Thursday, November 30, 2017

Can You Make this Stuff Up?

Question of the Week:

At my University a group of students from all faiths and religions, including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindus, Buddhists meet weekly to discuss many subjects. A recurring question often comes up: "Did man create G-d or did G-d create Man?" What would you have to say on that?

Answer:

Imagine a new colour. Not a new combination of existing colours, or a shade of another colour, but an entirely original colour that does not resemble any other.
 
You can't. It has never been done. It is beyond the human capability to conceptualise anything that has no basis in reality. All human creativity is the result of taking existing ideas and rearranging them, using ingredients that are already present and making a new combination. There is nothing completely new under the sun.

Human invention is the mimicking and harnessing of nature. That's why airplanes are modeled on birds, with wings and tails, and cars are built like horses, on all fours with two eyes at the front and exhaust coming out the back. If you look at every human invention, you will find that nothing is absolutely original.

Even in the world of fantasy, human imagination can only invent characters that somewhat resemble real creatures. The most outlandish aliens from the weirdest science fiction stories are no more than overgrown frogmen or human lizards with big ears. The scariest space monster looks strikingly similar to a giant lobster. The wildest imaginations have never been able to dream up an entirely original being. Even fictional characters are based on real life.

This was also true of the gods of ancient mythology. The Babylonian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman deities were all merely exaggerated humans or personifications of forces of nature. It is easy to see how they were man-made, a combination of mortal man's fears and hopes and fantasies. All ancient gods, like all human inventions, were creative depictions of familiar realities.

The only exception to this is the G-d of the Torah. G-d is unlike any creature.
A being that is infinite, above the limits of time and space, who can create something out of absolute nothingness has no parallel anywhere. G-d is the only being that is indescribable and incomparable, unequalled and unlimited. He is not made up of parts, not a combination of characteristics, not a magnified version of some other being. He is totally and utterly original.

No human could have come up with that. Just as we can't invent a new colour that doesn't exist already, we can't invent a new being that has no basis in our reality. So the fact we are aware of an absolutely original being means we didn't make Him, He made us.

We can't create G-d. But we can discover Him. Beyond the frontiers of our perceived reality lies not an army of giant lobsters, but a being that created us with love and purpose. When we have the humility to recognize our limits, we can perceive the unlimited.
 
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
 
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Here is a summary of what we have done this week:
 
 
1) Piling machinery delivered on site
2) Roadbase delivered for trucks to drive on site
3) Steel delivered for piles
4) Platforms prepared for machinery and pile setup (lines and boundary markings) complete.
5) Drilling to commence G-d willing next week as we are awaiting a new specialized drill bit for machine
SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFO
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SHABBOS SERVICES
Friday, 1 December 2017 | 13 Kislev 5778
Candle Lighting................ 7:33pm (Not before 6:26pm)
Mincha.............................6:15pm
Shabbos Service...............6:30-7:20pm  
 Kids Program................... 6:30pm
Teen Boys Davening......... 6:30pm
 
Followed by Kiddush
 
Shabbos Day, 2 December 2017 | 14 Kislev
In depth Parsha Class..... 9:00am
Shabbos Service .........   10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program ............... 10:45am
Kiddush sponsored by Henry Apfelbaum in honour of the yortzeit of his late father, Simon Apfelbaum on 14 Kislev- Long Life
Kids program and kids kiddush sponsored by Kevin Levine in honour of the yortzeit of his mother Maureen Levine, Malka bat Yosef - Long Life  
 
Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ... 7:35pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak....7:55pm
Shiur with Rabbi Moss....................... 8:15pm
Shabbos ends and Maariv.................. 8:35pm
Followed by Havdalah 
 
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday.............................. 8:00am
Monday-Friday.................... 7:00am
 
Latest Shema this week....... 9:08am
 
MAZAL TOV TO
Rabbi Benny & Leah Nechama Barukh on the birth of their baby boy, and to the entire Barukh and Levitansky families.
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
Rivka Moss........ 14 Kislev/ Saturday 2 December
Mottel Moss....... 18 Kislev/ Wednesday 6 December
 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO
David & Jen Bighel.... 15 Kislev/ Sunday 3 December
Michael & Deb Vitek... 20 Kislev/ Friday 8 December
 
LONG LIFE TO
Benjamin and Henry Apfelbaum for their late father Simon Apfelbaum, Shimon Moshe ben Avraham .......... 14 Kislev/ Saturday 2 December
Michael Gliksman for his late mother Hanka Ann Gliksman, Hannah bat David Ha'Cohen ........ 15 Kislev/ Sunday 3 December

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Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $750-$1200 
 
Dates available:
Sat 9 Dec, Sat 16 Dec, Fri 22 Dec, Sat 23 Dec, Fri 29 Dec, Sat 30 Dec
 
To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au

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