Thursday, February 22, 2018

Must I Smile When I'm Not In The Mood?


 
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       


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SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFO
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ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 
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SHABBOS SERVICES
Friday, 23 February 2018 | 8 Adar 5778
Candle Lighting............ 7:21pm (Not before 6:21pm)
Mincha....................... 6:15pm
Shabbos Service... 6:30-7:20pm 
Kids Program ......................................... 6:30pm
Followed by Kiddush.

Shabbos Day, 24 February 2018 | 9 Adar 5778
In depth parsha class ............. 9:00am
Shabbos Service................... 10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program ...................... 10:30am
 
VERY IMPORTANT Torah reading: Parshas Zachor remembering Amalek, it is a mitzvah for all to hear this reading 11am this Shabbos.
 
Communal Lunch lunch sponsored by Lance Suntup in honour of his Barmitzvah anniversary and Aiden Suntup's birthday- Mazal Tov!
 
Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ..... 7:15pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak.... . 7:55pm
Shiur ............................................ .. 8:10pm
Shabbos ends................................ ... 8:25pm
Followed by Havdalah
 
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday ............................... 8:00am
Monday-Friday...................... 7:00am
Latest Shema this week.......... 9:50am
 
See below for Purim Times

MAZAL TOV
Rabbi Zalman and Rivka Leah Popack on the birth of a girl!
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Lee-Anne Whitten......... 9 Adar Saturday 24 February
Vicki Lever.................. 12 Adar/ Tuesday 27 February
Lisa Peles.................... 12 Adar/ Tuesday 27 February
Adam Ensly............ 13 Adar/ Wednesday 28 February
Keshet Kessel.................. 14 Adar/ Thursday 1 March

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Lance & Liza Friedman ............................. 10 Adar/ Sunday 25 February
 
LONG LIFE
Rev Amzalak (brother) Chaim ben Yitzchak 9 Adar/ Saturday 24 February
Rosie Stern (father) Elias Friedman............. 10 Adar Sunday 25 February
Dr Leslie Tanchum (mother) Esther Tanchum
Esther bat Hirsch Hillel.............................. 10 Adar Sunday 25 February
Donald Levy (father) Noel David Levy
Daniel Ben David............................... 13 Adar/ Wednesday 28 February
Les Regos (mother) Mariska Regos, Miriam13 Adar/ Wednesday 28 February

To make a donation for a birthday, an Aliyah, a Yahrzeit or anything else, 
please click here
Purim Service and Megillah Reading Times:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday 28 February, 2018 | 13 Adar
Fast of Esther
Fast begins........ 5:20am
Shachris............ 7:00am

Mincha.............. 7:15pm
Maariv............... 7:45pm
Megillah Reading
(in fancy dress)... 7:55pm
Fast Ends........... 7:59pm

Late Megillah reading at Rabbi Sufrin's home 9:30pm

Purim Day
Thursday 1 March, 2018 | 14 Adar
Shachris ........................7:00 am
Megillah reading...............7:30pm
Second Megillah reading....9:00 am
Late Megillah Reading ......10:00am

Child Friendly Megillah reading
at Purim Playland..............4:30pm

Late Megillah reading at The Moss'....7:00 pm
BBQ Dinner .................................. 7:00- 8:00pm only, bookings required.
Music, LChaims and Purim Party.......from 8:00pm till late, all welcome no charge
Kiddush options:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200
Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $450-$1200 
 
Dates available:
Sat 17 March, Fri 23 March, Sat 24 March, Fri 30 March, Sat 31 March.
 
To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au

Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Unicorns Are Real. You're Looking at One


 
Question of the Week:

Do we believe in unicorns? I once heard the Torah says they really do exist....

Answer:

Yes we do. I have seen one. And I bet you have too.

The Torah relates that the Israelites made a Mishkan, a portable Temple in the desert. G-d instructed them to make the outer walls out of the skin of a mysterious animal called a Tachash.

Our sages described the Tachash as a desert animal with a stunning multi-coloured hide and one horn in the middle of its head. The Tachash suddenly appeared when the Mishkan was being built, then disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again.

There is a powerful message behind this enchanting little episode. The building of the Temple is a symbol of our life mission, to create a home for G-d in this world, to shape our lives into a sanctuary where holiness can dwell.

Life is made up of many fleeting moments. The years fly by, the days come and go, and opportunities appear and disappear. Like the Tachash, here today and gone tomorrow.

Each one of these moments is multi-coloured, multi-faceted and multi-layered. We have good days and not such good days. Even on a good day there can be some challenges too, and on a not such good day there are blessings as well.

As many as the colours of the day are, there is only one horn pointing straight ahead. Everything we face, every day of our lives, all point in one direction. We are all here for a short while, to fulfil our mission to make our world kinder and happier. Every interaction we have, every experience we go through, every person we meet and every place we go, they all come to one point - make this moment a holy moment.

So you have seen the mysterious Tachash. It is the beautiful moment you are living right now. It will soon disappear. Grab it by the horn.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

Sources:
Exodus 25:5
Midrash Tanchuma 6
Talmud Yerushalmi Shabbos 2:3
Talmud Bavli Shabbos 28a


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

 
 SECOND CLASS THIS MONDAY -  Soulmates, how many do we    have?

Here is the video of last week's class:

Attraction - can we ignore it?
Attraction - can we ignore it?


 

 
 
 



Capping beam is now complete! We will now wait for the concrete to cure and begin to excavate down to create the basement. This can be a little tricky and may take some time, so please bear with us whilst we complete this delicate and complex process. Shabbat Shalom!


SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 
1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH
(OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)

SHABBOS SERVICES
Friday, 16 February 2018 | 2 Adar 5778
Candle Lighting......... 7:29pm (Not before 6:28pm)
Mincha..................... 6:15pm
Shabbos Service....... 6:30-7:20pm 
Followed by Kiddush.

Shabbos Day, 17 February 2018 | 3 Adar 5778
In depth parsha class .................................... 9:00am
Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program .............................................. 10:30am
Kiddush Lunch to welcome back community members who returned from inspirational trips and hear some highlights!  
 
Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ......... 7:25pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak......... 7:55pm
Shiur by Rabbi Moss............................... 8:10pm
Maariv and Shabbos ends....................... 8:25pm
Followed by Havdalah

WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday .............................. 8:00am
Monday-Friday..................... 7:00am
Latest Shema this week........ 9:48am  
 
MAZAL TOV 
Barry Segel & Stephanie Snoyman and their extended families on the occasion of their wedding on Sunday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Alexa Lavecky... 2 Adar/ Saturday 17 February
Doron Lever... 6 Adar/ Wednesday 21 February
Shai Farhy... 6 Adar/ Wednesday 21 February
Robyn Pakula... 7 Adar/ Thursday 22 February
Craig Deubler... 8 Adar/ Friday 23 February
Iliana Lavecky... 8 Adar/ Friday 23 February
Yasmin Dabscheck... 8 Adar/ Friday 23 February

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Jessica & Doron Pozniak... 7 Adar/ Thursday 22 February
 
LONG LIFE
Harold Judelman (father) Israel Judelman,
Yisroel ben Zwi ......... 2 Adar/ Saturday 17 February
 
To make a donation for a birthday, an Aliyah, a Yahrzeit or anything else, 
please click here
Kiddush options:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200
Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $750-$1200 
 
Dates available:
Fri 23 Feb, Sat 17 March, Fri 23 March, Sat 24 March.
 
To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au

Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Thursday, February 8, 2018

A Precious Loneliness


 
Question of the Week:

I know everything happens for a reason, but I am struggling to understand this. For the last three weeks I have been very sick with the flu. It has kept me from my many activities, not the least being my weekly mitzvot that I do. I usually attend shul every Shabbat. Missed that. I visit the retirement home to bring some cheer to the residents. Missed that. An old acquaintance passed away, and I missed the funeral. And I can't look after my grandchild as I am contagious. Please understand I am not complaining (well, maybe a little) but I am trying to understand what G-d wants me to learn from this. Why would He stop me from doing good deeds?

Answer:

I am sorry to hear you have been unwell. I hope the following story that I heard from the Rebbe may be helpful.

There was once a Jew who lived on a farm, far away from any Jewish community. He was a devout and pious man, and he and his wife did their best to create a Jewish home for his children. But he yearned to be surrounded by Jews, to be able to pray in a shul, study Torah with like-minded people and be part of a community. Day in and day out for years he would sit alone with his prayer book and his volume of Talmud, wishing he could share them with others.

After many years, his dream started to come true. Slowly, more Jews moved to his area. It took decades, but he did build a community. Forty years after his arrival, that remote country town boasted a shul with daily services, regular Torah classes, a mikvah and a warm little community. He was no longer praying alone.

But the Rebbe said something astounding about this.

This Jew certainly got more pleasure from the vibrant latter years than the lonely early ones. But we don't know which G-d enjoyed more. It could be G-d took pleasure from his lonely prayers of yearning, all those years of wishing and pining, even more than the communal satisfaction that came later.

A sincere desire to do good is itself a holy moment. When you wish you could help someone but circumstances don't allow it, or when you truly would love to do a mitzvah but your health prevents you from doing it, that pure intention is precious to G-d. And who knows, maybe more precious than when you do a mitzvah with ease.

May you have a full recovery and get back to all your good deeds with full strength. And when things are good, remember your precious loneliness.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

Sources:
Sichos Kodesh 5716 p349. The lonely Jew referred to by the Rebbe was R' Moshe Feiglin, the first chossid in Australia.
Based on the Baal Shem Tov's explanation of the verse, "My soul thirsts for You in a parched and tired land without water. So I should look for you in holy times...." Tehillim 63:2

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Now that the steel cages have been formed, we shall start doing the formwork and G-d willing be finished pouring before the end of next week.
Shabbat Shalom!



SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 
1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH
(OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)

 SHABBOS SERVICES
Friday, 9 February 2018 | 24 Shevat 5778
Candle Lighting............ 7:36pm (Not before 6:33pm)
Mincha........................ 6:15pm
Shabbos Service........... 6:30-7:20pm 
Kids Program .............. 6:30pm
Kiddush sponsored by Michael Franks in honour of the yortzheit for his late father, Leopald Franks, Ephraim ben Shlomo on 22 Adar - Long Life.
 
Shabbos Day, 10 February 2018 | 25 Shevat 5778
In depth parsha class ........ 9:00am
Shabbos Service.............. 10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program ................. 10:30am
Communal Lunch sponsored by Kathy Barukh and family in the honour of the yartzheit of her late husband Mullah Ewaz ben Moshe z'l. 14 February/ 29 Shevat- Long Life.
 
Mincha and Aufruf of Barry Segel.........4:45pm  
followed by Seudah Shlishis in honour of Barry's upcoming marriage to Stephanie Snoyman- Mazal Tov! 
 
 
Words of Torah followed by Maariv & Havdalah at 128 Wellington St, Bondi Beach ........... 7:45pm
Shabbos ends.................................... 8:39pm
 
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday ................................... 8:00am
Monday-Friday.......................... 7:00am
Latest Shema this week............. 9:44am
 
MOLAD/NEW MOON | THURSDAY 15 FEB 3:09:3PM
ROSH CHODESH ADAR THURS/FRI 15/16 FEB
 
MAZAL TOV
Russell & Stacia Port on the birth of a baby boy
Barry Segel & Stephanie Snoyman and their extended families on the occasion of their upcoming wedding
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Michelle Kaplan................. 26 Shvat/ Sunday 11 February
Shai Diamond................... 27 Shvat/ Monday 12 February
Amiell Gold...................... 28 Shvat/ Tuesday 13 February
Dylan Glick...................... 28 Shvat/ Tuesday 13 February
Michaela Waine................ 28 Shvat/ Tuesday 13 February
Robert Dabscheck............. 29 Shvat / Wednesday 14 February
Linda Isdale..................... 29 Shvat/ Wednesday 14 February
Aliya Eichenblatt............... 30 Shvat/ Thursday 15 February
 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Michael & Linda Lenn ........ 23 Shvat/ Thursday 8 February
Jackie & Les Regos............ 25 Shvat/ Saturday 10 February
 
LONG LIFE
Barukh Family for Ewaz Barukh Mulla Ewaz ben Moshe.... 29 Shvat/ Wed 14 February
Allen Rosenberg (mother in law) Fay Bernstein 
Feygel bas Moshe....29 Shvat/ Wednesday 14 February
Michael Besser (father) 
Wolf Besser Zev Ben Koppel .... 30 Shvat/ Thursday 15 February
 
To make a donation for a birthday, an Aliyah, a Yahrzeit or anything else, 
please click here
Kiddush options:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200
Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $750-$1200 
 
Dates available:
Fri 16, Sat 17, Fri 23 Feb, Sat 24 Feb, Fri 2 March .
 
To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au

Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with
Constant Contact