Do Your Candles Help the World?

Menorah Lighting 7pm TONIGHT

COMMUNAL MENORAH LIGHTING 7PM TONIGHT SHUL SERVICE AT 7:15PM FOLLOWED BY DONUT & LATKA KIDDUSH Question of the Week:   I had this debate with my sister. We are both trying to raise proud Jewish families, so I was surprised to hear that in her home, they do not light Chanukah candles. She says rituals aren't necessary for Jewish identity. Her words: "It's very cute and quaint to light candles with the kids, but how does that help the world?" I feel she is wrong but couldn't explain why. It does seem a bit silly to say that lighting candles is such a big deal. So, how can I convey that rituals are important?   Answer:   Imagine you had never seen fire before in your life, and I showed you a flame on a candle. Then I asked you, do you think you can make a fire like this?   You would not think it is possible. A flame is such an intricate creation, with hues of red and orange and blue, a flickering motion, intense heat and bright light. Where can one get all the ingredients to make such a concoction?   Then I showed you how I made this flame. All I did was light a match.   You would be convinced that there is some trick here. How can the simple flick of a wrist create such a magnificent effect? The act doesn't fit the result.   We don't think about it, but it's true. The mere act of striking a match alone isn't worthy of its impact. We can't really take credit for making a flame. G-d created the power of combustion, which means that when you take certain materials and manipulate them in a certain way, a fire appears. So the flame is G-d's creation. But that flame can only come if you light the match.   The wise King Solomon said, "Every mitzvah is a candle." Like lighting a flame, the act of doing a mitzvah may seem insignificant, but the light it creates is not. An awesome divine energy is released each time we perform a Jewish ritual, because they are not just rituals, they are G-d's commands. Whether it be lighting Chanukah candles, putting on Tefillin or shaking a Lulav, making Kiddush or affixing a Mezuzah, these small acts create a warmth and a light that impact us. If one person becomes more spiritually sensitive, if one family is brought closer, it changes them and our world forever.    Most of us don't understand why striking a match makes a fire. But we all know it works. Mitzvahs work too. The most memorable educational moments are made around Jewish rituals. Your kids may not remember all the lectures you give them. But they will remember the candles you lit with them.  Gather your family together, and on each night of Chanukah as you light the candles explain to them the power they have in their very hands. Good Shabbos and Happy Chanukah! Rabbi Moss To subscribe, CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au CHANUKAH INFO HERE GO TO www.bina.com.au FOR FULL PROGRAM Would you like to sponsor a Kiddush?  We currently have some dates available to sponsor.  FRIDAY NIGHT 3 January: $120 Basic Kiddush      $200 Deluxe Kiddush     SHABBOS DAY 4 January:  $350 Standard Kiddush    Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFORMATION: MIKEITZ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 27 December 2019| 29 Kislev 5780 Light Menorah then Shabbos Candles after 6:42pm and before 7:50pm Communal Menorah Lighting at Nefesh ... 7:00pm Shabbos Service ...................................7:15-8:00pm Followed by Festive Kiddush of Donuts & Latkas!   Shabbos Day, 27 December | 30 Kislev 5780 Morning Meditation.................................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm STORY TIME for children ages 3-10 with Rabbi Sufrin.....11:45am Kiddush sponsored by Noach and Keshet Kessel in honour of Chanukah!   Shabbos Shiur at Wellington St with Nechama Dina Moss   5:00pm   Parsha Shiur with Rabbi Sufrin................... 6:45pm Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ............7:45pm Gematria and Story with Rev Amzalak......... 8:20pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss............................... 8:35pm Shabbos ends.......................................... 8:52pm Light 7th candle on Menorah Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday & Wed (Pub.Hol)............................ 8:00am Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri................................ 7:00am Latest Shema this week.............................. 9:17am Rosh Chodesh.............. Saturday-Sunday 28-29 Dec   MAZEL TOV Paul & Yehudit Khodor on the birth of a baby boy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aviv Farhy.............. 2 Tevet/ Monday 30 December Amber Lessem...... 3 Tevet/ Tuesday 31 December Vera Feuermann....... 5 Tevet / Thursday 2 January   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Jack & Leyat Reuben... 2 Tevet/ Mon 30 December Lina & Richie Barel..... 3 Tevet/ Tues 31 December LONG LIFE Ruth Jacobs for her late mother Karoline Sukiennik Kreindel bat Yaacov... 2 Tevet/ Monday 30 December Gavin Krawchuk for his late grandfather David Sandler David ben Mordechai... 3 Tevet/ Tuesday 31 December Elana Castle for her late grandfather Edmond Castle Irmiyahu ben Shlomo ... 4 Tevet/ Wednesday 1 January Linda Isdale for her late mother Joyce Vilensky Simcha bat Aharon... 4 Tevet / Wednesday 1 January   If you would like Nefesh to include your Birthday, Anniversary or Yortzheit in our newsletter and send you an email reminder, just fill in this quick ONLINE FORM.

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Is G-d Out of the Miracle Business?

Chanukah starts this Sunday

Question of the Week:     You know why I don't pray? I don't see the point. G-d seems to be out of the miracle business for the last 2000 years. Like Chanukah is the Festival of Miracles, when G-d saved us from the ancient Greeks. But what have we seen since? Where are the miracles today? Why pray to a G-d who closed up shop 2000 years ago....   Answer: You really need to spin a dreidel.  The dreidel is a spinning top used for a game we traditionally play on Chanukah. There are intricate rules for this game, but for your purposes we can keep it very simple.   Look at a spinning dreidel. Can you see any letters on the sides of the dreidel? You can't. The speed of the dreidel's spin blurs the letters. You can't even see that there are letters there at all.   But there are. Just wait until the dreidel comes to rest. As soon as it stops spinning, you can clearly see the four Hebrew letters on its four sides, standing for the words: Big Miracle Happened There.   What is going on? You could have sworn there were no letters on the dreidel when it was spinning. So where did they appear from all of a sudden when the dreidel stopped?   I think you know the answer. Our eyes can't see something that is moving at such velocity. We can only focus on the letters when the dreidel slows down to a standstill. They were there all along. We just didn't see them.    And so with life. Amazing things are happening to you right now. Miracles are all around you. But because you are lost in the rush of everyday, you don't see them. Your head is spinning just trying to keep up with the pace of life. So you miss what's really going on, you can't see the miracles happening before your eyes, because it's all a blur.   The time of prayer is the time to stop spinning around and sit still. When you pause to reflect on your blessings and give thanks for all you have, that's when you finally see the writing on the wall. Big Miracles Happened Right Here.   Good Shabbos and Happy Chanukah! Rabbi Moss To subscribe, CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au CHANUKAH STARTS THIS SUNDAY NIGHT see all about it HERE GO TO www.bina.com.au FOR FULL PROGRAM Would you like to sponsor a Kiddush?  We currently have some dates available to sponsor.  FRIDAY NIGHT 27 December: $120 Basic Kiddush      $200 Deluxe Kiddush     SHABBOS DAY 28 December:  $350 Standard Kiddush    Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFORMATION: VAYESHEV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 20 December 2019| 22 Kislev 5780 Candle Lighting.......... 7:47pm (not before 6:38pm) Shabbos Service ........ 6:30-7:20pm Kiddush sponsored by Harry Fester in honour of the yortzheit for his late mother Goldie Fester- Long Life.   Shabbos Day, 21 December | 23 Kislev 5780 Morning Meditation....................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm STORY TIME for children ages 3-10 with Rabbi Sufrin..... 11:45am   Kiddush sponsored by Rev Amzalak in honour of the yortzheit of his older brother Avraham ben Yitzchak (28 Kislev / Thursday 26 December) and in gratitude for his recovery- Refuah Shlema!   Shabbos Shiur at Wellington St with Nechama Dina Moss   5:00pm   Parsha Shiur with Rabbi Sufrin................ 6:45pm Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis .........7:45pm Gematria and Story with Rev Amzalak...... 8:20pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss............................ 8:35pm Shabbos ends....................................... 8:49pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday, Tue-Fri................ 8:00am Monday only at Flood St............10:00am Latest Shema this week............................. 9:14am New Moon.................... Thursday 26 Dec 8:02:8pm Rosh Chodesh.............. Saturday-Sunday 28-29 Dec Morning Minyan is going strong, but we need you to make it stronger. Join our roster and get full access to our exclusive Minyan WhatsApp group! Message Rabbi Sufrin 0425248182.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jake Glick.............. 24 Kislev/ Sunday 22 December Levi Diamond........ 24 Kislev/ Sunday 22 December Jonah Ink............. 25 Kislev/ Monday 23 December   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Jonathan & Joanne Capal..... 24 Kislev/ Sun 22 Dec Gary & Karen Lazarus......... 26 Kislev/ Tues 24 Dec Julia & Jarred Rubin............ 27 Kislev/ Wed 25 Dec Rachael & Brett Kaplan.......... 29 Kislev/ Fri 27 Dec Adam & Jodi Karpas............... 29 Kislev/ Fri 27 Dec   LONG LIFE Linda Isdale for her late father Lionel Eric Vilensky Elia Leib... 23 Kislev/ Saturday 21 December Jacqueline Meyer for her late grandfather Meir Fiszhalter  Meir Ben Avraham... 24 Kislev/ Sunday 22 December Rene Bermeister for her late mother Malcha bat Hillel... 25 Kislev/ Monday 23 December Reverend Amzalak for his late brother Avraham ben Yitzchak... 28 Kislev/ Thursday 26 December   If you would like Nefesh to include your Birthday, Anniversary or Yortzheit in our newsletter and send you an email reminder, just fill in this quick ONLINE FORM.

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Why Don't We Exchange Rings?

Prayers for Rain and Bushfire Relief

Question of the Week:    I am getting married in two months from now, and last night we had a meeting with the rabbi who will be conducting the ceremony. Something came up which I am quite uncomfortable with: the issue of only the groom giving the bride a ring, and not vice versa. This essentially represents to me that I am being purchased. The idea that there is a problem with the bride also giving the groom a ring seems absurd to me. Surely I have as much say in the agreement to be married as my husband-to-be?   I know I am allowed to give the ring after the ceremony. However, I want to exchange rings during the ceremony. Gender equality is a very important issue to me. I am a highly educated woman, and I also value my Jewish identity, but I am quite upset about this. I would like to hear your opinion...   Answer:   I fully understand your concern. Many couples have asked me the same question. Coming from a modern perspective, it does seem a little lopsided for the man to give the ring exclusively. But I believe when you know the meaning you may feel differently.    The chuppah is an exact spiritual operation to join your souls together. It is not just a ceremony representing your existing relationship, it is a life-changing event that creates a new relationship. Before the chuppah you are two souls, after you are one. Still two individuals, with two minds and two hearts, but a united soul.   We can understand how two souls can become one by observing how two bodies can become one. The act of reproduction is the physical union of man and woman. In this bodily union, the man gives and the woman receives. Only this way can new life be created, a child, in which man and woman have become one flesh.   The physical world is a mirror image of the spiritual world, and the workings of the soul are reflected by the workings of the body. Just as physical intimacy is the union of bodies, the wedding ceremony is an act of spiritual intimacy, uniting souls. And so in this act of spiritual union the man, expressing the male power of being a bestower, gives the ring to the woman, the feminine receiver.    An exchange of rings doesn't create unity, just as an exchange of seed for egg would not produce a child. Only when the groom gives the ring and the bride receives it, then this singular act of his giving and her receiving produces oneness. Any attempt to alter that process would be, quite literally, counterproductive.   We can't play around with the facts of life. The spiritual life has facts too. May you and your partner be blessed with true oneness, and from that oneness may many little ones come.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   Sources: See Igros Moshe Even Haezer 3:18 Rashi on Bereishis 2:24   To subscribe, CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au This is one of seven I-beams that will form the industrial-look facade of the new building. They are ready to go! Would you like to sponsor a Kiddush?  We currently have some dates available to sponsor.  FRIDAY NIGHT 20 December: $120 Basic Kiddush      $200 Deluxe Kiddush     SHABBOS DAY 21 December:  $350 Standard Kiddush    Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: VAYISHLACH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 13 December 2019| 15 Kislev 5780 Candle Lighting.......... 7:42pm (not before 6:34pm) Shabbos Service ........ 6:30-7:20pm Followed by Kiddush   Shabbos Day, 14 December 2019 | 16 Kislev 5780 Morning Meditation....................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm STORY TIME for children ages 3-10  with Rabbi Sufrin..................    11:45am Kiddush and lunch sponsored by the Barukh Family in loving memory of Malka Na bat Farha Na'ima a'h for 21 Kislev. Long Life.   Shabbos Shiur at Wellington St with Nechama Dina Moss... 5:00pm   Parsha Shiur with Rabbi Sufrin............... 6:40pm Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis .........7:40pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss............................ 8:30pm Shabbos ends....................................... 8:45pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday.................................................. 8:00am Mon- Fri................................................. 7:00am Morning Minyan is going strong, but we need you to make it stronger. Join our roster and get full access to our exclusive Minyan WhatsApp group! Message Rabbi Sufrin 0425248182. Latest Shema this week........................... 9:11am   MAZAL TOV Darryn Taitz & Romi Meyerowitz on their wedding next week!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mordechai Tzvi Moss.......... 18 Kislev/ Mon 16 Dec   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Michael & Deb Vitek........... 20 Kislev/ Wed 18 Dec Jeremy & Nikki Kinstlinger..... 22 Kislev/ Fri 20 Dec   LONG LIFE Nick Hedges for his late grandfather Nicolas Stark Menashe ben Yitzchak........ 20 Kislev/ Wed 18 Dec   If you would like Nefesh to include your Birthday, Anniversary or Yortzheit in our newsletter and send you an email reminder, just fill in this quick ONLINE FORM.

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 email marketing for free today!