Thursday, December 15, 2016

Theology for a Four Year Old


Question of the Week:
 
I have a question which I was hoping you may be able to help my husband and I with. This morning my daughter asked me the following:
"Mommy, how does G-d make the world work?"
I was unable to answer. I was hoping you could provide me with a way to answer the question in words that an almost 4 year old will understand!

Answer:
 
What a sweet question. I hope you are proud that your nearly 4 year old ponders such issues.
 
Maybe try asking her this: 
 
How does your body work? As you sit there, you are breathing and blinking and digesting food. How do you do all that?  Your hair grows, your fingernails grow, you get taller all the time. Even in your sleep. How do you do it?
 
The answer: you just live, and by being alive your body grows and develops. You have a soul, a neshoma, that gives your body life. Just by having a neshoma, you are alive, your body works. You don't need to do anything. 
 
So too G-d is the life behind the universe. It is like the world is a big body, and G-d is the soul behind it. Just by Him being, He enlivens everything.
 
But there is one thing you do need to do to stay alive. You need to eat well to keep your neshoma in our body. If you don't eat you get weak as the neshoma starts to leave. When you eat you get strong again. 
 
So too we have to do something to keep G-d in the world. That is mitzvos. Every mitzvah we do brings G-d into the world, brings the soul into the body. So when you say the Shema prayer, or give tzedaka (charity), or light Shabbos candles or listen to your parents you are giving G-d strength!
 
It is a deep concept, but try it, you may be surprised how easily a child can grasp spiritual ideas. She may have a little body, but she has a huge soul.
 
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

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SHABBAT SERVICES TIMES AND COMMUNITY INFO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, 16 December 2016 | 16 Kislev 5777
Candle Lighting............. 7:45 pm (*Earliest 6:37pm)  
Mincha at Itkin Shiva House 49a Edward St 4pm
Friday Evening Service... 6:30 pm
Followed by Kiddush sponsored by Beth & family in honour of Albert's 89th birthday on 3 Teves- Mazal Tov!

Shabbos, 17 December 2016 |17 Kislev 5777
Chassidus Class........................ 9:00 am
Shabbos Morning Service........ 10:00 am-12:15 pm
Children's program.................. 11:00am
Kiddush sponsored by Orly and Joshua Borenstein in honour of their son Alexander's first Shabbos at Nefesh- Mazal Tov!
 
Early Mincha and Barmitzvah of Meir Berkovits.....5:00 pm
Shabbos ends and Maariv.... 8:47 pm
Followed by Havdalah.
 
WEEKDAY SHACHARIS SERVICES
Sunday .............................. 8:00 am
Mon- Fri.............................. 7:00 am
Latest Shema this week...... 9:12 am
 
WEEKDAY CLASSES
Chassidus........................... 8:00-8:45am
 
MAZAL TOV TO
Michael, Bloomie and extended Berkovits and Roth families on Meir's barmitzvah!
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
Mottel Moss.................. 18 Kislev/ Sunday 18 December
Jake Glick..................... 24 Kislev/ Saturday 24 December
Levi Diamond.............. 24 Kislev/ Saturday 24 December
 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO
Michael & Deb Vitek.............. 20 Kislev/ Tuesday 20 Dec
Jeremy & Nikki Kinstlinger..... 22 Kislev/ Thursday 22 Dec
Jonathan & Joanne Capal....... 24 Kislev/ Saturday 24 Dec
 
CONDOLENCES TO
The Itkin, Amzalak and Lever families on the passing of Rabbi Mendel Itkin A"H.
 
LONG LIFE TO
Linda Isdale for her late father Lionel Eric Vilensky, Elia Leib 23 Kislev/ Friday 23 December

Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
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