Zooming My Father's Funeral?

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Question of the Week:    My father just passed away in London. I couldn’t fly to be there with him in his last days. I won’t be able to be there for his funeral. My family won’t be able to sit shiva together, as they are all over the world and borders closed. To be honest, I am at peace with his passing. He lived a long and good life. But how can I come to terms with not being there for him at the end?  Answer: It must be so hard to miss your father’s final days. And watching a funeral on Zoom can’t be the same. But perhaps there is some comfort you can find in this difficult time.  During this pandemic we have been forced to connect virtually. We have learnt that tuning in to a live event can really make you feel a part of it. It takes some focus and a bit of imagination, and of course it isn’t the same as face to face contact, but on some level you really are there. This has profound ramifications. It’s not just a technological step forward, it’s a step forward in our consciousness. We have become less bound by the limits of physicality. We can be on two different sides of the world and yet share an intimate moment almost as if we were side by side.  We have the ability to transcend spatial distance because we have a soul, and the soul is not limited to space. Only the body is stuck to one place. The soul can be anywhere any time. On a soul level, connection is not virtual, it is real.  Your father has moved to a higher world, beyond the one that we inhabit. But we have the technology to connect to that world from ours. When you say Kaddish in his memory, when you give charity in his honour, when you remind your children of his ways and continue the Yiddishkeit he instilled in you, you are connecting to him at those moments. You are zooming in on his soul.  He is not physically here anymore. And that is painful. But his soul is as alive as ever. You can still share space with him. When you connect more to your soul, when you enter a more spiritual state, you will feel his presence, as he feels yours.  Perhaps this is a deeper meaning of the blessing we give to mourners, Hamakom Yenachem Etchem - G-d should bring comfort to you. The name we use for G-d is unusual: Hamakom, which literally means “The Place.”  G-d is the place in which everything exists. He is the all inclusive space within which creation resides. And that is the comfort. No matter where we are - Sydney or London, on earth or in heaven - we all share the exact same space, Hamakom, G-d’s embrace.  You were always there for your father. You are there for him now. And he is there for you. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au THIS WEEK'S PODCASTS THIS WEEK'S VIDEOS live every Tuesday 8pm www.facebook.com/rabbimoss/live SHABBOS SONGS AUDIO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To help you recreate the holy energy of shul in your home, here are recordings of the Friday night tunes we sing at Nefesh, created by the super-talented Zalmy Okunov. Download and listen to them during the week, so when it comes to Shabbos, you can be the chazan! Note: they are not to be played on Shabbos itself - nothing can replace your own voice on Shabbos. CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE. ENJOY!  SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFORMATION: SHLACH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Nefesh community looks forward to getting back together! In the meantime, make your Shabbos special by doing your own little service at home. Here are some instructions. Page numbers are from the blue Chabad Siddur. Don't have one? You can download it here and print it. We will run a minimal Friday Night Service tonight and minyan with Torah reading tomorrow. To register CLICK HERE Friday 19 June - 27 Sivan Light Candles............ 4:35pm Before 4:53pm:........ Mincha p101 After 5:21pm........... Shabbos evening service p154 Kiddush................... p179   Saturday 20 June – 28 Sivan   Morning Service for Shabbos: p5-25, p181-219, Torah reading Shlach, Bless the New Moon p231*, Mussaf p234, Kiddush p248.     Virtual Lechaim 1:30pm - raise a glass and have us all in mind!   Before 4:53pm ...................... Mincha p253 Pirkei Avos ........................... Chapter 3 p291 After 5:21pm ........................ Maariv p161 Shabbos Ends........................ 5:35pm Havdala p297 Latest Shema this week........... 9:25am *New Moon/Molad.... Sunday 21 June 12:26:14am Rosh Chodesh Tammuz........ Mon 22-Tues 23 June   CONDOLENCES Errol Goott on the passing of his father Selwyn Goott in South Africa. Long Life to the entire Goott family. BIRTHDAY Amber Radus.............. 28 Sivan/ Saturday 20 June Gemma Lessem.......... 30 Sivan/ Monday 22 June Ayla Goldshaft............. 2 Tammuz/ Wednesday 24 June Alan Hedges................ 3 Tammuz/ Thursday 25 June ANNIVERSARIES Evelyn & David Tobin... 3 Tammuz/ Thursday 25 June Ralph & Jackie Zeltzer.. 4 Tammuz/ Friday 26 June YORTZHEITS Adam Pisk for his late grandfather Alan Kaufman Milston Avraham ben Yaacov... 28 Sivan/ Sat 20 June Eric Borecki for his late father Osher Borecki Asher ben Yoseph... 29 Sivan/ Sunday 21 June Jodi Lowe for her late grandmother Violet Irene Collins              Tsipora bat Moshe 2 Tammuz... Wednesday 24 June Stephen Etkind and Di Moritz for their late father David Julius Etkind...2 Tammuz/ Wednesday 24 June 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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