Thursday, March 29, 2012

If Only They'd Lettuce Alone

PESACH TIMES - SELL YOUR CHOMETZ - see bottom of email

 

Question of the Week:

  

I am confused about the maror, the bitter herbs eaten at the Seder. I always thought you are supposed to use horseradish. But then I heard that we should use cos (or romaine) lettuce leaves, with a spoonful of fresh horseradish. I eat lettuce with my salad all year round, and it is not bitter. If anything it is quite sweet tasting. So why eat lettuce to commemorate the bitterness of Egyptian slavery?

Answer:

Your sweet lettuce is a sneaky little vegetable. Its nature very closely parallels the Egyptian slavery experience.

Indeed, lettuce has a gentle and pleasant taste. That is because we pick it when it is young. But leave the lettuce stalk in the ground for a bit longer, and it turns bitter and pungent. What starts off sweet turns sour in the end.

This was the exact course of events in Egypt. When the Israelites first arrived, they were warmly welcomed and made to feel at home. Pharaoh invited them to assimilate into Egyptian culture and society, to participate in the economy and become fully-fledged citizens.

The trusting Israelites accepted his offer with relish (another reason we eat horseradish). They felt honoured to be accepted by such an illustrious nation as Egypt. And this was their downfall. They had been duped. The friendliness was a façade. Once Pharaoh had seduced the Israelites into a false sense of security, he could easily manipulate them. Before long, the welcome turned bitter, and the Israelites were enslaved. Like the lettuce stalk, it all seems sweet at first, but given some time it turns bitter.

So at the Seder we eat lettuce. Not the mature and embittered type, but rather lettuce that is still tasty and sweet. Because the sweet lettuce is the bitterest of them all.

The Egyptian slavery did not start when the Egyptians turned on the Israelites. It began when the Israelites felt comfortable in Egypt. That country, the superpower of its day, was renowned for its low moral standards. When the Israelites became impressed by Egypt's grandeur and lured by its sweet welcome, they lost something of themselves. When they took pride in the attention they received from a tyrant, they lost their freedom.

The same is true to this day. When as Jews we measure our self-worth by how much our neighbours accept us, when we fawn for the approval of those whom we deem more powerful than us, when we shape our identity to conform with what others expect of us, we have sold our souls into slavery.

We eat lettuce to remind us that not all that tastes sweet is indeed sweet. A bitter herb, no matter how sugar-coated, is still a bitter herb. There's nothing as bitter as selling your soul to be accepted, and there's nothing as sweet as the freedom to be yourself.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
 

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NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  

Friday night

Candlelighting 6:35pm (not before 5:42pm)

Mincha 6:00pm

Shabbos Service 6:30pm followed by Kiddush in honour of the batmitzvah of Honey Meltzer- Mazal Tov!

 

Shabbos Day

9am Class on Weekly Parsha

10am -12:35pm Morning Service with Kids' program followed by Kiddush in honour of the naming of Lisa & Nathan Peles' baby girl - Mazel tov!

Lechaim sponsored by Moshe David in honour of the yarzeit of his late father David ben Rachel - Long Life.

Shiur: 5:30pm

 Mincha 6:30pm followed by Seudah Shlishis and Maariv

 

Shabbos ends 7:29pm

 

Sunday

8am - followed by shul clean-up for Pesach (volunteers needed) - 

no Talmud shiur

 

Monday and Thursday

Shachris 7am followed by Chassidus 8:00am-8:45am

 

 

PESACH AT NEFESH
 
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Friday April 6 Erev Pesach

Shachris 8am followed by Siyum for Fast of the First Born

Eat chometz until 10:02am. Burn and sell before 11:00am

Candlelighting 5:26pm

Mincha 5:35pm

Pesach Evening Service 6:00pm - 6:45pm

 

Shabbos April 7 First day Yomtov

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Mincha 5:30pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 6:15pm - 6:45pm, begin counting the Omer

Candlelighting not before 6:20pm

 

Sunday April 8 Second day Yomtov

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Mincha 5:30pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 6:10pm

Yomtov ends 6:18pm

 

Monday - Thursday Chol Hamoed

Shachris 8am

 

Thursday April 12 Yomtov Shvii Shel Pesach

Candlelighting 5:18pm

Mincha 5:25pm

Evening Service 6:05pm

 

Friday April 12 Yomtov Shvii Shel Pesach

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Candlelighting 5:17pm

Mincha 5:25pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 6:00pm - 6:45pm

 

Shabbos April 13 Yomtov Acharon Shel Pesach

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm 

Yizkor approx. 11:30am

Mincha 4:45pm followed by Seudas Moshiach for men in shul to end the Yomtov

Seudas Moshiach for women 4:45pm at 128 Wellington St Bondi 

Yomtov ends 6:11pm

Please allow half an hour before eating chometz that was sold

 

 

 

SELL YOUR CHOMETZ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

 

In order to avoid owning any products that aren't Kosher for Pesach, we sell our non-Pesach food for the duration of the festival. To arrange this, please fill in your name (signature not required) and all addresses (work/holiday home included) on the form below and email to rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au by Thursday April 5.
  
I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Moss to act in my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all Chometz possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinic Law (e.g. Chometz, possible Chometz, and all kinds of Chometz mixtures).  Also Chometz that tends to harden and adhere to the inside surfaces of pans, pots, or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, and all kinds of live animals and pets that have been eating Chometz and mixtures thereof.  This includes all above mentioned Chometz that will come into my possession from now until Erev Pesach. He is also empowered to lease all places wherein Chometz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address/es listed below and elsewhere.
 
Rabbi Moss has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein.  He also has the full power and right to act as he deems fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the transaction to sell all my Chometz, Chometz mixtures, etc., as provided herein.  This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.

Name:
Address(es):

 

 
This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh | 54 roscoe st | bondi beach | NSW | 2026 | Australia

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Deadly Wine Spiller

PRE-PESACH FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER next week, click here to book

 

SELL YOUR CHOMETZ - see bottom of email

 

Question of the Week:

 

Here's one we argue over every year at our Seder: Why do we spill the wine when we mention the Ten Plagues on Pesach night, and what are we supposed to do with the spilt wine?

Answer:

 

Every Jewish ceremony is said over a cup of wine. A wedding, a bris, the welcoming in and ushering out of Shabbos and festivals, and most notably the Seder on Pesach, are all said over a full cup of wine which we then drink down.

 

Why is this? Can't we recite prayers and stay dry? Why do we seem to drink at every opportunity?

There is a power to saying a prayer over a cup. It allows us to drink in the moment. Instead of just saying words out into the open air, we recite our blessings over a cup, the cup absorbs the words, and then we drink it down. We imbibe the holiness.

Under the chuppah, the bride and groom drink from the cup of wine, so the blessings that consecrated their marriage should be internalized and captured. At a bris, the baby himself is given a drop from the wine that has absorbed the prayers, so the holy words should become a part of his being. On each holyday we drink in the messages of the festival, to take along with us when the festival is over.

At the Seder on Pesach night, we retell the story of our ancestors who were slaves in Egypt, and sing songs of thanks to G-d who freed them. As we recount this tale, a cup of wine stands at attention, soaking in every word, absorbing every message, capturing every song. This is so at the end of the story, we can drink down the cup and ingest the moment. We don't just read the Haggadah, we imbibe it, we take it with us. We drink in the freedom, we ingest the miracle. The story of faith and freedom becomes a part of our inner reality.

However there are some words we don't want to ingest. The Ten Plagues, describing the affliction of the Egyptians, represent negative energy that we would rather not bring into our system. So after reading each plague we spill wine from the cup, banishing the forces of punishment and its curses, and leaving the cup with only blessings. The spilt wine should then be discarded, for drinking it would be drinking in the plagues.

Words have impact. Our surroundings absorb our words. Be careful what you say, and be even more careful what you imbibe. 

Leave the plagues to wicked oppressors. We should only have blessings. I'll drink to that. 

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
 

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PRE-PESACH CARWASH OFFER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following is an offer to all Nefesh Synagogue members available from now till Sunset on April 6th, 2012: Pro Carwash is a Jewish owned, family-run business with a participating location in Westfield Eastgardens. As a Pesach special we are offering a basic Superwash for $25, Signature Wash including wiping leather seats and wax for $35, and an Interior Detail for only $80 (normally $120). Add an extra $5 for s/wagons, $10 for 4WD's, and $20 for vans. Superwash- Exterior hand wash and chamois dry, vacuum all interior and boot, wipe dashboard, console, side inserts, door frames, windows cleaned and shined, tyre shine, air freshner. Signature Wash- Includes Super Wash plus wax, wipe leather seats, armorall on dashboard, console and side inserts. Interior detail- Includes Pro's Signature Wash plus shampoo and steam clean seats, mats and carpets; also condition leather with a protective product. Thanking you and Chag Sameach, Pro Carwash Management www.procarwash.com.au
 
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NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Friday night

Candlelighting 6:45pm (not before 5:47pm)

 

Mincha 6:10pm

 

Shabbos Service 6:30pm followed by Kiddush

 

 

Shabbos Day

9am Class on Weekly Parsha

10am -12:15pm Morning Service with Kids' program followed by Kiddush in honour of the wedding of David Landau & Joanna Karlikoff - Mazel Tov!

Shiur: 5:40pm

Mincha 6:40pm followed by Seudah Shlishis and Maariv

Shabbos ends 7:38pm

 

Sunday

8am Shachris followed by breakfast and beginners' Talmud 9:00-9:45am

 

Monday and Thursday

Shachris 7am followed by Chassidus 8:00am-8:45am

 

SELL YOUR CHOMETZ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

In order to avoid owning any products that aren't Kosher for Pesach, we sell our non-Pesach food for the duration of the festival. To arrange this, please fill in your name (signature not required) and all addresses (work/holiday home included) on the form below and email to rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au by Thursday April 5.
 
 
I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Moss to act in my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all Chometz possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinic Law (e.g. Chometz, possible Chometz, and all kinds of Chometz mixtures).  Also Chometz that tends to harden and adhere to the inside surfaces of pans, pots, or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, and all kinds of live animals and pets that have been eating Chometz and mixtures thereof.  This includes all above mentioned Chometz that will come into my possession from now until Erev Pesach. He is also empowered to lease all places wherein Chometz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address/es listed below and elsewhere.
 
Rabbi Moss has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein.  He also has the full power and right to act as he deems fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the transaction to sell all my Chometz, Chometz mixtures, etc., as provided herein.  This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.

Name:
Address(es):

This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh | 54 roscoe st | bondi beach | NSW | 2026 | Australia

Thursday, March 15, 2012

What Makes You Jealous?

Question of the Week:
 

From Bluma (age 8)

It says in the Ten Commandments "Do not be jealous." Does that mean that if I see my friend wearing a dress that I really like, I can't be jealous and want the same dress, even if I don't say anything to my friend?

Answer:

We are all jealous. It is impossible not to be. As long as we are human, we see what others have and wish we could have it too. But that isn't always bad. There are three types of jealousy. Wicked jealousy, dangerous jealousy, and good jealousy.

If you want your friend's dress and you don't want her to have it, that is wicked. Why should it bother you that your friend owns something nice? Even if you want the same thing, you should be happy for her that she has it. To want it instead of her is plain mean.

So let's say you don't mind that she has her dress, just you want one too. Is that ok? Well, it's not wicked, but be careful. When you focus too much on what other's have, it leads to being unhappy with what you have. Instead of being satisfied with all the good G-d has given you, you always want more. This has no end. Eventually you'll have bad feelings toward your friends when you can't have it all. So this type of jealousy is not wicked, but dangerous.

But then there is a jealousy that is good. That is being jealous of someone else's good deeds or fine character. When you see a friend who is kind, generous, forgiving, disciplined or trustworthy, and you say "I wish I were like that," this is good jealousy. In fact, this is why we have jealousy in our nature. It can make us want to be a better person.

The Talmud teaches, "The world cannot exist without jealousy." Without it we would have no drive to become anything. It just depends how you use it. Be jealous, but for the right things. Your friend's dress will one day go out of fashion. Goodness never will.

Thanks for a great question. I wish I asked such good questions when I was eight years old. I am glad you are my daughter. Otherwise, I'd be jealous.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

 

To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

 

 

This email proudly brought to you by:

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Breakfast
Rebbetzin Heller Speaking

NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Friday night

Candlelighting 6:54pm (not before 5:55pm)

 

Mincha 6:10pm

 

Shabbos Service 6:30pm followed by Shabbos dinner with guest speaker Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller. (BOOKINGS CLOSED)

 

 

Shabbos Day

9am Class on Weekly Parsha

10am -12:15pm Morning Service with Kids' program followed by Kiddush in honour of the wedding of Ben Weinberg and Laurel Ginges - Mazel Tov!

L'Chaim in honour of Noach Kessel's birthday - Mazel Tov!

Shiur: 5:50pm

Mincha 6:50pm followed by Seudah Shlishis and Maariv

Shabbos ends 7:48pm

 

Sunday

8am Shachris followed by breakfast and beginners' Talmud 9:00-9:45am

 

Monday and Thursday

Shachris 7am followed by Chassidus 8:00am-8:45am

This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh | 54 roscoe st | bondi beach | NSW | 2026 | Australia

Thursday, March 8, 2012

You Have to Just Face It

REBBETZIN HELLER SHABBOS DINNER last chance to book 

 

LECTURE THIS THURSDAY NIGHT 8pm at Nefesh: "Finding Happiness in Work and Relationships"

 

Question of the Week:

 

A quick question. . .  my friends often tell me to smile more.  But how can one always just smile and be happy if (not so) deep down one has pressing troubles, worries and problems to deal with? Must I smile when I am not in the mood?

 

Answer:

 

What has smiling to do with your mood? What has the look on your face to do with the feelings in your heart?

 

Your face is not your business. It is public property. You only have to look at your own face once briefly in the morning. Everyone else has to look at your face all day. So just because you are in a bad mood or going through a rough patch, doesn't mean everyone else has to be brought down too. The people around you deserve to be greeted with a pleasant face.

 

Of course, smiling is not only for the benefit of others, but for your own benefit too. The number one cause of misery is not life's troubles but rather self-absorption. The more you think about yourself and your predicament, the more you marinate in self-pity, the more miserable you become.

 

On the other hand, when you look outside of yourself, look around you and see how you can be of service to others, when you smile not because you are in the mood but because others deserve to be smiled at, you start to feel upbeat and light again.

 

This is not to say that there are never any real reasons to be sad, or that smiling is a magical cure for depression. The point is that smiling is a duty you have to others. And when you focus on your duties rather than your difficulties, you are on the road to happiness.

 

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

 

To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

 

 

This email proudly brought to you by:

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Rebbetzin Heller at Nefesh
 

 CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW


 

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MEANINGFUL MOTHERHOOD

WOMANLY INFLUENCE - A BREAKFAST WITH REBBETZIN HELLER

with question and answer session

Monday March 26, 9:30am at Nefesh

Bookings essential, $10 pp, babysiting available on request

 

 

 Rebbetzin Heller Speaking 

 

 

 

Kabbalah of Identity 

 

NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Friday night

Candlelighting 7:04pm (not before 6:03pm)

 

Mincha 6:10pm

 

Shabbos Service 6:30pm followed by Kiddush sponsored in honor of Leyat, Jack and Henny Reuben's birthdays.

 

Shabbos day

9am Class on Weekly Parsha

 

10am -12:15pm Morning Service with Kids' program followed by Kiddush in honour of the wedding of Barry Glick and Taryn Leibowitz - Mazal Tov!

Shiur: 6:00pm

Mincha 7:00pm followed by Seudah Shlishis and Maariv

Shabbos ends 7:58pm

 

Sunday

8am Shachris followed by breakfast and beginners' Talmud 9:00-9:45am

 

Monday and Thursday

Shachris 7am followed by Chassidus 8:00am-8:45am

 

 

 

 

This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh | 54 roscoe st | bondi beach | NSW | 2026 | Australia

Thursday, March 1, 2012

A VERY Personal Message

ART SHOW extended hours, over 100 pieces of art, this Sunday, see below 

 

PURIM this Wednesday, see bottom of email

 

Question of the Week:

 

Dear Rabbi Moss

In our technological age, are people closer or further apart? We have so many ways to connect today -I video call my cousins in Israel every week, saw pictures of my baby niece minutes after she was born, and have several old school friends that I have rediscovered online. But sometimes I feel that maybe we are not really communicating. Are we in touch with each other or is it all just virtual?

In fact, I realised if it weren't for Shabbos, when I turn off my phone and computer and come to synagogue, I may never speak to another human being. So I guess I also wanted to say thank you for running a community where real people can meet other real people face to face. You are the last bastion of personal communication!

Fond regards,

Alex

 

Answer:

 

*** This is an automated message ***

Dear [insert contact's first name],

Thank you for your email. I will respond to it as soon as I can.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

 

 

 

 

Good Shabbos and Happy Purim,

Rabbi Moss

 

 

To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

 

 

This email proudly brought to you by:

 8th Day Concert 

 

 

ArtShowArt Show this Sunday at Nefesh 

 

 

 

Kabbalah of Identity 

 

Rebbetzin Heller 

 CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW

 

 

 Rebbetzin Heller Speaking 

 

 

 

Click her for details of BOOK LAUNCH: My Mother's Spice Cupboard - a journey from Baghdad to Bombay to Bondi, March 11 at Sephardi Synagogue
 

NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Friday night

Candlelighting 7:13pm (not before 6:11pm)

 

Mincha 6:10pm

 

Shabbos Service 6:30pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Les & Marion Pozniak in honour of the birth of their grandson Jayden Morrison.

 

Shabbos day

9am Class on Weekly Parsha

10am -12:15pm Morning Service with Kids' program followed by Kiddush sponsored by Nissim Chai Nissim in honour of the yarzeit of his late mother Jullet bat Rachel- Long Life.

Shiur: 6:10pm

Mincha 7:10pm followed by Seudah Shlishis and Maariv

Shabbos ends 8:07pm

 

Sunday

8am Shachris followed by breakfast and beginners' Talmud 9:00-9:45am

 

Monday

Shachris 7am followed by Chassidus 8:00am-8:45am

  

 

 

 

MEANINGFUL MOTHERHOOD -

All About Me - self-esteem vs narcissism

Discussion for mothers and babies with Nechama Dina Moss and Shterny Dadon

 

Mondays 10:00am - 11:00am at Nefesh, 54 Roscoe St

 

Purim  

 

 

This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh | 54 roscoe st | bondi beach | NSW | 2026 | Australia