Why Do We Wash Hands After a Funeral?

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BOOK YOUR SEAT FOR HIGH HOLIDAYS see below Question: What is the reason for washing hands after leaving a cemetery? And is it correct that you are not supposed to dry the hands on a towel, but just let them dry on their own? If so, why? Answer: Death is one of those topics we usually prefer to avoid. It is not pleasant to be reminded of our mortality and of those whom we have lost. And yet, it is a part of life that we cannot avoid. A healthy attitude towards death can in fact be life-enhancing. The washing and non-drying of the hands helps to illustrate this. There are several reasons given for washing and not drying the hands after a funeral or visiting a cemetery. 1. A corpse is ritually impure, and anyone who's been close to a dead body contracts some of that impurity. Washing the hands cleanses us of this touch with death, and we don't want to pass this unholy spirit onto a towel, so we leave our hands to dry themselves. 2. We want to arouse kindness and mercy on the departed when they are judged in heaven. Water represents kindness, as it falls from the heavens to irrigate the earth. So pouring water on our hands symbolises the kindness that we pray should be poured down on the departed in heaven. We want this kindness to be everlasting, so we don't dry the hands. 3. Washing is a reminder for the living that now is the time to purify ourselves and ensure we have clean hands and a pure heart. We should remember our own mortality and cleanse ourselves while we still have the chance. By not drying the hands, we take the message of own mortality with us. We wash our hands after contact with the dead to express our desire to stay away from death and to embrace life. We don't dry the hands to state that death, and its urgent message, are always with us. We can't avoid death. So let it remind us to celebrate life. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss Source: Maavar Yabok, Sifsei Renonos 19, by 17th century Kabbalist Rabbi Aharon Berechia of Modena, Italy. There he adds another reason: we are washing our hands of any negligence in the passing of our loved ones. We did all we can. We need to cleanse ourselves of survivor's guilt.    To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au    CLICK THE FLYER BELOW TO RENEW OR SIGN UP FOR MEMBERSHIP AND CHOOSE YOUR YOM TOV SEATS ONLINE!         Ground floor slab being poured. Watch as the workers pour the concrete at the front, another worker at the back is already walking on concrete that had been poured just 6 hours earlier

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: Ki Savo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 31 August 2018 | 20 Elul 5778 Candle Lighting.................................... 5:18pm Mincha............................................... 5:30pm Shabbos Service...................................6:00-6:50pm Kiddush sponsored by Harry Fester in honour the yortzheit for his late father Mendel Fester on 16 Elul/ Monday 27 August- Long Life.   Shabbos Day, 1 September 2018 | 21 Elul 5778 In depth parsha class .................................... 9:00am Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program .............................................. 10:30am Kiddush sponsored by Nurit Eckowitz in honour of the yortzheits of her late parents Hedy & Martin Weider on 18 Elul and 2 Tishrei respectively - Long Life.   Mincha and with Pirkei Ovos .............. Chapters 3 & 4 followed by Seudah Shlishis ............... 5:15pm Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak.... 5:35pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss........................ 5:55pm Shabbos ends................................... 6:14pm Followed by Havdalah   Farbrengen - Lechaim, Stories and Song ......10:00pm Selichos service ........................... 11:55pm-12:25am   WEEKDAY SERVICES Mon- Fri.................Selichos 6:40am, Shachris 7:00am  Latest Shema this week............ 9:03am   MAZEL TOV Ralph and Jackie Zeltzer on the birth of a baby girl!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jason Ross.....................20 Ellul/ Friday August 31 Mendel Sufrin.................20 Ellul/ Friday August 31 Aron Sufrin....................20 Ellul/ Friday August 31    Nick Hedges.................. 24 Elul/ Tuesday 4 September Michelle Samuel............. 24 Elul/ Tuesday 4 September Nisan Krimhand............. 25 Elul/ Wednesday 5 September   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Morice & Allan Levenstein....... 22 Elul / Sunday 2 September Andrew & Lee-Anne Whitten... 26 Elul / Thursday 6 September   LONG LIFE Sandi Einstein and Michael Martin for their late mother and grandmother Tsira Basa Bas Hirsch Leib ...... 21 Elul/ Saturday 1 September   Jeanette Kidron for her late father Ken Sorger Menachem Mendel ben Jacob... 25 Elul/ Wednesday 5 September   Jeffrey Conway and David Conway for their late mother Suzanne Conway Rivka bat Yisrael..................... 25 Elul/ Wednesday 5 September   Jeffrey Conway and David Conway for their late father Lawrence Conway Eliazer ben Yehuda ha'Cohen.... 27 Elul / Friday 7 September   SPONSORING A KIDDUSH!   FRIDAY NIGHT:  SOUP $75 | BASIC $120| DELUXE $200   SHABBOS DAY: STANDARD $350 | LUNCH *FROM $450   DATES AVAILABLE: SEPTEMBER: Fri Night 7, Sat 8 Sept, Fri Night 14, Sat 15.     EMAIL US: office@nefesh.com.au

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Can a Departed Soul Live Again?

Pick your seat and venue for Rosh Hashana

BOOK YOUR SEAT FOR HIGH HOLIDAYS see below When I first saw the rolling hills and green pastures of Jamberoo, I felt an instant connection. My wife and I were looking for a venue for a weekend retreat, and we knew Jamberoo was it the minute we arrived. This Shabbos for the third year running we are holding our Shabbaton retreat in Jamberoo. I decided to do a little bit of research on the history of the area. Something caught my eye in the Wikipedia entry on Jamberoo. It has a list of famous Jamberoo personalities. On the Solomon Herbet Hyam list was a certain Solomon Hyam (right). The name piqued my interest, as it had that familiar ring to it. So I looked into who he was. Solomon was a politician in the 1800's, and of course he was Jewish. He was born in Jamberoo. So Jamberoo has a Jewish history! But there's more. Solomon's father was Michael Hyam. A bootmaker and horse enthusiast, Michael came to Australia from London in the early 1800's. He was granted land in the Kiama district by the govenor of New South Wales. Michael Hyam the Jew is considered the founder and first settler of Jamberoo. He named it Sara's Valley. Michael Hyam On further research I discovered that Sarah was his mother's name. It seems that he named the land in honour of his mother back in England. He opened an inn in Sarah's Valley which he named David's Harp. Of course the biblical King David was known to play the harp, but the name had a more of a personal significance for Michael. His father's name was David. I was amazed to discover that this beautiful piece of rural Australia that we keep coming back to was first settled by a Jew. Even the Aboriginals did not live here before him. Michael Hyam turned an uninhabitable forest into Sarah's Valley. But there's more. I discovered that Michael Hyam was not just incidentally Jewish, but a proud and observant Jew. He was the first mohel to practice in Australia, and traveled near and far to perform this holy duty. Though isolated from community, he lived a religious life. For the High Holidays he would make the long trip into Sydney with his family to pray with the community. Sarah Hyam As I got more enthralled by this story, I found another piece of trivia that almost made me fall off my chair. Michael had a daughter, named Sarah. She married a Jewish man by the name of..... Henry Moss!!!  Henry Moss I was starting to feel a deep connection to this man, and wanted to take it further. So I checked the burial records and found that Michael Hyam was buried in the Jewish section of Rookwood Cemetery.  I decided that I wanted to find his grave. I went to Rookwood armed with a map of the exact whereabouts of his grave. It is in a 200 year old section of the cemetery. Most of the tombstones are in the state of sorry disrepair, and many of them are broken, worn and hard to read. It was difficult to actually locate the grave of Michael Hyam. But eventually I spotted it. The tombstone had fallen and broken in two. But it was still legible. I could make out the Hebrew inscription that read: Michael Hyam's fallen tombstone Here lies Michael Ben David Passed away 4 Ellul 5638  (1878) Aged 79 I was dumbstruck. The date of his passing corresponded to the exact timing of our annual Shabbaton, the beginning of the month Ellul. I realised that we were making a pilgrimage to Sarah's Valley, to David's Inn, to the land of Michael Hyam, right around his yorzheit. Who would have thought that 140 years after his passing, a group of Jews would be celebrating Shabbos together on the land where he and his family kept Shabbos all alone? Michael Hyam was physically isolated from the Jewish community, but spiritually so connected. He maintained his Yiddishkeit with passion and depth. In his honour we can live as he did, proud Jews in the beautiful land Australia. The name Hyam is an anglicised version of Chaim. That means life. This Shabbos we say Lechaim, in honour of Michael ben David. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss    To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au    COHEN CRASH COURSE A SMASHING SUCCESS! This past Monday we made history, running the world's first ever Cohen blessing crash course! Ten eager priests from around Sydney came to hear Rabbi Chaim Koncepolski explain in clear detail the steps required to give the very holy and ancient Priestly Blessing. We hope this will encourage more Cohanim to step up and make the blessing with confidence. And we plan to do it again... VIDEO CLASS:   Where Is Moshiach Now? Who Is the Mother Bird? CLICK THE FLYER BELOW TO RENEW OR SIGN UP FOR MEMBERSHIP AND CHOOSE YOUR YOM TOV SEATS ONLINE!       This week we have worked very hard to complete the form work, lay the steel mesh and also the post tensioning cables. After the concrete is poured, the post tension cables will be pulled very very tight. This will compress the concrete together and suspend the slab almost like a bridge. This is what allows us to have the nice big open spans downstairs without annoying columns in the way. To all who are going away for the Shabbaton have a wonderful weekend, and Shabbat Shalom to all.   Brent

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: Ki Seitzei ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 24 August 2018 | 13 Elul 5778 Candle Lighting................................... 5:13pm Mincha............................................... 5:25pm Shabbos Service.................................. 6:00-6:50pm No Kids Program this week Followed by Kiddush   Shabbos Day, 25 August 2018 | 14 Elul 5778 Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm No Kids Kids Program this week  Followed by Kiddush   Mincha and with Pirkei Ovos .............. Chapters 1 & 2 followed by Seudah Shlishis ............... 5:10pm Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak.... 5:25pm Shabbos ends................................... 6:10pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Mon- Fri.................................. 7:00am Latest Shema this week............ 9:09am   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mem Eichenblatt..... 14 Elul/ Saturday 25 August Kevin Smaller......... 15 Elul/ Sunday 26 August Claude Sandler....... 15 Elul/ Sunday 26 August Judi Redelman....... 17 Elul/ Tuesday 28 August Mendel Sufrin......... 20 Elul/ Friday 30 August Aron Sufrin............ 20 Elul/ Friday 30 August Dafna Behrman...... 20 Elul/ Friday 30 August   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Daniel & Stephanie Nadel.... 15 Elul/ Sunday 26 August Jethro & Melanie Marks....... 19 Elul/ Thursday 30 August   LONG LIFE Mildred and Tanya Stocks for their late husband and father Alfred (Freddy) Stocks Avrom ben Haim... 14 Elul / Saturday 25 August   Fester family for the late Mendel Fester, Mendel ben Michael...16 Elul/ Monday 27 August   Nurit Eckowitz for her late mother Hedy Wieder, Chava bat David18 Elul/ Wed 29 August SPONSORING A KIDDUSH!   FRIDAY NIGHT:  SOUP $75 | BASIC $120| DELUXE $200   SHABBOS DAY: STANDARD $350 | LUNCH *FROM $450   DATES AVAILABLE: SEPTEMBER: Sat 1, Fri Night 7, Sat 8 Sept, Fri Night 14, Sat 15.       EMAIL US: office@nefesh.com.au

Nefesh Shul, PO Box 7349, 0416 822 832, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026 Australia SafeUnsubscribe™ shmuly77d@gmail.com Forward email | Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au in collaboration with Try it free today