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‹ Weekly
Schedule ‹ Oneg
Oneg means “delight”!
To keep the Sabbath a delight, we all need to pitch-in
and help keep our Sabbath meal together restful,
biblically clean and hospitable.
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you
call the Sabbath a delight (oneg) and the Lord's holy
day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your
own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle
words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and
I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The
mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 58:13, 14)
Please
try to make it a goal to prepare your oneg meal before
the Sabbath.
"This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is
to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So
bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to
boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" (Exodus
16:23)
When it’s time to clean up, we all need
to clear our own pot/dish from the serving table to
allow the tables and the room to be quickly picked
up. We should clear our and our children’s plates,
from the tables and place them in the trash. We can
each look for ways to help, such as: wiping tables,
stacking chairs, putting supplies away or straightening
up the kitchen, etc. Many hands make light work.
In order to ensure
that the oneg meal is biblically kosher, we ask everyone
to make dishes that do not contain unclean meats. (Please
read Leviticus 7, 11 and Deuteronomy 14.)
Be especially
aware of hidden pork products such as lard or gelatin
in pre-made pie crusts, dessert products, marshmallows
and many other products. Please label your dish if
it is meat, vegetarian or vegan (dairy-free). Better
yet, bring your recipe!
Listen respectfully if a
teaching is offered and stay for Grace After Meals.
Oneg
begins 10–15 minutes
after the service ends, allowing time for the older
boys and men to start setting up tables and chairs
and for people to put out their own items on the
oneg table. We need to wait for a community blessing
before we begin eating.
Visitors and their families
are to be served first. We should visit with newcomers
after service and personally invite them to the oneg meal. If a visitor accepts the invitation, help them
to the head of the line, sit with them and be friendly!
This is our opportunity to reach out and make them
comfortable as they get to know others at B'nei Avraham.
Offer to get them juice or coffee after dinner and
encourage them to return.
After visitors
have been served, the adults are next, followed by
the children. Children are to eat over the tiled
areas in order to take care of our host’s
facilities.
With regard to drinks for the entire
congregation, please do not bring red or dark juices
that might stain the carpet in the game room. We ask
that only water, in a closed container and only by
adults, be taken into the sanctuary.
Let’s make sure there’s
enough food for everyone. Take a modest portion.
Remember the scripture,
…when you come together to eat, wait for each
other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home,
so that when you meet together it may not result in
judgment. (1 Corinthians 11:33–34)
After the meal, listen respectfully to the Havdalah readings, prayers or teachings.
If we keep these guidelines
in mind, oneg will truly be a delight and everyone
can participate. Thank you for your cooperation!
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