Chabad Lubavitch Of Manhattan Beach Presents The Community Torah Scroll And Parade

The Synagogue of Chabad Lubavitch of Manhattan Beach at 134 West End Ave is completing their very first Torah. For those who are not well versed in these matters, this is a pretty big deal for a synagogue.

Rabbi Avrohom and Shula Winner, who lead the congregation, have planned a parade to mark the occasion.

Traditionally, when a Torah is written, there exist opportunities for dedication of pages, covers and so on. Rabbi Winner calls this a “community Torah.”

He writes:

The last mitzvah (commandment) in the Torah is for every Jew to write for themselves a Torah scroll, just as it is ones responsibility to keep any of the other 613 laws. However, not everyone can write their own Torah scroll, whether they don’t know how or don’t have the financial means to do so. If, However, we participate in the writing of one it is as if we wrote our very own Torah scroll.

In Jewish law Mechzo k’kuloy is: Half is counted like the whole thing. Participate partially and G-d counts it like you did the whole thing. In plain English: Give a little from your pocket and a lot from your heart G-d looks at the action (because action is what counts) and gives reward for the feelings.

Once the Torah is complete, the parade will take place Sunday, September 9, 2012, at 12:00 p.m. It begins in front of  the Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue of Manhattan Beach.

The streets will be closed. Music and dancing are encouraged and refreshments will be served.

For more info, call (718) 368-1395 or (646) 296-9020.