Thursday, April 26, 2018

Magical Cure for Anxiety?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A POYKE IS?

Question of the Week:

I am looking for a kabbalist who can help get rid of an evil eye. I constantly feel weighed down by heaviness, stress and anxiety. I am in therapy, but feel that there must be some type of spiritual curse on me. Do you or anyone you know how to undo evil spells? 
 
Answer:
 
You need a mystical formula to rise above the negativity and cast off the shadows. I know a kabbalist who can help. His name is Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. He lived almost two thousand years ago, but his light still shines today.

In his esoteric masterpiece, the Zohar, he has an insight that if you internalize it, it may bring you the strength you need. He writes:

During the Friday night prayers, as Shabbos enters, the energy of the world ascends into the supernal realm, and all negativity and harshness is cut away. All forces of anger and opposition flee and vanish. No foreign power reigns, the world basks in a divine light, which shines on the holy people down here, who are crowned with fresh souls.

Rabbi Shimon is here describing the spiritual shift that happens as we usher in the Shabbos. We are not just desisting from work, we are lifting ourselves to a higher plane, a place where there is only goodness and light and holiness, where our soul is free from the torments of the mundane world, and where we are given a fresh burst of soul energy.

The Friday night service is our launch pad for this journey. The songs and prayers transport us to this inner space of deep joy. We actually quote the above passage during the prayers. If you close your eyes and let yourself be taken by the moment, you can actually feel yourself float to this blissful place.

There are no magical cures. Continue your therapy, and add to it the spiritual therapy of Shabbos. Both will take work. But you can get there. You are one of those holy people who can be crowned with a fresh soul, every week.

Good Shabbos and happy Lag Baomer*,
Rabbi Moss

* The day Rabbi Shimon wrote the Zohar, instructed his students to celebrate, and then passed away. It is this Wednesday, come celebrate with us (see above).

Sources:
Zohar II 135b, Kegavna from
Siddur Friday night service

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



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SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO FOR: Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim
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Friday, 27 April 2018 | 12 Iyar 5778
Candle Lighting........... 5:01pm
Mincha....................... 5:10pm
Shabbos Service......... 6:00-6:50pm 
Kids Program ............. 6:00pm
Hot soup Kiddush sponsored by our Julie in honour of her grandson's first birthday- Mazal Tov!
 
Shabbos Day, 28 April 2018 | 13 Iyar 5778
In depth parsha class .... 9:00am
Shabbos Service........... 10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program .............. 10:30am
Kiddush sponsored by Friends of Nefesh - your Tzedaka box!
 
Mincha with Pirkei Ovos Chapter 3
followed by Seudah Shlishis ............... 4:55pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak..... 5:15pm
Shiur with Rabbi Moss........................ 5:35pm
Shabbos ends................................... 5:56pm
Followed by Havdalah
 
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday .......................... 8:00am
Mon- Fri.......................... 7:00am
Latest Shema this week.... 9:07am
 
MAZAL TOV
To Reverend & Mrs Amzalak on the upcoming wedding of their grandson Chaim Lever to Rachel Bogomilsky on Lag Baomer in Miami!
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Carol Melman.................... 13 Iyar/ Saturday 28 April
Jonathan Isdale.................. 13 Iyar/ Saturday 28 April
Layla Bando ......................... 14 Iyar/ Sunday 29 April
Eitan Meguideche............ 17 Iyar/ Wednesday 2 May
Avishai Kessel...................... 18 Iyar / Thursday 3 May
 
LONG LIFE
Jack Klein (father) Shimon Klein...13 Iyar/ Saturday 28 April
Alex Bartos (mother) Rachel bat Avraham... 15 Iyar/ Monday 30 April
Mrs Amzalak (mother) Bracha bat Moshe... 18 Iyar/ Thursday 3 May
Carol & Brad Melman (brother & uncle) Brian Shapiro Baruch ben Aaron...18 Iyar/ Thursday 3 May
Fiona, Tami & Wayne Kaplan (husband & father)
Alan Kaplan.... 19 Iyar/ Friday 4 May
SPONSOR A KIDDUSH

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Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200
Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $450-$1200

Dates available:
Fri 4, Sat 5, Fri 11 Sat 12, Fri 18, Sat 19 May  

To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au 
Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, 0416 822 832, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Was My Divorce a Big Mistake?

Question of the Week:

After my recent divorce I have done a lot of thinking. Does the failure of my marriage mean that I didn't marry my soulmate? Or does it mean I did marry the right person, and now I have lost my soulmate...? In other words, was it destined to be, or not?
 
Answer:
 
People have free choice. We can marry Mr Wrong, or divorce Mr Right. We have to take responsibility for choosing a partner, even if things didn't work out.
 
And yet, when a marriage ends in divorce, it's not to say that it was not meant to be in the first place. Alongside the belief in free choice, we also believe that whatever happened in the past was supposed to happen. And so you married the person you were destined to marry. It was meant to be. And it was meant to end.
 
Here is the paradox of faith: What I am about to do is my choice. Once I have done it, it was meant to be. I am responsible for my actions. I made the bed, and I have to sleep in it. But now that I did, I couldn't have slept anywhere else.  
 
As painful as it may have been, your divorce was a part of your soul mission. We can only guess why.
 
Perhaps the ill-fated marriage was a correction for something in a past life. It could be you have a soulmate from your previous incarnation that you didn't marry the first time around, as well as a soulmate from your current incarnation, and so you have to marry both.
 
Perhaps you needed to bring a child into the world who otherwise would not have been born.
 
Or perhaps it was a necessary step in your path of learning, bringing you closer to your true self, and your true soulmate.
 
We don't take divorce lightly. It is a tragic last resort when all attempts to heal a toxic marriage have failed. And sometimes it isn't your choice. But if it has happened, you have to trust that this is your soul's path. May G-d give you the strength and wisdom to navigate the next step on that path.  
 
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

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


NEFESH GOLF DAY BREAKS ALL PREVIOUS RECORDS
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Mazel tov and thanks to all who participated.
The winners on the day were:


Longest drive:
David Cohen and Jody Drutman

Nearest to pin:
Joe Rooz

Mens Winners:
Peter Martin  Sam Borentstein
Isaac Arbib    Max Glatter
Women's Winners:
Jody Drutman   Terry Katz
Sue Sadler        Zina Ozhekh

Youth winners:
Maxime Tartour   Arnaud Tartour   Joseph Serhan   Alex Radevski

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:



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ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 

1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH

(OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)
 
SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO Parshas Tazria-Metzora
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SHABBOS SERVICES
Friday, 20 April 2018 | 5 Iyar 5778
Candle Lighting.............. 5:09pm
Mincha.......................... 5:20pm
Shabbos Service............ 6:00-6:50pm 
Kids Program ................ 6:00pm
Followed by Kiddush
 
Shabbos Day, 21 April 2018 | 6 Iyar 5778
In depth parsha class.................. 9:00am
Shabbos Service.........................10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program ............................ 10:30am
Kiddush/Lunch sponsored by Rivka Leah and Zalman Popack in honour of their daughter Frayda's birth, Zalman's birthday and with thanks to the Nefesh community in advance of their big move overseas soon - Mazal Tov and all the best!
 
Mincha with Pirkei Ovos Chapter 2
followed by Seudah Shlishis ......................... 5:05pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak............... 5:30pm
Shiur with Rabbi Moss.................................. 5:45pm
Shabbos ends.............................................. 6:03pm
Followed by Havdalah
 
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday ...................................................... 8:00am
Wednesday (Pub. Hol) .................................. 8:00am
M-T, Th-Fri.................................................. 7:00am
Latest Shema this week................................. 9:05am
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Rabbi Zalman Popack......5 Iyar/Friday 20 April
Sheryl Deubler............... 6 Iyar/ Saturday 21 April
Nathan Peles................ 12 Iyar/ Friday 27 April
 
LONG LIFE
Larnce Gold (grandmother) Naomi Frere Nechama bas Ester... 8 Iyar/ Monday 23 April
Marlene Franks (father) Aaron Jacob Wolman Aharon Yaakov...10 Iyar/ Wednesday 25 April
David Bermeister (father) Yitzchak Ben Zeev...11 Iyar/ Thursday 26 April
Frank Dreyer (mother) Eva Dreyer Chava bat Avraham...12 Iyar/ Friday 27 April
Anne Sarzin (grandfather) Ha Rav Avraham Ben Elimelech Halevi...12 Iyar/ Friday 27 April
SPONSOR A KIDDUSH

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Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200
Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $450-$1200

Dates available:
Fri 27, Sat 28 April, Fri 4, Sat 5, Fri 11 Sat 12 May.  

To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au 
Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, 0416 822 832, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with
Constant Contact

Thursday, April 12, 2018

A Cure for Your Screen Addiction

Question of the Week:

I am 16 years old and I am an atheist. I attend a Jewish High School, and we have compulsory prayers every morning for about twenty minutes. I have argued that there is no point in me taking part due to my lack of faith, so I should be allowed to read a book. My teacher said I should ask you this question - is there any benefit for me to say the prayers? If you can somehow convince me that I am not wasting my time, I will consider it...

Answer:

I challenge you to try this.

When it's time for prayers, sit with your prayer book open and start reading. For the next twenty minutes, try not to take your eyes off the book. See if you are able to maintain focus and concentration for the entire duration of the prayers.

I don't mean to have mystical intentions or to meditate on anything in particular. Just look at the letters on the page without lifting your eyes.

It will be excruciatingly hard. At first you might only be able to do a minute or so. But over time, if you persist, you will be able to hold focus for the entire twenty minutes.

This is an amazingly powerful brain exercise. In our generation of minimised attention spans and over-stimulated screen addictions, the ability to maintain focus on one thing for an extended time is a precious and much needed gift. By doing this exercise daily you will get a huge head start in life. Because focus, discipline and persistence are tools that every successful person must have. You will not learn these skills from your phone. You will learn them from your prayer book.

Now you might argue, if I'm going to spend twenty minutes focusing on one thing, why not focus on a book that I'm interested in reading, rather than a prayer book that doesn't interest me at all? Well that's the whole point. The idea is to focus on something that is not your thing. It's not your interest, it's not what your mind is curious about it, it is something completely beyond and outside of you. The discipline and self-control required to do something you are not in the mood of doing is itself an achievement, and a vital skill in life.

This is actually the true purpose of prayer. To transcend yourself for a few moments a day. It will not only make you a better reader, it will make you a better person. Believe it or not.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

Source:
See Tanya Chapter 28

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

Mission complete! We have now completed shotcrete in the basement. Hopefully next week we will get back on to footings and plumbing in the basement. Have a wonderful weekend! Brent
 


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ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 

1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH

(OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)
 
SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHABBOS SERVICES
Friday, 13 April 2018 | 28 Nissan 5778
Candle Lighting............................................. 5:17pm
Mincha.......................................................... 5:30pm
Shabbos Service (NEW TIME)........................ 6:00-6:50pm 
Kiddush sponsored by Simone and Darryl Green in honour of their third wedding anniversary- Mazal Tov!

L'Chaim in honour of Jesse Gothelf's Bar Mitzvah- Mazal Tov!
 
Shabbos Day, 14 April 2018 | 29 Nissan 5778
In depth parsha class .................................... 9:00am
Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program .............................................. 10:30am
Communal Lunch sponsored by Jack Reuben in honour of the yortzheit for his  father Joseph Reuben, Yosef Ben Reuven, on 4 Iyar/ 19 April; and by Danny Meguideche in honour of the yortzheit for his mother Sarah Meguideche, Sarah Bat Esther on 4 Iyar/ 19 April - Long Life.
 
Mincha with Pirkei Ovos Chapter 1 
followed by Seudah Shlishis .......         5:10pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak.... 5:30pm
Shabbos ends................................... 6:11pm
Followed by Havdalah
 
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Sunday ...................................... 8:00am
Monday-Friday............................. 7:00am
Latest Shema this week................ 9:03am
 
NEW MOON/MOLAD | SUNDAY 15 APRIL 4:37:5PM
ROSH CHODESH IYAR | SUN/MON 15/16 APRIL

MAZAL TOV
Jesse Gothelf and his extended family on his Bar Mitzvah this Shabbos
Jacob Parker and his extended family on his Bar Mitzvah this Sunday
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Benjamin Hoch............ 5 Iyar/ Friday 20 April
 
LONG LIFE
Jack Reuben (father) Joseph Reuben, Yosef Ben Reuven......4 Iyar/ 19 April
Danny Meguideche (mother) Sarah Meguideche..................4 Iyar/ 19 April
SPONSOR A KIDDUSH

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Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200
Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $450-$1200

Dates available:
Fri 20, Fri 27, Sat 28 April, Fri 4, Sat 5 May.  

To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au 
REMEMBER THE YOM
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The Remember The Yom team of Robyn Pakula and Larnce Gold have teamed up again to create another powerful image for Yom Hashoah 2018.

On March 18th 2018, over 70 survivor family, friends, and the great survivor himself Tuwia Lipson, 92, descended upon Victoria's Cranbourne East to create a powerful image in honour of Yom Hashoah.

The goal was to make a standing formation of a Magen David over an unused railway line. Everyone was given yellow t-shirts and yellow hats to wear, which signified the yellow Star of David that the Nazis forced all Jews to wear.

Once the formation of the Magen David was complete, the remarkable Tuwia Lipson was carried out to the train line in his wheel chair to sit in the middle of the Shield of David.
 
RememberTheYom is a project created to help remember & honour Yom Hashoah, 'Holocaust Remembrance Day' and to inspire and encourage others to create a meaningful and relevant dialogue to help them process and engage in remembering the day.

For more images search for #remembertheyom on Facebook and Instagram
Nefesh Shul, 54 Roscoe Street, 0416 822 832, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia
Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with
Constant Contact