NEW CLASSES STARTING THIS WEEK: Tanya - Talmud - Wedding Prep - Moral Dilemmas - see below
Question of the Week
I've got a question for you from my kids. I'd love a simple answer they can understand but also has something deep to it:
Why do we cover our eyes when we say the Shema prayer?
Answer:
When we say Shema, we are declaring that Hashem is one. This means that there is only one G-d, and He is the source of all. E verything in the world, and everything that happens, is from Hashem.
It is not that good things come from Hashem, and bad things come from some other evil source, like the Devil, or Satan, or Big Tech. Hashem is one, the only one, and all comes from Him.
And Hashem is good. So if everything comes from Hashem, and Hashem is good, then everything that happens must be good.
The problem is, we don't see it that way. From our limited human perspective , we view some things as good because they feel good, and other things seem bad to us because we feel pain.
But there is a bigger picture, and in that picture even the things that hurt are good for us. We grow from hard times. We become more sensitive and deeper from challenges. We are given opportunities to give and to love specifically due to the problems in the world.
Sometimes we see the good in hard times, and sometimes we don't. But faith means we don't trust our superficial view, we know that there is a deeper story going on.
And so we cover our eyes when we say the Shema. We are saying that there is so much more to life than what our limited vision allows us to see. We can't always see the good with our eyes, but we can see it with our soul.
Here's a little visualisation you can try with your kids. Before saying the Shema, stop and think about something that is worrying you. Now cover your eyes and look again, not with your eyes but with your soul. See that this too comes from Hashem. Hashem is good, so all will be good. As you say the Shema, feel the worry melt away in the light of faith. The problem may not disappear, but the worry will. Now you have some clarity, you can face your problems. With your eyes closed you can see much better.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
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New Kiddush options at Nefesh!
Please consider sponsoring a Kiddush- we have a number of dates available in the coming weeks.
Friday Night
$120 - Basic
$200 - Deluxe
Shabbos Day
$180 - Cholent only
$350- Standard
Email office@nefesh.com.au to book your kiddush.
THIS WEEK'S PODCAST
SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFORMATION: YISRO
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PRIOR REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND SHUL.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE.
Friday 5 February – 23 Shevat
Candle lighting... 7:39pm (after 6:36pm)
Mincha ...6:15pm
Evening Service... 6:30-7:20pm
Followed by Kiddush
Saturday 6 February – 24 Shevat
Morning Service... 10:00am-12:20pm
Kids Program... 10:30am
Kiddush sponsored by the Barukh family in honour of the yarzheit of Ewaz Barukh Mullah Ewaz Ben Moshe z'l .
Shiur with Rabbi Sufrin... 6:35pm
Mincha... 7:35pm
Shabbos ends & Maariv... 8:36pm
Latest Shema this week... 9:42am
New Moon/ Molad... Friday 12 Feb 6:19:4am
Rosh Chodesh... Adar Fri-Sat 12-13 Feb
Rabbi Moss's Shiur this week is sponsored by Kelly & Jodie Moses in honour of their wedding anniversary- Mazal Tov!
CONDOLENCES
Tania Hasanoff on the passing of her uncle Michael ben Shlomo.
Richard Miller and family on the passing of his father Errol, Eliyahu ben Eliezer, in South Africa.
MAZAL TOV
Ricky & Mendy Gelman (Melbourne) on the birth of a baby girl. Grandparents Mindy & Gaby Amzalak, Matt and Mrs Gelman (Melbourne) and to the Great-Grandparents Rev and Mrs Amzalak and Mrs Green (New York).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Michelle Kaplan... 26 Shevat/Monday 8 February
Shai Diamond... 27 Shevat/Tuesday 9 February
Amiell Gold... 28 Shevat/Wednesday 10 February
Dylan Glick... 28 Shevat/Wednesday 10 February
Michaela Waine... 28 Shevat/Wednesday 10 February
Robert Dabscheck... 29 Shevat/Thursday 11 February
Linda Isdale... 29 Shevat/Thursday 11 February
Ron Lazarus... 30 Shevat/Friday 12 February
Aliya Eichenblatt... 30 Shevat/Friday 12 February
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Robert & Natalie Dabscheck... 23 Shevat/Friday 5 Feb
Kelly & Jodie Moses... 23 Shevat/Friday 5 Feb
Michael & Linda Lenn... 23 Shevat/Friday 5 Feb
Jackie & Les Regos... 25 Shevat/Sunday 7 Feb
Kevin & Michelle Koton... 28 Shevat/Wednesday 10 Feb
LONG LIFE FOR THE FOLLOWING YORTZHEITS
Kathy, Reuven, Ilana, Simona and Gavriel Barukh for their late husband and father
Ewaz Barukh... 29 Shevat/Thursday 11 February
Allen Rosenberg for his late mother in law Fay Bernstein
Feygel bas Moshe... 29 Shevat/ Thursday 11 February
Michael Besser for his late father Wolf Besser
Zev Ben Koppel ...30 Shevat/Friday 12 February
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