The Chicken or the Egg?

HEBREW READING CRASH COURSE see below and www.bina.com.au for new classes Question of the Week:   How do you reconcile the age of the universe according to science with the Torah account? According to the Torah we are in the year 5769 from creation. Yet science claims the world is around 16 billion years old. A bit of a discrepancy, wouldn't you say?   Answer:   I don't see any discrepancy here. Why can't we say that the 16 billion year old world was created 5769 years ago? Sounds weird? Let's travel back in time to see if it can make sense. Let's imagine that you visited Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden on the very day they were created. The world is six days old, and the first human beings are not even one day old yet. And yet, they are fully grown and intelligent beings. Obviously Adam and Eve did not start life as babies, for who would look after them? And so while their passport would indicate that they were born today, their bodies would indicate that they were fully matured adults. And just say that before Adam and Eve had a chance to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, you decided to chop down the tree to count the rings and see how old it was. You would find that the tree gives the impression of being years old, even though it was just created a couple of days ago. And the same would happen if you would carbon date the rocks in the Garden of Eden. Though freshly minted by the hand of G-d only days ago, they would seem millions or billions of years old. This is because the world was created complete. Out of nothing, G-d made a world ready to inhabit, and then created mature human beings to live in it. G-d created trees, not seeds; adults, not babies; mountains, not molehills. The old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, is answered by the Torah. G-d made chickens, not eggs. When science dates the world, it doesn't take into account the starting point - the world was old already at the beginning. So indeed the world that is 16 billion years old was created 5771 years ago. There's no contradiction.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au   BINA CLASSES TERM ONE 2011   Sunday   Breakfast Shiur for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie Laws and Customs - Practical Halacha 8:45-9:30am 30 Jan - 3 April 49Bellevue Rd   Beginners Talmud Class for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Introductory Talmud Learning with Breakfast 9:00-9:45am Every Sunday Starts February Nefesh 54 Roscoe St, Bondi Beach   Mishna for MEN with Rabbi Yaakov Chaiton Discovering the depth and wisdom of the Mishna 7:15-7:45pm (Mincha 7pm) 30 Jan - 3 April  49 Bellevue Rd   Monday   Meaningful Prayer - Understanding the Shema and its blessings for WOMEN with Mrs Rivka Aaron 9:00-10:00am 7 Feb - 4 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Chumash for WOMEN with Mrs Dina Gourarie Learning Chumash in a structured and interesting way 10:00-11:00am 7 Feb - 4 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Meaningful Motherhood for MOTHERS and BABIES with Mrs Nechama Dina Moss and Shternie Dadon Discussion group for mothers 10:00-11:00am 7 Feb - 4 April Nefesh 54 Roscoe St, Bondi Beach   COA Seniors Shiur for RETIREES with Rabbi Chaim Ingram 12:15-1:00pm Every Monday at the COA   NEW S.T.E.P. for WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie Structured Torah Education Program - Module 3 - Jewish Life Cycles 1:30-2:30pm 7 Feb- 28 March45 Bellevue Rd   NEW S.T.E.P. for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton Structured Torah Education Program - Module 8 - A Typical Jewish Day 8:15-9:15pm 7 Feb - 28 March 45 Bellevue Rd     Tuesday   A Deep Insight for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie a 20 minute shiur to start the day 7:20-7:40am Every Tuesday  49 Bellevue Rd   Parsha Insights for WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie Overview of Weekly Parsha with commentary 9:30-10:30am 1 Feb - 5 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Tanach Highlights for WOMEN with Mrs Rivka Aaron A deeper look at the story Daniel in the Lion's Den 10:30-11:30am 8 Feb - 5 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Talmud for HIGH SCHOOL BOYS with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton 4:00 - 5:00pm 1 Feb -29 March 45 Bellevue Rd   Kabbalah - Song of the Soul for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss A mystical approach to prayer 8:15-9:30pm 8 Feb - 8 March Nefesh 54 Roscoe St     Talmud in Depth for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie Learning Gemora with commentary and analysis 8:30-9:15pm 1 Feb - 5 April 49 Bellevue Rd     Wednesday   Chassidus - Reshimos for WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Inspiration from the Rebbe's personal diary 2:00-3:00pm 2 Feb - 6 April 45Bellevue Rd   NEW Hebrew Reading Hour (Bookings Essential) for MEN and WOMEN with Velvel Lederman Learn to read Hebrew in seven weeks 7:30-8:05pm 9 Feb - 23 March 45 Bellevue Rd     NEW Hebrew Reading Hour (Bookings Essential) for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Spielman Improve your Siddur fluency and understanding 7:30-8:05pm 9 Feb - 23 March 49 Bellevue Rd   Ethics for Life for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton Artificial Insemination, Test Tube Babies, Surrogacy, Gender Assignment and more... 8:15-9:15pm 9 Feb - 30 March 45 Bellevue Rd   Hands on Talmud for MENwith Rabbi Spielman Intermediate Level Gemora Shiur 8:30-9:30pm 2 Feb - 6 April 2a Conway Street, Rose Bay     Thursday     Character Development: De-Stressing for WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie Understanding the sources of stress and practical strategies to overcome it 9:20-10:15am 3 Feb - 31 March 45 Bellevue Rd     Rose Bay Lunch and Learn for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie A deeper look at the weekly Parsha 1:00-1:45pm 3 Feb - 31 March  554 Old South Head Rd, Rose Bay   Lunch in the City: STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Cases of conflict and collaboration between Jewish and secular law 1:00-2:00pm STARTS 3 Feb Arnold Bloch Leibler, Level 24, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney CBD   NEW Educational tips from the Prophets for WOMEN with Dr Leonie Jacob Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekial 2:00-3:00pm 3 Feb - 31 March 554 Old South Head Rd, RoseBay   Talmud for HIGH SCHOOL BOYS with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton 4:00 - 5:00pm 3 Feb -31 March 45 Bellevue Rd     Beis Midrash Program or Join Talmud for beginners with Rabbi Gourarie or Analysing a concept from the weekly parsha with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton for MEN 8:15-9:15pm 3 Feb - 31 March  49 Bellevue Rd     Shabbos   Chassidus at the Shtiebell for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie Prepare for davening with the secrets of the Chassidus 8:30-9:15am 5 Feb - 9 April  49Bellevue Rd   Chassidus: The Spiritual Parsha for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Weekly Chassidic Insights 9:00-10:00am Every Shabbos morning 54 Roscoe St, Bondi Beach         For more information www.bina.com.au Tel: 9363 5543 Email: office@bina.com.au NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Friday Candlelighting 7:45pm (not before 6:37pm)   6:10pm Mincha  6:30pm - 7:15pm Shabbos Service followed by Kiddush    Shabbos day 9am Class on Weekly Parsha 10am -12:15pm Morning Service with kids program followed by Kiddush in honour of the wedding of Daniel Zilber and Esti Regos Shiur 7:00pm Mincha 7:40pm folllowed by Sholosh Seudos and Maariv Shabbos ends 8:44pm Sunday 8am Shachris    Monday and Thursday 7am Shachris

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A Hairy Gift From Above

HEBREW READING CRASH COURSE see below and www.bina.com.au for new classes Question of the Week: I'm sorry I missed your son's upsherin. Mazel tov! I especially wanted to come as I know nothing about this custom. What is the idea behind leaving a child's hair uncut until the third birthday? Answer: The education of a child starts at birth, or even before. The newborn soul absorbs everything he is surrounded with, and so during the early years of life we try to provide a child with an environment that is holy and wholesome, an atmosphere of love and purity. We don't want to expose this precious soul to negative images, impure energy or ugliness. For while he may be too young to be consciously aware, he is taking everything in. The books we read to him, the pictures we show him, the conversations we have in front of him, all leave an imprint on his consciousness. Age three is a turning point in the development of a child's mind. He becomes more aware of himself and attentive to what is going on around him. He starts to absorb lessons not just by osmosis but by conscious learning and instruction. His education must now be more formalised and deliberate, as he starts to learn concepts and shapes, letters and numbers, right and wrong. In the Kabbalah, the hair represents the unconscious, that which surrounds the mind. For the first three years of life it is this part of consciousness that develops and grows. We can't expect the child to learn formally, so rather than try to shape his mind internally through formal education, we teach him through immersing him in goodness and surrounding him in purity. Then at age three we give him a haircut, taking this wild energy and channelling it into a neat order. The time has come to take that which surrounded his mind and bring it down into his conscious mind. Becoming a parent means being entrusted with a little piece of the divine. Being a good parent means surrounding your precious gift with the love and holiness that will make his soul shine, and trimming his wildness so his energy is channeled for the good. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au   BINA CLASSES TERM ONE 2011   Sunday   Breakfast Shiur for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie Laws and Customs - Practical Halacha 8:45-9:30am 30 Jan - 3 April 49Bellevue Rd   Beginners Talmud Class for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Introductory Talmud Learning with Breakfast 9:00-9:45am Every Sunday Starts February Nefesh 54 Roscoe St, Bondi Beach   Mishna for MEN with Rabbi Yaakov Chaiton Discovering the depth and wisdom of the Mishna 7:15-7:45pm (Mincha 7pm) 30 Jan - 3 April  49 Bellevue Rd   Monday   Meaningful Prayer - Understanding the Shema and its blessings for WOMEN with Mrs Rivka Aaron 9:00-10:00am 7 Feb - 4 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Chumash for WOMEN with Mrs Dina Gourarie Learning Chumash in a structured and interesting way 10:00-11:00am 7 Feb - 4 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Meaningful Motherhood for MOTHERS and BABIES with Mrs Nechama Dina Moss and Shternie Dadon Discussion group for mothers 10:00-11:00am 7 Feb - 4 April Nefesh 54 Roscoe St, Bondi Beach   COA Seniors Shiur for RETIREES with Rabbi Chaim Ingram 12:15-1:00pm Every Monday at the COA   NEW S.T.E.P. for WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie Structured Torah Education Program - Module 3 - Jewish Life Cycles 1:30-2:30pm 7 Feb- 28 March45 Bellevue Rd   NEW S.T.E.P. for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton Structured Torah Education Program - Module 8 - A Typical Jewish Day 8:15-9:15pm 7 Feb - 28 March 45 Bellevue Rd     Tuesday   A Deep Insight for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie a 20 minute shiur to start the day 7:20-7:40am Every Tuesday  49 Bellevue Rd   Parsha Insights for WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie Overview of Weekly Parsha with commentary 9:30-10:30am 1 Feb - 5 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Tanach Highlights for WOMEN with Mrs Rivka Aaron A deeper look at the story Daniel in the Lion's Den 10:30-11:30am 8 Feb - 5 April 45 Bellevue Rd   Talmud for HIGH SCHOOL BOYS with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton 4:00 - 5:00pm 1 Feb -29 March 45 Bellevue Rd   Kabbalah - Song of the Soul for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss A mystical approach to prayer 8:15-9:30pm 8 Feb - 8 March Nefesh 54 Roscoe St     Talmud in Depth for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie Learning Gemora with commentary and analysis 8:30-9:15pm 1 Feb - 5 April 49 Bellevue Rd     Wednesday   Chassidus - Reshimos for WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Inspiration from the Rebbe's personal diary 2:00-3:00pm 2 Feb - 6 April 45Bellevue Rd   NEW Hebrew Reading Hour (Bookings Essential) for MEN and WOMEN with Velvel Lederman Learn to read Hebrew in seven weeks 7:30-8:05pm 9 Feb - 23 March 45 Bellevue Rd     NEW Hebrew Reading Hour (Bookings Essential) for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Spielman Improve your Siddur fluency and understanding 7:30-8:05pm 9 Feb - 23 March 49 Bellevue Rd   Ethics for Life for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton Artificial Insemination, Test Tube Babies, Surrogacy, Gender Assignment and more... 8:15-9:15pm 9 Feb - 30 March 45 Bellevue Rd   Hands on Talmud for MENwith Rabbi Spielman Intermediate Level Gemora Shiur 8:30-9:30pm 2 Feb - 6 April 2a Conway Street, Rose Bay     Thursday     Character Development: De-Stressing for WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie Understanding the sources of stress and practical strategies to overcome it 9:20-10:15am 3 Feb - 31 March 45 Bellevue Rd     Rose Bay Lunch and Learn for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Gourarie A deeper look at the weekly Parsha 1:00-1:45pm 3 Feb - 31 March  554 Old South Head Rd, Rose Bay   Lunch in the City: STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Cases of conflict and collaboration between Jewish and secular law 1:00-2:00pm STARTS 3 Feb Arnold Bloch Leibler, Level 24, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney CBD   NEW Educational tips from the Prophets for WOMEN with Dr Leonie Jacob Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekial 2:00-3:00pm 3 Feb - 31 March 554 Old South Head Rd, RoseBay   Talmud for HIGH SCHOOL BOYS with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton 4:00 - 5:00pm 3 Feb -31 March 45 Bellevue Rd     Beis Midrash Program or Join Talmud for beginners with Rabbi Gourarie or Analysing a concept from the weekly parsha with Rabbi Yaacov Chaiton for MEN 8:15-9:15pm 3 Feb - 31 March  49 Bellevue Rd     Shabbos   Chassidus at the Shtiebell for MEN with Rabbi Gourarie Prepare for davening with the secrets of the Chassidus 8:30-9:15am 5 Feb - 9 April  49Bellevue Rd   Chassidus: The Spiritual Parsha for MEN and WOMEN with Rabbi Moss Weekly Chassidic Insights 9:00-10:00am Every Shabbos morning 54 Roscoe St, Bondi Beach         For more information www.bina.com.au Tel: 9363 5543 Email: office@bina.com.au NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Friday Candlelighting 7:49pm (not before 6:40pm)   6:10pm Mincha  6:30pm - 7:15pm Shabbos Service followed by Kiddush in honour of Mendel Moss' upshernish   Shabbos day 9am Class on Weekly Parsha 10am -12:15pm Morning Service with kids program followed by Kiddush sponsored anonymously Shiur 7:00pm Mincha 7:45pm folllowed by Sholosh Seudos and Maariv Shabbos ends 8:49pm Sunday 8am Shachris    Monday and Thursday 7am Shachris

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Is it Immoral to be Overweight?

With thanks to G-d we announce the birth of our daughter this past Tuesday. She is named Golda, after her mother's mother's mother. All are doing well b"H. May we always share good news, Rabbi Aron and Nechama Dina Moss    Question of the Week:   As a fitness trainer, I wonder: Do health and fitness have a place in Judaism? It seems that the secular world encourages a healthy life far more than the Jewish world does. I hear rabbis talk about spiritual matters, but find it hard to listen to them if they themselves are overweight. Is physical well-being not important?   Answer:   In our modern world, we are seeing health is the new morality. Good and bad are now measured in calories. My cereal box invites me to "Taste the goodness" - not a moral value, but rather a nutritional value. The scales of merit are not found in heaven anymore but are right there on the bathroom floor, and the daily judgment is pronounced in kilos and pounds.   This all makes sense if you see the human being as just a body without a soul. If the flesh is all there is, health becomes the highest ideal. But from the Jewish perspective, the soul is our true self, and the body its vehicle. The body and its health are important only because through it we express our higher self.   The great Jewish thinker, Maimonides, wrote in the 12th century:      "Caring for the health and well-being of the body is one of the ways of serving G-d."    And he immediately explains why:      "One is unable to think clearly and comprehend truth if he is unwell."   If your mind is cloudy, you may lack moral clarity to know what's right. While battling with illness, we may not find the stamina to battle the ills of the world. That's why we need to look after our bodies. A healthy body is not in itself our life's purpose; it helps us fulfil our purpose. It is a vehicle that transports us towards goodness, it is not the destination.   Jewish tradition provides no excuse for being unhealthy. On the contrary, it gives the best reason possible to live healthy: Life has meaning and purpose, and each day is precious. Only if life has meaning is it worth taking care of. The risks of high cholesterol, heavy smoking and drug use are only a concern to one who values life. The threat of a shorter life span means nothing to someone who sees life as pointless.   We are the healthiest generation in history, and our life expectancy is reaching biblical proportions. This means we have more time and energy to fulfil our purpose - to elevate our corner of the world, and tip the scales towards true goodness.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss     To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au   You are invited to Mendel Moss' first haircut Click mendel's invitation for details NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Friday Candlelighting 7:52pm (not before 6:41pm)   6:10pm Mincha  6:30pm - 7:15pm Shabbos Service followed by Kiddush    Shabbos day No Class on Parsha this week 10am -12:15pm Morning Service with kids program followed by Kiddush in honour of the wedding of Ata Gokyldirim and Robyn Pakula and Lechaim in honour of the birth of Michelle Arcane's daughter, Zahara Esther - Mazel Tov! Yud Shvat Farbrengen after Kiddush No Shiur this week Mincha 7:45pm folllowed by Sholosh Seudos and Maariv Shabbos ends 8:52pm Sunday 8am Shachris    Monday and Thursday 7am Shachris

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Jews and Tattoos

Question of the Week:   I am considering getting a tattoo. A very small one, but a tattoo none the less. It is a very meaningful one for me, and is even quite spiritual. I don't believe I am disrespecting my body by putting it there, quite the opposite. I also see my body as being transient and impermanent, and ultimately will be recycled back into the earth, while my "soul" will live on in some fashion. With this kind of logic, a tattoo on the skin doesn't seem so terrible. I however must first deal with the Jewish guilt aspect. Is getting a tattoo a sin, or just not recommended? What should I be considering before making this decision?   Answer:   I think it is a great idea to decorate your body with spiritual art. There's nothing more beautiful than being covered head to toe with meaningful adornments. But not a tattoo.   Tattooing is clearly prohibited by the Torah. "You shall not place a tattoo on yourself, I am the Lord" (Lev. 19:28). The body is not ours to deface. It is loaned to us in order to fulfil our mission. Indeed, a part of this mission is to decorate our body, not with physical paint from a tattoo parlour, but with a spiritual imprint from our soul.   The soul didn't come down into this world for itself. Rather, the soul came down for the body's sake - to elevate and refine the body. We are sent into this world to transform darkness into light, to take an unG-dly universe and make it into a home for G-d, and to take our untamed and animalistic body and align it with G-d's will. For the soul to be holy is no big deal - after all, it is a soul, it always was holy, it is spiritual already. But for a body to become holy - that is an amazing achievement. And that's our mission.   This is why the Torah speaks little about heaven or other worlds, and focuses on this life in this world. And that's why the mitzvos of the Torah are all physical - put on Tefillin, light Shabbos candles, eat Kosher, blow a Shofar, put up a Mezuzah. Even prayer and study are done with our physical minds and physical mouths. We are here to elevate the material, not escape it. We are here to make this world holy, not run away to some world that is holy already. We are here to refine our body, along with its physical urges and course character traits; not belittle the body and focus on our soul which is holy anyway.   For this reason, the body should not be taken lightly. It is a sanctuary, a temple, a holy home for the soul. The Kabbalah even says that in the future we will understand that body is really higher than soul. The soul is a ray of G-d's light; the body is a reflection of G-d's very essence.   At the end of our lives we are expected to return our body to its Maker, not in the same form we got it, but rather as a refined work of art. This is not achieved with dyes and needles, but with the hard work of changing negative personality traits, conquering bad habits, sensitising ourselves to others, subduing evil urges, training ourselves to do good and becoming in tuned with our divine purpose. There is no quick or easy path to do this. It is the work of a lifetime. And that's what we are here to do.   Think it all through very carefully. A tattoo is something irreversible. You will have to live with it forever. What may seem like a good idea now may seem quite stupid down the track. It may be hard to explain to your grandparents, and even harder to explain to your grandchildren. I have met too many people who regret getting tattoos because they didn't understand the seriousness of it at the time. What is meaningful to you now may change. The Torah doesn't.    I believe your desire to get a tattoo is coming from a pure place within you. So I recommend you get a different type of tattoo. Tattoo your body with mitzvos, cover it with holiness, decorate it with true spirituality. To do so is a decision you will never regret.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au   You are invited to Mendel Moss' first haircut Click mendel's invitation for details NEFESH SERVICES - 54 Roscoe St Bondi Beach  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Friday Candlelighting 7:52pm (not before 6:40pm)   6:10pm Mincha  6:30pm - 7:15pm Shabbos Service followed by Kiddush sponsored by Maggie Kurta in honour of her father's Yorzheit and a Lechaim sponsored by Elli Bobrovizki in honour of his mother's Yorzheit   Shabbos day 9am Class on Weekly Parsha 10am -12:15pm Morning Service with kids program followed by Kiddush in honour of Jocelyn Lowinger's birthday and Lechaim to farewell Tzally Hasofer Shiur 7:00pm Mincha 7:45pm folllowed by Sholosh Seudos and Maariv Shabbos ends 8:53pm Sunday 8am Shachris    Monday and Thursday 7am Shachris followed by Chassidus

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