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Congregation Agudath Sholom
Shabbat Bulletin |
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| Behar-Bechukotai |
Omer: 37 |
May 9, 2026 |
22 of Iyyar |
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| Friday |
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| Mincha |
7:00 PM |
| Candle Lighting |
7:40 PM |
| Shabbat |
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| Shacharit |
7:00/8:00/9:00 AM |
| Latest Shema |
8:29 AM |
| Sephardic Minyan |
8:45 AM |
| Coffee & Commentary |
8:45 AM |
| Melachim Class |
9:00 AM |
| Latest Shacharit |
9:56 AM |
| Bob's Basics |
10:00 AM |
| Shiur |
10:30 AM |
| Code Of Jewish Law |
6:45 PM |
| Mincha |
7:35 PM |
| Havdalah |
8:42 PM |
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The Value We Cannot Measure
At the conclusion of Sefer Vayikra, the Torah introduces a striking concept: erchin, valuation vows. A person declares, “Erech ploni alai”, the value of a particular individual is upon me and commits to give a fixed amount based on categories established by the Torah (Vayikra 27:1–8; see Masechet Arakhin). At first glance, the idea is unsettling. Are we assigning numbers to people? Are human beings something that can be quantified? The Torah’s answer is subtle but transformative. Erchin is not about worth; it is about value. Worth, in the language of society, is what a person can command in the marketplace. It is tied to earnings, productivity, influence, and acquisition. It rises and falls. It is measured externally. Value, in the language of Torah, is something entirely different. It is inherent, anchored, and rooted in the divine image within every human being. The fixed amounts in erchin, as Rashi notes, are not subjective assessments but standards set by the Torah itself, precisely so that a person’s dignity is never left to the fluctuations of human judgment. This distinction reframes the entire arc of Sefer Vayikra. The book begins with korbanot, offerings brought from one’s possessions. It ends by asking a deeper question: not what do you bring, but how do you see. Do you look at a person and measure their worth, or do you recognize their value? As Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik taught, halacha shapes not only what we do but how we perceive. Erchin trains the eye and the heart to see beyond surface metrics and into something essential. In a world that instinctively confuses worth with value, this teaching becomes urgent. We are surrounded by systems that rank and evaluate: success is quantified, influence is tracked, and people are often reduced to what they produce. The Torah quietly but firmly resists this. A human being is not a commodity. A human being has an erech, a value that does not change with circumstance. That distinction has profound implications for how we treat one another. If we relate to people based on worth, we will naturally gravitate toward those who are productive, visible, or powerful. If we relate to people based on value, we will honor every person as carrying something irreducible and sacred. Rav Abraham Isaac Kook emphasized that recognizing the divine image in another person is the foundation of moral life. It is not an abstract belief; it is expressed in how we speak, how we listen, and how we show respect. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Torah’s sensitivity to age and experience. A society focused on worth often sidelines those who are no longer producing in conventional ways. The Torah insists on the opposite. “Mipnei seivah takum, vehadarta פני זקן” (Vayikra 19:32), we are commanded to rise before the elderly and honor their presence. Their value is not diminished by time; it is deepened by it. Wisdom, memory, perspective, and the quiet strength of a life lived—these are not always measurable, but they are immeasurably significant. In this sense, erchin is not only a legal framework but a moral discipline. It teaches us to resist the instinct to calculate people based on worth and instead to affirm their inherent value. It reminds us that dignity is not earned; it is recognized. The Torah also grounds this vision in responsibility. A vow of erchin begins with words—“Erech… alai”—and becomes an obligation. As the Sefer HaChinuch explains, the mitzvah trains a person to align speech with action, to translate inner awareness into concrete commitment. And yet, if a person cannot afford the amount, the Torah adjusts the obligation to their means (Vayikra 27:8), balancing aspiration with realism, as Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto describes in his vision of disciplined, self-aware growth. Sefer Vayikra closes, then, not with spectacle but with a quiet, searching question. After all the offerings and rituals, how do you measure a human being? If we answer with worth, we will live in a world of comparison and hierarchy. If we answer with value, we will build a world of dignity and honor. And perhaps that is the Torah’s final message: the most important valuations we make are not written in vows, but lived in how we see and treat the people around us. Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom and God willing the full redemption speedily and in our days, Rabbi Daniel Cohen |
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers in our community. We will offer a prayer on Shabbat morning for all those who are praying for the opportunity to be blessed with a child. The text is here. To learn more, visit Yesh Tikva's website.
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Anne Peskin's 100th Birthday It was wonderful celebrating Anne's milestone birthday last Shabbat. Here are Rabbi Cohen's tribute remarks.
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Shabbat Topics & Participants
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| Coffee & Commentary |
Rabbi Daniel Cohen |
| Melachim Class |
Mark Wagshul |
| Bob's Basics |
Rabbi Bob Abrams |
| Shiur |
Rabbi Levi Feller |
| Code of Jewish Law |
Rabbi Yossi Kamman |
| Seudah Shlishit |
Rabbi Yossi Kamman |
- to Lori & Sam Gressel on the birth of a baby boy! Mazal Tov to siblings Caleb and Arielle!
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- to Abbe Pick & Dani Katz on the birth of a baby girl, Shiri Chen! Mazal Tov to big sister Libby!
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- to Neda Khaghan & Robert Yaghoubian on Gabe's aufruf and forthcoming marriage to Gabrielle Styles!
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- to Jen & Ed Rosenfeld on the engagement of their daughter Tamar to Ari Spivack, son of Shari Rose and Boruch and Randi Spivack of Fair Lawn, NJ!
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- to Diane & Rabbi Daniel Cohen on the engagement of their daughter, Shalhevet to Duniel Shapiro, son of Rebecca & Avi Shapiro, formerly of Hamilton, Ontario and now Israel!
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Celebrate with the family! Make a donation in their honor and we will send an acknowledgement to the family. Just click here
- to Kate & Peretz Cik for graciously hosting the backyard schmooze this past Shabbat
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- Senior Challah Deliveries: Nancy & Gadi Mimoun in memory of their sister Sylvia
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- Chapel Kiddush: Marguerite & Ken Neuhaus in memory of the Yahrzeits of their parents, Elizabeth & William Schaffer z"l and Marianne & Jon Neuhaus z"l
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- Sanctuary Kiddush: Neda Khaghan & Robert Yaghoubian in honor of Gabrielle & Gabe's aufruf!
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- Seudah Shlishit: Anonymous donation in memory of Edward Green, Simone Avidan, Dr. Albert Lefkovits, Jon Neuhaus, Marcelle Atraghi and Rivky Deren Berman
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Graduation Kiddush
Shabbat, May 23 |
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Join the CAS Graduation Celebration! If you have a graduate in your family (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college or graduate school), we will publish his/her name and the level from which he or she is graduating. Celebrate the graduates with a festive kiddush on the second day of Shavuot in honor of the graduates.
Thank You to our Graduation Kiddush sponsors! |
Nicole & Jonathan Makovsky
Hillary & Bob Zitter |
Navah & David Zizmor |
Stephanie & Josh Bilenker
Meredith & David Cohen
Judy & Nick Contente |
Vered & Mark Links
Aviva & Paul Schieber |
| BCHA |
| Mackenzie Makovsky |
Noa Zizmor |
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| Yeshiva Har Torah |
| Keira Zitter |
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| BCHA |
Jacob Contente
Adam Daniel |
Tamar Links |
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| SAR |
| Matthew Milstein |
Nate Zitter |
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| University of Chicago |
| Justin Bilenker |
Joshua Milstein |
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| New York University Law School |
| Rachelle Guy |
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Tuesday, May 12 - 8:15 AM
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Agudath Women's Speaker Series presents Jeffrey Lowin
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Tuesday, May 12 - 1:00 PM
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Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Moshe Kurtz
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Thursday, May 14 - 12:00 PM
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Yom Yerushalayim Celebration
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Thursday, May 14 - 7:30 PM
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Jewish Heritage Trip to France
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Tuesday, May 19 - 8:00 PM
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Shavuot Learning with Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot
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Thursday, May 21 - 11:30 PM
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Shabbat, May 23 - 12:00 PM
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Monday, May 25 - 10:00 AM
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Thursday, May 28 - 9:15 AM
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Senior Challah Delivery Sponsorships
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Stamford Jewish Experience Friday Night Dinner
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Friday, June 19 - 8:15 PM
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Aliza Bulow: From Puritan to Rebbetzin - An American Journey
Shabbat, May 16 - 6:30 PM
Aliza, the Founder and Director of CORE, is a 13th generation American who can trace her ancestry to Daniel Boone. Learn about her incredible journey, and how she discovered Judaism as a teenager. A fascinating lecture you do not want to miss!
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Challenges in Jewish Education Panel Program
Saturday Night, May 16 - 8:00 PM
Join us at Seudah Shlishit between Mincha (7:30 pm) and Maariv. The program will begin at approximately 8:00PM. Topic: "Cultivating Spirituality - in Our Children ... and in Ourselves". Featuring Rabbi Dr. Jay Goldmintz, instructor of Tanach and Jewish philosophy, Maayanot High School, and Aliza Bulow, founder and director of CORE. Co-sponsored by BCHA; and Sharon & Michael Feldstein in memory of Elana Goldmintz Gotfried, z"l
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- One Community. One Torah. One Siyum.
As we prepare for Shavuot, Congregation Agudath Sholom invites the community to join a communal learning initiative culminating in a Siyum on Masechet Chagigah on the second day of Shavuot.
Families and individuals can sign up to learn an amud of Gemara or a perek of Mishnayot. Learning can take place over the coming weeks, before Mincha, on Shavuot night, or around the Shabbat and Yom Tov table at home. Resources will be available online and in shul.
Together, we celebrate Torah, community, and the spirit of Midor Lador.
Click here to participate and sign up.
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- Shabbat Icebreakers (courtesy of Yaakov Moshe and Elisheva Shmidman)
- What’s a real or metaphorical mountain you want to climb (behar)?
- You have to take a one year break from your job/field - what would you do with that year (Shemittah)?
- What’s a fancy food that lives up to the hype (v’achaltem yashan noshan)?
- Would You Rather - own a medium sized residence or live in a luxury residence but have to move every 5 years (yovel, selling property)?
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- Stay Tuned! Agudath Sholom is excited to introduce the Chatzos Community Initiative (CCI) A three-week program designed to help individuals and families prepare for Shabbos earlier in the week. By shifting key tasks throughout the week, participants experience a calmer, more meaningful Erev Shabbos. Through practical tools, weekly checklists, and community support, CCI empowers households of all ages and stages to honor Shabbos with greater peace, intention, and joy. Learn more and register at cci.giftofchatzos.org. The pilot Fridays will be May 8th, May 15h and 29th. It will change your life. Click here to learn more or contact Rabbi Cohen
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- Mitzvah Opportunity: Shabbat Hospital Care Packages Help bring comfort and dignity to hospital patients through thoughtfully prepared Shabbat care packages.We’re looking for a small team—or a coordinator—to help oversee this meaningful chesed initiative. What’s involved: Ordering supplies (occasionally), Packing bags, Final Friday prep (adding challah) and Light coordination (delivery support already in place) Commitment: One month at a time (approx. 4x/year, shared rotation) To get involved, contact Rabbi Cohen.
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- Israel Advocacy - Sign up for Pens and Swords This group shares links to petitions and information about how everyone can contact political figures and businesses to advocate on behalf of Israel. Most of these actions take under a minute to complete and they keep pressure on policymakers to support Israel and/or drop actions that are detrimental. Please share the link for this group with as many supporters of Israel and the Jewish people as possible. Click here
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- Shacharit Sunday: 7:15/8:30 AM; Monday-Friday: 6:30/7:30/8:30 AM
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- Mincha Sunday-Thursday: 7:50 PM; Friday: 7:00 PM
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- Candle Lighting Friday: 7:47 PM
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- Friday Omer: 43, Yom Yerushalayim
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We Wish A Speedy Recovery To
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- Aharon ben Bracha
- Shalom ben Hannah
- Mikhail ben Goda
- Esther Miriam bat Chana
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- Ilana Idit bat Leeba
- Leeba bat Chana Surah
- Sarah Shlomit bat Leeba
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- Yoseph ben Esther Miriam
- Ahuva Malka bat Sarah
- Yehuda ben Sarah
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- Shani Y
- Harry B
- Frederick B
- Nathan H
- Noam H
- Yehudit
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- Sally K
- Oren L
- Nathan L
- Elimelech E
- CZM
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- JEM
- AMM
- Rachel M
- Jeremy S
- Yehudit S
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- Please donate & participate in The Friendship Day & Walk May 17th from 12:30-2:30pm. Come for a free family fun day as we walk hand in hand and heart to heart in support of families of individuals with special needs. There will be entertainment, delicious food, and more. Visit www.FriendshipDayCT.com to sign up!
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- An Evening with Schoke JFS: Seeds for Tomorrow May 17, 2026, at Whispering Oaks in Norwalk, CT. Join us for an elegant evening of cocktails, dinner, and celebration as we honor Wheel It Forward, recipient of the 46th Annual Mitzvah Award, a nonprofit that lends durable medical equipment at no cost to residents throughout Fairfield County. Guests will enjoy an awards presentation, paddle raise, and online auction, all supporting programs that uplift and transform lives across Fairfield County. Learn more or reserve tickets at www.ctjfs.org/gala.
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- BCHA Hachnasat Sefer Torah and Hakhel ceremony Monday, May 18 at 6 PM in the BCHA Beit Midrash, celebrating the arrival of two Sifrei Torah. Everyone is encouraged to attend this special dedication event. The evening honors the legacy of Rabbi Abraham Lieberman זצ״ל and Morah Yospa Lieberman, whose impact continues to shape generations of students and who taught Torah and influenced hundreds of Jewish children over decades in our community. The program will include tributes, presentation of new mantlach, and dancing with the Torah. Dedication opportunities - from individual pesukim to full parshiyot and chumashim - remain available, offering a meaningful way to take part in this lasting Torah project for BCHA and the greater stamford community.
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- Aaron’s Place - A Kosher Comfort Room Aaron's Place, on the ground floor of Stamford Hospital, provides kosher snacks, drinks and meals, in a comfortable environment. If you are caring for a hospitalized loved one or waiting for tests, this comfort room is a place to relax and refresh. Information is available at the hospital front desk, The code, in Hebrew letters, is on the door of the room. Volunteers Needed! To volunteer, please email ronsichel@aol.com
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bulletin@cas-stamford.org