What's So Kabbalistic About Bonfires?

Wednesday Night - BBQ Dinner & Bonfire

BBQ DINNER, SONGS & DRUM CIRCLE ROUND THE BONFIRE WEDNESDAY NIGHT - only $10 BOOK HERE NOW Question of the Week:   What's the idea of having big bonfires on Lag Baomer? I know it is the day of the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the "father of Kabbalah." But even Moses doesn't get bonfires on the day of his passing...   Answer:   Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai spent the last moments of his life doing what he always did: teaching. The mystical ideas that he shared with his devoted students that day were the deepest and most revolutionary teachings he had ever revealed.   But as he conveyed this parting message, there was tension in heaven. Rabbi Shimon's death was ordained to be that day before sundown. As the afternoon stretched on and evening approached, he had not yet finished sharing his final wisdom. The day would soon be over, but the lesson was not. Rabbi Shimon refused to return his soul until he had revealed all the secrets that it held. His life could only come to end when his mission came to an end. But time was running out.   And so the day didn't end. The setting sun slowed down, and daylight was extended to allow Rabbi Shimon to say all he needed to say. Only after he had completed his lesson did his holy soul depart and the sun finally set.   On the anniversary of that day each year, in honour of Rabbi Shimon and the light he brought to the world, we brighten the night with bonfires. There is a powerful symbolism in this. Rabbi Shimon's teachings are there to bring light when it would otherwise be dark.   You can be a good person without studying Kabbalah. But only the wisdom of Rabbi Shimon in the Zohar, and the great works of the mystics and Chassidic masters that came after him, have the power to transform the moral darkness of the world around us, and the darker recesses of our own inner world, into a fiery light.  So next time you get the feeling that the sun is coming down on you, the world seems dark and you feel confused, study some inner Torah, and let it light the bonfire within you.    Good Shabbos (from Jerusalem), Rabbi Moss Source: Zohar Haazinu 291a To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au      CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE NOW   Although its not completely apparent from the photo, the stairs are a great success!!!!   What an amazing feat!   Shabbat Shalom, Brent. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 24 May: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 25 May:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: EMOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 17 May 2019| 12 Iyar 5779 Candle Lighting.................................... 4:44pm Shabbos Service .................................. 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program ...................................... 6:00pm Followed by HOT soup Kiddush sponsored by Friends of Nefesh   Shabbos Day, 18 May 2019 |13 Iyar 5779 NEW parsha class with Tzvi Cohen........ 9:00am Shabbos Service.................................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program & Kiddush ........................ 10:30am Followed by Kiddush sponsored by Jack Klein in honour of the yortzheit for his late father, Shimon Klein on 13 Iyar/ Saturday 18 May- Long Life. Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ............ 4:40pm  Pirkei Ovos .............................................. Chapter 3 Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak............ 5:20pm Shabbos ends........................................... 5:40pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday.................................................... 8:00am Latest Shema this week............................. 9:14am   MAZAL TOV Reverend and Mrs Amzalak on the forthcoming marriage of their granddaughter Chaya Moskowitz to Levi Kaye in New York on Lag Ba'omer.   HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Carol Melman............... 13 Iyar/ Saturday 18 May Jonathan Isdale............ 13 Iyar/ Saturday 18 May Layla Bando................. 14 Iyar/ Sunday 19 May Eitan Meguideche......... 17 Iyar/ Wednesday 22 May Avishai Kessel.............. 18 Iyar/ Thursday 23 May   LONG LIFE Jack Klein for his late father Shimon Klein............... 13 Iyar/ Saturday 18 May Theresa Bengis for her late husband Baruch ben Lasar ........ 14 Iyar/Sunday 19 May Alex Bartos for his late mother Rachel bat Avraham..... 15 Iyar/ Monday 20 May Mrs Amzalak for her late mother Bracha bat Moshe........ 18 Iyar/ Thursday 23 May Carol Melman for her late brother Brian Shapiro Baruch ben Aaron ....... 18 Iyar/ Thursday 23 May Fiona, Tami & Wayne Kaplan for their late husband and father Alan Kaplan... 19 Iyar/ Friday 24 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.

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How to Not Save a Sinking Ship

Lag Baomer Bookings Now Open

How to Not Save a Sinking Ship Delivering a lecture last night in Heemstede, Holland.   Question of the Week:   A recent study on Jewish continuity divided the community into three categories. The inner core are those who are fully Orthodox and observant of Torah. They are not at risk. The outer layer are the Jews who are not engaged at all in Judaism, on the edge and most at risk of assimilation. Then there is a large middle layer, comprising those who are somewhat traditional, have a Jewish identity but are not religious. The study went on to say that communal funds and effort should be focused solely on the middle group. The religious core are fine, they are mostly marrying within the community and having Jewish children. The outer layer are too far gone and too hard to bring back. It is the middle who are at risk of drifting away but still within reach. Do you agree that our money and effort should focus on them alone?   Answer:   This analysis makes business sense. But Judaism is not a business, and Jews are not mere potential customers. When it comes to questions of identity, the Jewish people is not governed by the rules of the market, but by rules of the soul. The study above, by dividing the community into categories, ignores the most important of those rules: All Jewish souls are intertwined.   The fate of one single Jewish soul impacts the fate of the entire nation. To think we can help one part of the people and ignore the rest is ludicrous. It's like the captain of a sinking ocean liner announcing, "The upper decks are safe, so the people by the rooftop pool can stay there. The lower decks are gone already, so we are sorry about you. Let's just see what we can salvage in the middle."   That captain didn't get that we are all in one boat. Here is a leader that did:   A great rabbi of pre-war Europe observed that one of his best students was being lax in his Torah studies. So he told him, "You know, because of you there is a Jew in America who is dropping out of Judaism." The rabbi explained to his surprised student, "All Jewish souls are connected. Your actions do not just impact you, they have a ripple effect that touches others too. When you, a Torah scholar, do not concentrate on your studies, it causes another Jew, less of a scholar, to not feel like coming to shul to pray. And that causes yet another Jew, slightly further away, to stop eating kosher, which leads another Jew to lose his faith in G-d, which leads to yet another Jew losing his identity altogether. All because you were slack in your Torah studies!"   The same applies in reverse. When a soul on the edge of the community, disconnected and disillusioned, is inspired to turn around and rediscover their Jewishness, this generates waves of spiritual energy that are felt throughout the Jewish world. Even the most committed Jew needs inspiration, and nothing inspires more than seeing a turned-off soul reignite.   We have to become one people again. Let the divisions between religious and secular fall away. Let those who are connected share their enthusiasm with those who are yet to feel that connection. And let those who question the relevance of Judaism to their lives ask those questions openly and consider the answers with equal openness.   Rather than dividing our community into isolated groups, let's mingle as one big complicated family. We all will benefit, because we are all in the same boat.   Good Shabbos (from Holland), Rabbi Moss To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au      CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE NOW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT  17 or 24 May: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 18 or 25 May:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: KEDOSHIM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 10 May 2019| 5 Iyar 5779 Candle Lighting.................................. 4:55pm Mincha.............................................. 5:30pm Shabbos Service (NEW WINTER TIME)... 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program .................................... 6:00pm Followed by HOT soup Kiddush sponsored by Friends of Nefesh   Shabbos Day, 11 May 2019 |6 Iyar 5779 In depth parsha class ..................... 9:00am Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program & Kiddush ................ 10:30am Sponsored with gratitude to Hashem in honour of our son's first birthday on 11 Iyar- Levi Pesach Ben Michoel for the joy and nachas you bring us by Proud parents Michael and Linda Lenn- Mazal Tov!   Followed by Kiddush sponsored by Friends of Nefesh    Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ............ 4:45pm  Pirkei Ovos ............................................. Chapter 2 Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak............ 5:15pm Shabbos ends........................................... 5:45pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday....................................................... 8:00am Latest Shema this week................................. 9:11am HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Sheryl Deubler............... 6 Iyar/ Saturday 11 May Nathan Peles................ 12 Iyar/ Friday 17 May   LONG LIFE Larnce Gold for his late grandmother Naomi Frere  Nechama bas Ester ...............8 Iyar/ Monday 13 May Marlene Franks for her late father Aaron Jacob Wolman Aharon Yaakov .......  10 Iyar/ Wednesday 15 May David Bermeister for his late father  Yitzchak Ben Zeev............... 11 Iyar/ Thursday 16 May Frank Dreyer for his late mother  Eva Dreyer Chava bat Avraham..... 12 Iyar/ Friday 17 May Anne Sarzin for her late grandfather  Ha Rav Avraham Ben Elimelech Halevi ....12 Iyar/ Friday 17 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.

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Why Can't I Find the Man of My Dreams?

An Evening of Tribute and Unity this SUNDAY

THIS SUNDAY - an evening of tribute including live video address by  Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, the heroic Rabbi of Chabad of Poway WHERE IS THE MAN OF MY DREAMS? A Message From Rabbi Goldstein of Chabad of Poway Question of the Week:   I am forty now and still single. I have met dozens of guys, but none are right for me. I know what you are going to say: I am too fussy. But I can't just settle on something half good. Where is the man of my dreams?   Answer:   It doesn't make sense. You are a wonderful person with so much to offer. Why are you still alone?   There could be many reasons why someone may find it hard to find a partner. But I think in your case, the answer is simple. You are not available. You're already married.    You are involved in a longstanding intimate relationship with an imaginary man, Mr Right. You have conjured an exact picture of the perfect husband, and you are so in love with that image, you are not open to anyone else. No matter how great the guy is, he can't compare to your dream.   You have become stuck in a bubble with your imaginary love, and are not open to real people. So you haven't really met dozens of guys. You never actually meet anyone. You see them not for who they are, but rather for who they are not - the imaginary Mr Right. For no real man can compare to an imaginary one.    A relationship means connecting with an other, someone who is not you. You can't have a relationship with a figment of your own imagination, or with your own assumed caricature of another person. You need to step out of your own mind with its rigid expectations, suspend your prejudices and really open yourself to meeting someone else on their terms.  Let yourself be surprised. Otherwise, the man of your dreams will stay right there - in your dreams.   I apologise for being so harsh on you. I just want to burst your bubble, because there is a real person out there waiting for the chance to meet you. He deserves it. So do you. Good Shabbos (from New York), Rabbi Moss  To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au      Good afternoon to all our loyal followers :-) In the last couple of weeks we have worked tirelessly on preparing the beautiful stair treads and fixing them to the formwork to create the marvellous bespoke staircases. This is been a very technical, intricate and delicate job. Although you can never be sure, we believe we have thought through everything at length and will be creating a one of a kind staircase that has not been seen before in the world. Stay tuned and Shabbat Shalom, Brent. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: ACHAREI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 3 May 2019| 28 Nissan 5779 Candle Lighting............................................. 4:55pm Mincha......................................................... 5:30pm Shabbos Service (NEW WINTER TIME)............. 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program ............................................... 6:00pm Kiddush sponsored by our Julie in honour of her grandson Thomas' 2nd birthday!    Shabbos Day, 4 May 2019 |29 Nissan 5779 In depth parsha class .................................... 9:00am Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program .............................................. 10:30am Kiddush for the squad to celebrate Naava Kinstlinger's birthday- Mazal Tov!   Mincha .....................................................5:00pm followed by Seudah Shlishis in honour of the upcoming yortzheits, on 4 Iyar for Sarah Meguideche A"H and Joseph Reuben A"H, by Danny Meguideche and Jack Reuben. Pirkei Ovos ............................................ Chapter 1 Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak........... 5:20pm Shabbos ends.......................................... 5:51pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday................................................... 8:00am Mon - Friday............................................ 7:00am Latest Shema this week............................ 9:09am New Moon/Molad.................Saturday 4 May 2:10pm Rosh Chodesh Iyar....................... Sun-Mon 5-6 May   HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Benjamin Hoch......................................... 5 Iyar/ Friday 10 May Rabbi Zalman Popack................................ 5 Iyar/ Friday 10 May   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Simone & Darryl Green.............................. 30 Nissan/ Sunday 5 May   LONG LIFE Jack Reuben for his late father Joseph Reuben,  Yosef Ben Reuven...... 4 Iyar/ Thursday 9 May Dov, Jesse and Danny Meguideche for their late mother Sarah Meguideche...... 4 Iyar/ Thursday 9 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.

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!