Thursday, April 25, 2013

Will Kabbalah Drive You Mad?

LAG BAOMER BONFIRE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT- see below 

 

Question of the Week:

 

I grew up hearing that to learn Kabbalah you have to be married, over forty, and an accomplished scholar. Otherwise you will go mad. Yet these days it seems everyone and anyone studies Kabbalah. So is what I heard not true or have the rules changed? Or have we all gone mad?

 

Answer:

 

The origin of the belief that Kabbalah study is dangerous seems to be a Talmudic tale.

 

There were four rabbis who shared an out-of-body mystical experience, where their souls wandered off into the higher realms. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Avuya and Rabbi Akiva.

 

Each of these scholars was impacted differently by the experience. For three of them, it was not a happy ending.

 

Ben Azzai died. Ben Zoma went mad. Elisha ben Avuya lost his faith. Only Rabbi Akiva was able to internalize and process this mystical experience, and come back down to earth unharmed.

 

They all shared the same vision, yet they were impacted so differently. When we analyze some biographical details of these four scholars we can understand why.

 

Ben Azzai was a permanent bachelor. He refused to get married, feeling that having a family would interfere with his spiritual life. His celibacy left him unattached to the here and now, so when he tasted the bliss of heaven he didn't want to come back. He had nothing to come back for. So he didn't. He died.

 

Ben Zoma was a promising young scholar. But he was undeveloped. He didn't have the maturity and stability to handle such high levels of revelation. His gifted but unripe mind was overloaded, and he went crazy.

 

Elisha ben Avuya was a brilliant man. But he had a weakness. He mingled his Kabbalistic ideas with concepts from Greek philosophy. He diluted the purity of the Torah by trying to fit it into worldly wisdom. And so in the end his confused spirituality led him astray, he misunderstood the visions he saw and became a non-believer.

 

Why was Rabbi Akiva different? We know about Rabbi Akiva that unlike Ben Azzai, he was married. We also know that unlike Ben Zoma, he was mature. This is derived from the fact that until he was forty, he could not even read Hebrew. It was his wife Rochel who inspired him to start at the beginning and learn Torah from scratch. And unlike Elisha ben Avuya, he studied Torah in purity.

 

So from Rabbi Akiva we learn that safe entry into the mysteries of Kabbalah requires the maturity and groundedness of a married scholar who is over forty. Anyone else who dares to wander into the esoteric orchard risks losing their mind, or their faith, or even their life.

 

So can young, unripe and uninitiated novices study Kabbalah? Absolutely. Because there is a difference between Kabbalistic study and Kabbalistic experience. These three scholars were harmed because they were experimenting with out-of-body journeys, using divine energies to enter higher worlds. You've got to be a Rabbi Akiva to dabble in that.

 

But studying the wisdom of Kabbalah is a different story. It doesn't matter so much who is learning Kabbalah, the question is more who is doing the teaching. If you have a good teacher with authentic training, you can study Kabbalah anytime. If you plug in to the right sources, Kabbalah won't drive you mad. On the contrary, it will give you some spiritual sanity in the mad world we live in. 

 

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

  

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

   

LAG BAOMER BONFIRE AND JAM SESSION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drum Circle, Jam session, BYO instrument

Toasted marshmallows and Barbecue

Songs and stories by the fire

Zohar study session

 

Saturday night April 27 from 7:30pm

at 30 Rosslyn St Bellevue Hill

$10 at the door

 

 

NINE to FIVE!

Shavuos All Night Learning at Nefesh

Tuesday May 14, 9pm to 5am

 

One night a year we conquer sleep and study Torah. This is it. Come for some or come for all, we have a compelling line-up of speakers and topics:

 

 

9pm-9:45pm A Soul on Fire - tales of the Baal Shem Tov with Rev Amzalak

 

9:45pm -10:30pm In the Footsteps of a Moabite Princess - a virtual trip from Jordan to Bethlehem with Shlomo Ben-Haiem, JNF National Education Shaliah

 

10:30pm-11pm with Chazan Isser Feiglin

 

11pm-11:45pm Scholarship and Stupidity- refuting academic attacks on tradition - matrilineal descent, authorship of the Zohar and more with Rabbi Moss

 

11:45pm break for cheesecake

 

12am Organ Transplants and the New Legislation in Israel with Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, Sydney Beth Din

 

1am Hot Topic - Is Kosher Slaughter Humane? with Rabbi Aaron Groner, Shochet (ritual slaughterer)

 

2am Talmud Study mind bending logical gymnastics

 

3am Open Mike without a Mike Community Members Speak (volunteers needed)

 

4am- 5am Pre-Dawn Kabbalah Study

 

 

  parenting course

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

Friday Night Candlelighting 5:03pm

Mincha 5:10pm

Shabbos Service - NEW WINTER TIME 6:00pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Nissim Chai ben Yaakov N"Y in honour of his father's yahrzeit Yaakov Ben Nissim Chai A"H - Long Life

 

Shabbos Day

Shiur 9:00am

Morning Service 10am -12:20pm- Followed by Kiddush in honour of the Call-Up and wedding of Greg Bloom and Dina Gridiger - Mazal Tov!

 

Mincha 4:55pm followed by Seudah Shlishis and Maariv

Pirkei Avos 4

Shabbos ends 5:58pm

 

Shachris Mon- Fri 7am

  

Chassidus Shiur  Mon and Thurs 8-8:45am

 

Latest Shema 9:09am

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

Thursday, April 18, 2013

You Think You're a Good Person?

PARENTING COURSE - LAG BAOMER BONFIRE see below 

 

Question of the Week:

 

I never used to work on myself. I didn't think I had to. I am a nice guy and always was. Only recently have I got involved in Judaism and become more introspective and spiritual. But a weird thing has happened. I don't think I am as nice as I used to be. I have discovered a temper I never knew I had. And I feel more tempted to do immoral things than ever before. This really started since I'm coming to shul more and learning more about my religion. Does this make sense? Shouldn't becoming more observant make me better not worse?

Answer:

There's good news and bad news. The bad news is, you were never a completely nice guy. No one is. The good news is, now you can do something about it. You can learn how by observing a pot on the fire.

Fill a pot with water from the tap and examine it. Does the water look clean? Of course it does, it is straight from the tap. Then put the pot on a fire, and watch it boil. Observe that as the water gets hotter, impurities start to float to the top. Sediment and dirt and all kinds of contaminants suddenly seem to appear from nowhere.

Of course they were there before, but they were so mixed in with the water that you didn't notice them. The water only looked clean. When put on a fire, the heat separates out the impurities and brings them to the surface. What seemed to be just an innocent pot of water turns out to be a mix of good stuff and not so good stuff.

Your personality is that pot of water. We can all look at ourselves and say, "I am a pretty good guy. I don't hurt anyone, I am not mean or cruel." For most of us, if we are not mass-murderers we think we are fine.

In truth, we all have darker sides to ourselves. We have weaknesses of character, bad attitudes and inappropriate urges that lurk beneath the surface. As long as we don't shake ourselves up, these impurities remain anonymous, blending in with our general identity. We are not so bad, and not so good.

It is only when we start to self-examine, when we probe into our inner workings and try to improve ourselves, only then do all the hidden gremlins start to emerge. When the fire of your soul starts to burn with spiritual passion, the ugliness that hid in the recesses of your heart appears in full force.

This is great. Because only when the impurities float to the surface can they be identified, isolated and removed. While the pot remained a mixture of pure water and sediment, there is no way to get rid of the dregs without losing the water. But once the heat separates out the two, it is easy to skim off the surface residue and the water is clear.

So the choice is yours. Live a life of mediocrity, a lukewarm pot of water that seems all nice but is really just mixed up. Or let the fire of your soul expose your inner weaknesses, so you can face them and boil them away.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

  

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

 

SHOLOM ZOCHOR tonight for Eli and Jodie's baby boy at 3a Bundarra Rd - MAZEL TOV!

  

LAG BAOMER BONFIRE AND JAM SESSION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drum Circle, Jam session, BYO instrument

Toasted marshmallows and Barbecue

Songs and stories by the fire

Zohar study session

 

Saturday night April 27 from 7:30pm

at 30 Rosslyn St Bellevue Hill

$10 at the door

 

 

  parenting course

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

Friday Night Candlelighting 5:11pm

Mincha 5:20pm

Shabbos Service - NEW WINTER TIME 6:00pm followed by Kiddush

 

Shabbos Day

Shiur 9:00am

Morning Service 10am -12:20pm- Followed by Kiddush in honour of the Call-Up and wedding of David Orchansky and Rachel Thompson - Mazal Tov!

 

Mincha 5:05pm followed by Seudah Shlishis 

Pirkei Avos 3

Shabbos ends 6:05pm

 

Shachris Mon- Fri 7am

  

Chassidus Shiur MAAMAR of the Rebbe Rashab Mon and Thurs 8-8:45am

 

Latest Shema 9:08am

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

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Are Humans and Animals Equal?

NEW WINTER TIME - FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICE STARTS 6PM 

 

Question of the Week:  

 

I have been looking into the Seven Noahide Laws. I understand these are the biblical commands to all humanity - the children of Noah - and they provide the basis for ethical living. But looking at the list, there seems to be an odd one out:

 

1.    Do not worship idols - agreed, we have to believe in G-d

2.    Do not curse G-d - have respect for Him, I can dig that

3.    Do not murder - obvious

4.    Do not steal - ok

5.    Do not commit adultery - fine

6.    Set up courts of justice - needed to ensure the other laws are kept, but:

7.    Do not eat the limb of a living animal - what?????????????

 

Why of all things, include that one? While I have no intention of tearing off any animal limbs, I can't see how that would be in the top seven most important things for all humanity to observe...

Thank you for any help in enlightening this Noahide!

 

Answer:

 

What is the true test of a moral person? How do you know that someone is really good in practice, and not just preaching?

 

One test is to observe the way they treat subordinates. Someone who can show concern for those who are lower and more helpless than themselves is a person who is truly good.

 

And so in formulating laws for all mankind, the Torah gives seven commands that should be seen as seven categories of ethical behaviour. The prohibition to steal includes all dishonest and unethical business practices. The outlawing of adultery encompasses all inappropriate relationships. And the ban on eating the limb of a live animal is a general law which commands us to be kind to animals.

 

These are not arbitrary categories of law. They cover the full gamut of moral obligations toward our fellow beings -respect for G-d who is above us, respect for human beings who are equal to us, and respect for the animal kingdom beneath us.

 

There is a clear hierarchy here. We are not on par with G-d, and animals are not equal to humans. The myth of equality is only necessary to protect the weak in a world devoid of morality. But moral beings with a clear code of ethics can recognise the innate inequality of nature without exploiting it. Being higher means being more responsible. Nature is here to serve us, but we are here to serve G-d, and that means treating all His creatures, equal or not, with respect.

 

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

 

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

 

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

Friday Night Candlelighting 5:20pm

Mincha 5:30pm

Shabbos Service - NEW WINTER TIME 6:00pm followed by Kiddush sponsored anonoymously in honour of being alive and well!

 

Shabbos Day

Shiur 9:00am

Morning Service 10am -12:30pm- Followed by Kiddush sponsored by Yaakov Avihod Ben Yossef N"Y in honour of the Yarzeit of his late father Yossef Ben Reuven A"H- Long Life.

 

Mincha 5:15pm followed by Seudah Shlishis sponsored by Danny and Jesse Meguideche in honour of the yarzeit of their late mother Sarah bat Esther - Long Life.

 

Pirkei Avos Chapter 2

 

Shabbos ends 6:14pm

 

Shachris Mon- Fri 7am

  

Chassidus Shiur NEW MAAMAR of the Rebbe Rashab Mon and Thurs 8:00-8:45am

 

Latest Shema 9:05am
This email was sent to shmuly77d@gmail.com by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au |  
nefesh | 54 roscoe st | bondi beach | NSW | 2026 | Australia

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Why is there a Key in my Challah?

Question of the Week:    

 

I have heard that there is a custom to bake challah with a key hidden inside for the Shabbat after Pesach. Seems like some odd superstition. What's it about?

 

Answer:

 

During Pesach the gates of heaven open for us, just as the gates of freedom opened for our forefathers in Egypt. We are given a free ride into spiritual liberation. G-d reaches out to us with an outstretched arm and schleps us out of our own personal Egypt.

 

But after Pesach ends, the gates are closed. And we are given a key. If we want to open the gates, we will have to do it on our own. No more free rides. It is up to us now to liberate our own souls, by taking a good look at ourselves and how we became slaves in the first place. G-d can help us take the first step into spiritual freedom, but the hard work is left to us. He can't change us, that we have to do ourselves. 

 

So many times in our lives we are given amazing opportunities. Do we grab them? Do we utilise the gifts we are given on a daily basis? Do we open the doors with the keys that we have been given?

 

Pesach is the kickstart G-d gives our soul to start its journey. At the Seder we were given the gift of freedom. But freedom alone means nothing. The big question is, what will you do with your newfound freedom? The key is in our hands.

 

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

 

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

 

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

Friday Night Candlelighting 6:29pm (not before 5:34pm)

 

Mincha 6:15pm

Shabbos Service - 6:30pm followed by Kiddush in honour of Bluma Moss' tenth birthday - Mazel Tov!

 

Shabbos Day

Tehillim 8:30am, Quick Shiur 9:30am

Morning Service 10am -12:30pm- Followed by Kiddush 

Farbrengen sponsored by Ronan Lutman in honour of all the Pesach birthdays - Mazel Tov!

 

Mincha 6:20pm followed by Seudah Shlishis

Pirkei Avos Chapter 1

Shabbos ends 7:22pm

 

Shachris

Mon- Fri 7am

 

Wednesday Rosh Chodesh Iyar

 

Chassidus Shiur

Mon and Thurs 8:00-8:45am

 

Latest Shema 10:04am

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