Thursday, March 21, 2013

Zodiac at the Seder Table?

Pesach times, sell chometz - see below

 

Question of the Week:    

 

I am very connected to the zodiac and was wondering if there is a link between the stars and the timing of Pesach. I have also noticed that the Seder always coincides with the full moon. What is the significance of all this?

 

Answer:

 

There is deep astrological significance to the date of Pesach. We celebrate the festival of freedom on the night of the 15th of Nissan in the Hebrew calendar, the night the Israelites were freed from Egypt. This is the full moon of the month of Aries, the ram.

 

The Egyptians worshipped the ram as a god. Aries is the leader of the star signs, the first and most powerful, and the Egyptians saw themselves as the leaders of the world, receiving their strength and fortitude from their god, the ram.

 

So the strongest time for the Egyptians would have been the month of Aries, when their god is ascendant. And the strongest day on that month would be its full moon. Egyptian power would reach its zenith on the 15th of Nissan.

 

And that is exactly when the Israelites left Egypt. Aries was rendered impotent at its very moment of strength.

 

But there's more. The Israelites ate a festive meal on the night before the exodus, and the main course was a lamb roasted on a spit. They were eating the Egyptian deity, the ram, under the full moon of the month of the ram, in the eyes of all Egypt, and they got away with it.

 

The message is unmistakable. The world is not run by capricious forces and amoral star signs. There is a G-d who rules heaven and earth, who cares for the innocent and exacts justice from the corrupt. To the stars, our actions make no difference. To G-d, our actions do matter.  The zodiac demands nothing from us. G-d demands we live a life of goodness.

 

The Jews themselves didn't always get this message. After the exodus, some in the Israelite camp suggested that while the ram of Egypt (Aries) had indeed been trumped, it was not G-d's doing, but rather the next star sign, Taurus, the bull who had beaten Aries. And so they made an idol honouring Taurus, known as the Golden Calf. It's very tempting to fall back on idolatrous beliefs, because they relieve us of responsibility. But they also rob us of our freedom.

 

Pesach is a celebration not only of freedom of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, but also freedom from being bound by destiny. Our lives are not subject to the impersonal forces of the zodiac. We are free to rise above the limitations of fate and conquer our birth sign. Your fortunes may predict one course for your life. You are free to create another. This idea was brought home on the night of the full moon of Aries.

 

Good Shabbos and a Happy and Kosher Pesach,

Rabbi Moss

 

To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

 

PESACH VIDEO CLASSES

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

 

Reincarnated Souls in the Haggadah
Reincarnated Souls 
in the Haggadah
 

 

Can reincarnation explain the mysteries of the Seder? 

 

A recently discovered manuscript reveals the Kabbalistic subplot beneath the Haggadah 

 

(20 mins)

 

 

 

 

 

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 Sunday March 24.

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):

 

SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Friday Night Candlelighting 6:47pm (not before 5:49pm)

Mincha 6:15pm

Shabbos Service - 6:30pm followed by Kiddush

 

Shabbos Day

Class - The Spiritual Parsha 9am

Morning Service 10am -12:30pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Simon and Bindy Cohen in honour of Leon & Nina's visit from the UK, Ben's 6th birthday and their recent house move; by Moses David in honour and memory of his father David David- Long Life.

 

L'Chaim sponsored by Ron & Libby Moss in honour of The Moss family anniversaries- Mazal Tov; Also by Michelle in honour of Jeremy's birthday- Mazal Tov.

 

Mincha 6:30pm followed by Seudah Shlishis

Shabbos ends 7:41pm

 

Latest Shema 10:01am

PESACH AT NEFESH

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

Monday March 25 Erev Pesach

Shachris 7am followed by Siyum for Fast of the First Born

Eat chometz until 11:01am. Burn and sell before 12:01pm

Candlelighting 6:42pm

Mincha 6:45pm

Pesach Evening Service 7:00pm - 7:45pm

 

Tuesday March 26 First day Yomtov

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Mincha 6:45pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 7:00pm - 7:45pm, begin counting the Omer

Candlelighting and preparations for Seder not before 7:37pm

 

Wednesday March 27 Second day Yomtov

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Mincha 6:45pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 7:30pm

Yomtov ends 7:35pm

 

Thursday, Friday, Sunday Chol Hamoed

Shachris 8am

 

Sunday March 31 Yomtov Shvii Shel Pesach

Candlelighting 6:35pm

Mincha 6:45pm

Evening Service 7:20pm

 

Monday April 1 Yomtov Shvii Shel Pesach

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Candlelighting not before 7:29pm

Mincha 6:45pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 7:20pm

 

Tuesday April 2 Yomtov Acharon Shel Pesach

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm 

Yizkor approx. 11:30am

Mincha 5:45pm followed by Seudas Moshiach for men in shul to end the Yomtov

Seudas Moshiach for women 5:45pm at 128 Wellington St Bondi 

Yomtov ends 7:27pm

Please allow half an hour before eating chometz that was sold

 

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

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Roosters and the Frogs

FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER bookings close, Pesach times, sell chometz - see below

 

Question of the Week:    

 

When it comes to the Pesach Seder, I always get stuck in the ten plagues that were visited on the Egyptians. The Nile River turns to blood, the land is covered in frogs, the people riddled with lice. It all sounds a bit weird. Why would the Almighty G-d afflict a people with these particular plagues? He could have just zapped them, and yet He sends them....frogs?!

 

Answer:

 

I too have been baffled by the plagues, especially the frogs. It is a bit incongruous, like calling a football team "The Roosters." It just doesn't sound so menacing.

 

You can only understand the plagues if you listen to how G-d Himself described them. He told Moses, "I will smite the Egyptians and bring justice to their gods." G-d was not only punishing the Egyptian people for enslaving the Israelites, He was also smashing the Egyptian value system, their false gods.

 

People rarely do evil thinking that it is evil. Most villains believe they are doing good, because their value system is so twisted as to view darkness as light, justify evil as good, and explain wickedness as righteousness.

 

So G-d wanted to not only afflict the Egyptians, but to strike the source of their immorality. Each plague was an attack on the core beliefs of Egypt, the beliefs that led them to drown Israelite babies and become the most immoral society of the day. Let's look at the three examples you mentioned, the river turning to blood, the frogs and the lice.

 

The Egyptians worshipped the Nile as a god, for the Nile was their source of irrigation, livelihood and wealth. Thus the Nile represents materialism to the extreme, making a god out of money. That's why it was afflicted first. Where money is god, blood will flow.

 

The frog was another Egyptian deity. It was the god of fertility. Having children is a noble goal, but for the Egyptians, children were no more than a power base, and being fruitful like a frog meant expanding your clan and extending your influence. When children are seen as frogs, then humans have lost their humanity.

 

But it was the third plague, the plague of lice, that forced the Egyptians to recognize that the finger of G-d was at play. The Egyptian sorcerers were able to replicate the first two plagues through black magic, and so they weren't convinced that they were being divinely punished. But when lice swarmed over every Egyptian, they lifted their hands up in defeat. This is because as powerful as Egyptian sorcery was, it could not impact something as small as a louse. Egyptian spirituality dealt with big things, major issues, not minute details. They didn't give importance to the small things. They couldn't affect a louse.

 

We left Egypt and its ugly beliefs behind, to embrace a value system that was its polar opposite. Money is not a god, merely a means to do good. Our children are not trophies, but rather souls entrusted to us by G-d to care for and pass on our values. And the little things do matter. Most of our life is made up not of dramatic choices and big events, but of small details and subtle choices, and they all make a difference. 

 

So on Pesach we go through the ten plagues, and reflect on the values that made Egypt into oppressors, the values we left behind, and the values that have kept us coming to Seder for three thousand years.

 

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

 

To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

 

PESACH VIDEO CLASSES

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

   

 

Why Matzah? Likkutei Torah on Pesach
Why Matzah? 
Likkutei Torah on Pesach



An in depth, four part series that looks at the different divine energies of Shabbos and Yomtov, the kabbalistic meaning of Matzah, and why Pesach is called Passover

PRE-PESACH DINNER

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

 

Relax and let Nefesh do the cooking on the last Friday night before Pesach.

 

A three course catered dinner after the shul service, Friday night 22 March.

 

Adults: $25 Nefesh members

Adults: $35 Non members

Family: $80 (Nefesh members only)

Children (3-12 yrs): $15

 

CLICK HERE To book 

 

Bookings close Tuesday 19 March or when fully booked.

 

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 Sunday March 24.

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):

 

SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Friday Night Candlelighting 6:57pm (not before 5:57pm)

Mincha 6:15pm

Shabbos Service - 6:30pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Robert and Lana Goldshaft in honour of Robert's birthday-Mazal Tov!

 

Shabbos Day

Class - The Spiritual Parsha 9am

Morning Service 10am -12:30pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Ron & Libby Moss in honour of The Moss family anniversaries- Mazal Tov! and Lior Segre in honour of his birthday- Mazal Tov! and Justin and Nicola Rosenberg in honour of Graham Hesselberg and John Edmond's visit to Sydney.

 

Mincha 6:50pm followed by Seudah Shlishis

Shabbos ends 7:51pm

 

Weekday Shachris

Mon- Fri 7am

 

Chassidus Shiur

Mon and Thurs 8:00-8:45am

 

Latest Shema 9:59am

PESACH AT NEFESH

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

Monday March 25 Erev Pesach

Shachris 7am followed by Siyum for Fast of the First Born

Eat chometz until 11:01am. Burn and sell before 12:01pm

Candlelighting 6:42pm

Mincha 6:45pm

Pesach Evening Service 7:00pm - 7:30pm

 

Tuesday March 26 First day Yomtov

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Mincha 6:45pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 7:20pm - 7:50pm, begin counting the Omer

Candlelighting not before 7:37pm

 

Wednesday March 27 Second day Yomtov

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Mincha 6:45pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 7:30pm

Yomtov ends 7:35pm

 

Thursday, Friday, Sunday Chol Hamoed

Shachris 8am

 

Sunday March 31 Yomtov Shvii Shel Pesach

Candlelighting 6:35pm

Mincha 6:45pm

Evening Service 7:20pm

 

Monday April 1 Yomtov Shvii Shel Pesach

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm

Candlelighting not before 7:29pm

Mincha 6:45pm followed by words of Torah

Evening Service 7:20pm

 

Tuesday April 2 Yomtov Acharon Shel Pesach

Shachris 10am - 12:45pm 

Yizkor approx. 11:30am

Mincha 5:45pm followed by Seudas Moshiach for men in shul to end the Yomtov

Seudas Moshiach for women 5:45pm at 128 Wellington St Bondi 

Yomtov ends 7:27pm

Please allow half an hour before eating chometz that was sold

 

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

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Is Gambling Kosher?

Question of the Week:    

 

As we are trying to enter the property market, we sometimes joke that we would need to win the lottery to afford the house of our dreams. I am often tempted to buy a lottery ticket but feel guilty that perhaps it is not the right thing to do. Are Jews allowed to buy lottery tickets or is gambling something that is discouraged?

 

Answer:

 

There is a fascinating discussion about gambling in Jewish law. It is a multi-faceted topic, but here is a very brief overview.

 

Some authorities, particularly Sephardi scholars, forbid any form of gambling, even buying a lottery ticket. They say that gambling is a form of stealing. The logic goes like this: gamblers are all under the illusion that they are going to win. Despite the clear evidence that the only real winners are the casino owners, people keep on putting money down in the false belief that this is their lucky day. But no one puts their money down to willingly lose it. So the winner is essentially taking other people's money against their will - which is tantamount to stealing.

 

A more lenient view differentiates between an occasional gambler and a serious gamester. According to this opinion, the odd bet here and there is not forbidden, as long as it doesn't become a regular habit. But beware. It all starts with one yank of the poker machine. Gambling is one of the most damaging addictions, and it is legal. It destroys lives, breaks up families, and creates more lonely people.

 

Even if someone is not addicted, regular gambling is still frowned upon. The Talmud says that a professional gambler is not trusted to serve as a witness in court. This is because such a person contributes nothing to society, and so their values are questionable. If someone works as a street sweeper or a lawn mower technician or a brain surgeon, they are providing a service and making the world better. But someone who spends much of their time gambling is not productive in any way. It is not just a waste of time and money, it is a waste of a life.

 

So buying a lottery ticket every now and then would not be considered professional gambling. Though it probably won't pay your mortgage, it is permitted according to many opinions. But it certainly should not replace a good honest day's work.

 

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

 

PS. Even those authorities who forbid any form of gambling would encourage buying a raffle ticket in a charity auction. This is because in that case there are no losers - everyone who gives to charity wins.

  

To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

 

PESACH VIDEO CLASSES

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

The Secret of Elijah's Cup
The Secret of Elijah's Cup (30 Mins)
Kabbalah of the Four Sons
Kabbalah of the Four Sons (1 hr)
 

At the Seder there are four cups of wine, four questions, and four sons. So four is the magic number. Or is it? Isn't there a fifth cup, the Cup of Elijah? How does that fit in? (Intermediate)

 

 

 

 

 

The kabbalists teach that the four sons of the Pesach Seder correspond to the four supernal worlds. Each one needs to leave Egypt in his own way. An original and thought provoking interpretation of the Haggadah from R' Aharon of Strashelya, student of the Alter Rebbe. (Advanced)

PRE-PESACH DINNER

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

 

Relax and let Nefesh do the cooking on the last Friday night before Pesach.

 

A three course catered dinner after the shul service, Friday night 22 March.

 

Adults: $25 Nefesh members

Adults: $35 Non members

Family: $80 (Nefesh members only)

Children (3-12 yrs): $15

 

CLICK HERE To book 

 

Bookings close Tuesday 19 March or when fully booked.

 

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 Sunday March 24.

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):

 

SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Friday Night Candlelighting 7:06pm (not before 6:05pm)

Mincha 6:15pm

Shabbos Service - 6:30pm followed by Kiddush

 

Shabbos Day

Class - The Spiritual Parsha 9am

Morning Service 10am -12:20pm followed by Kiddush in honour of the barmitzvah of Levi Lowinger- Mazal Tov!

 

Shabbos Mevorchim Nissan Farbrengen sponsored by Leyat, Jack and Henny Reuben in honour of their birthdays- Mazal Tov!

And newly Permanent Residents Sarah, Levi and Liana Weisz to thank the Nefesh community for welcoming them nearly 3 years ago and being their Australian family.

 

Mincha 7:00pm followed by Seudah Shlishis

Shabbos ends 8:00pm

 

Weekday Shachris

Mon- Fri 7am

 

Tuesday - Rosh Chodesh Nissan

 

Chassidus Shiur

Mon and Thurs 8:00-8:45am

 

Latest Shema 9:57am

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