Question of the Week
It's a lovely idea to do a mitzvah for Israel. But honestly, why would my lighting candles or giving charity make any difference to Hamas? They will keep on sending rockets no matter how many mitzvahs I do. Is the mitzvah campaign there just to make us feel like we are doing something?
Answer
We feel far away and helpless when we see Israel under attack.
This is not the case. We are never far from Israel. And we are never helpless.
Israel is a land like no other. It is called the Holy Land by all peoples. So while we may not be physically in the land, we are always connected to it. Because holiness is everywhere, and holiness is beyond the limits of physical space.
Most of us can do little to help protect the land militarily. That is the job of the IDF and the Israeli government. We pray that they have the strength and vision to defend the land and its people.
But our sages teach that each one of us is a microcosm. There is an entire world in each human being. So just as the world has one country called the Holy Land, so too we all have a Holy Land inside us. That is our spiritual life.
The mitzvahs you do, the Torah you learn, the pockets of holiness you create in your home and in your day, that is your Israel, your Holy Land. During those sacred moments, no matter where you are, you are in Israel.
Your Israel, like the land itself, needs secure borders, a clear resolve and an unquestioning sense of purpose. That means now is the time to reinforce our Jewish pride and Jewish practice. If our enemies want less Jews, we will respond by being more Jewish. If they wish to break our resolve, we will redouble it.
When we boost our own Israel, our spiritual life, we send strength to Israel, our spiritual homeland. There is a collective Jewish spirit that we are all part of. When we fortify ourselves, we fortify the whole.
This is not just a mystical concept. It's scientific. The greatest defensive weapons are faith, determination, positivity and belief in your cause. When we display our solidarity with Israel, by being prouder and more active Jews, we lift the morale of the soldiers, leaders and citizens of Israel. They can face this testing moment with extra confidence, knowing that millions around the world are behind them.
Israel is under attack. We need to help secure it, by strengthening our own Holy Land. Let's add a new mitzvah, or improve one we do already. Learn an additional piece of Torah in our day or our week, give more charity, and deepen our love for our fellow.
May G-d bless Israel with peace.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss
PRAYERS FOR ISRAEL MITZVAH CAMPAIGN FOR ISRAEL BUY A LETTER IN THE TORAH FOR ISRAEL
To subscribe click HERE
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK FOR SUNDAY DINNER www.nefesh.org.au/shavuos
HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR SHAVUOS SPONSORS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Festive Dinner: Jack & Leyat Reuben
Dairy Desserts: Malka Kurta & Shaulmeir Ezekiel
All Night Learning Snack Bar: Charlotte Ziff, Avi Rosencweig & Shoshana Koncepolski
Kids Ice Cream Party: Madeleine North, Elli Bobrovizki, Stephen & Robyn Brookes
Shavuos Day Dairy Kiddush: Ron & Libby Moss
New Kiddush options at Nefesh!
Please consider sponsoring a Kiddush- we have a number of dates available in May.
Friday Night
$120 - Basic
$200 - Deluxe
Shabbos Day
$180 - Cholent only
$350- Standard
Email office@nefesh.com.au to book your kiddush.
SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFORMATION: BAMIDBAR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRIOR REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE.
Friday, 14 May 2021 | 3 Sivan 5781
Candle Lighting................. 4:45pm
Shabbos Evening Service.... 6:00-6:50pm
Count Omer...................... Day 48
Followed by Kiddush.
Saturday, 15 May 2021 | 4 Sivan 5781
Shiur with Rabbi Moss .........9:15am
Shabbos Morning Service... 10:00am - 12:20pm
Children's Program............ 11:00am
Kiddush sponsored by Warren & Iryna Balouka in honour of the birth of their son Ilan on 29th of Adar, and by the Sperling and Hurwitz families in thanks and honour of the arrival and naming of Baby Girl Sperling - Mazal Tov!
Mincha after Kiddush
Pirkei Ovos........ Chapter 6
Shabbos ends ... 5:42pm
Count Omer........ Day 49
Latest Shema this week... 9:13am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Lilah Hedges ..... 5 Sivan/Sunday, 16 May
Wayne Kaplan ... 6 Sivan/Monday, 17 May
Nicholas Maksimovich ... 9 Sivan/Thursday, 20 May
Alison Brown ..............10 Sivan/Friday, 21 May
LONG LIFE FOR YORTZHEITS
Eric Borecki for his late brother David Borecki,
David Ben Osher... 4 Sivan/Saturday, 15 May
Gabor Palanszky for his late sister-in-law Georgina Palansky,
Georgina Bat David... 5 Sivan/Sunday 16 May
Judi Berman for her late grandfather Hyman (Ray) Segal,
Chaim ben Leib... 6 Sivan/Monday, 17 May
Richelle Goldshaft & Robert Goldshaft for their late father and grandfather Leon Israel Rosenthal
Leib Yisrael ben Shmuel... 7 Sivan/Tuesday, 18 May
Mark Gindin & Faina Strier for their late father Ilya Gindin,
Eliyahu ben Mordechai... 7 Sivan/Tuesday, 18 May
Rosalie Cohen, Gilda Cohen-Shapira and Lee-Anne Whitten for their late husband, brother and father Edward Cohen,
Tuvia ben Moshe... 8 Sivan/Wed 19 May
Nicholas Levy for his late grandmother Ruby Levy
Rifka ben Daniel... 8 Sivan/Wednesday, 19 May
Allen Rosenberg for his late wife Anita Louise Rosenberg
Channah bat Laizer... 9 Sivan/Thursday, 20 May
Abie Greengarten for his late mother Musia Greengarten
Chana Miriam bas Shlomo Halevi...10 Sivan/Friday, 21 May
Tina Aviles for her late mother Grace
Gittel Bat Carl Michael... 10 Sivan/Friday, 21 May
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 .
SHAVUOS TIMES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 16 May | 5 Sivan
Candle Lighting ………………….... 4:44pm
Shavuos Evening Service…….. 6:00pm
All Night Learning................ 9:15pm-5:00am
Monday 17 May | 6 Sivan
Shavuos, Day 1
Morning Service.....................10:00 am
Reading 10 Commandments
and Ice Cream Party ............10:30 am
Followed by Dairy kiddush!
Mincha after Kiddush
Candle Lighting...................after 5:41 pm
Shavuos Evening Service
at Mosses Wellington St............. 5:45 pm
Tuesday 18 May | 7 Sivan
Shavuos, Day 2
Morning Service.........................10:00am
Yizkor*-Memorial Service.........11:00am
Followed by Kiddush and Mincha
Yomtov ends................................5:40 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*YIZKOR is recited on Second Day Shavuos, Tuesday 18 May at approximately 11am.
If you would like a name mentioned please email RabbiMoss@nefesh.com.au
To make a donation in honour of Yizkor being recited just click here.
| This email is sent from Nefesh Shul. We'd love to stay in touch with you, but if you wish to be unsubscribed from this list please click here, or click here to manage your subscriptions. | Sent via ChabadOne Communicator |
No comments:
Post a Comment