha In this week's Parsha Hashem says to Avraham Avinu (12;2) 'I will make you into a great nation and bless you and make great your name and there will be Brocha.' Rashi ascribes each part of this sentence to each one of the Avos. 'I will make you into a great nation' refers to Avraham, 'I will bless you' appertains to Yitzchak, and 'I will make great your name' refers to Yaakov. But, you, Avraham will have brocha, ie it is with Avraham that there will be a chasima (a signing off). This is normally understood to refer to the opening brocha in Shmone Esrei that mentions all the Avos but ends with 'Magen Avraham' - mentioning only Avraham. The Kotzker Rebbe has another way of understanding this Rashi. He says that Torah, Avodah (tefillah/korbanos) and Chessed (Pirkei Avos 1;2) correspond to the three Avos. Chesed is the one which matches Avraham. Rashi citing that 'with you Avraham shall be the signing off,' means that just before the time of Moshiach there will be a reduction in widespread Torah and Avodah, but an increase in the amount of Chesed [represented by Avraham] in the world, as Chazal say 'Yerushalayim will be redeemed through Tzedakah.' It means that the ending part of history (history's signature) before Moshiach will see much Chesed.