Can an Agnostic Meet G-d?

Question of the Week:

I am just back from my big trip to Israel. I thought I'd never get there. I think it's the first Jewish thing I've done since my bar mitzvah (which wasn't so Jewish either).

But here's the weird part. I went to the Wall in Jerusalem, and you know me, I'm the last person to have a "spiritual experience". But as I approached the Wall I started to cry uncontrollably. I felt this strange magnetism towards the Wall, almost as if G-d was pulling me. What do you think? Not bad for an agnostic, huh?

Answer:

You have a powerful Jewish soul, and you caught a glimpse of its power at the Wall.

The Wall is the last remnant of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. While ransacking Jerusalem 2000 years ago, the Romans burnt the Temple, and knocked down its stone walls. But one wall refused to budge, the Western Wall. The sages predicted long ago that the Western Wall will never be destroyed. It represents a holiness that no foreign power can ever touch. They can destroy the Temple, but there is something that is beyond their reach, a divine presence that never leaves Jerusalem.

The Kabbalists teach that man is a microcosm. Whatever exists in the world, can be found within ourselves. If there is a Wall that is so holy that it can never be destroyed, then within us must also be a spark of holiness that can never be lost. This is our spark of Jewishness, the essence of the Jewish soul. Our soul may be surrounded by foreign invaders - skepticism, ignorance, scars from negative Jewish experiences - but it nevertheless remains intact. Nothing can extinguish the Jewish spark, it is always there waiting to be ignited.

Even an agnostic Jew who has been dislocated from his spiritual heritage for generations, is Jewish at the deepest level of his being. Nothing can take that away. Eventually, if he allows it, that innate Jewishness will surface.

Everyone has a different catalyst that ignites this spark. In your case, the microcosm met the macrocosm. Your Jewish spark, the indestructible presence of G-d within you, was awakened at the Wall, the indestructible presence of G-d in the world. I guess it's not surprising that many have had that experience.

Now it's up to you. You have been given a gift. You have come face to face with your soul. These experiences don't happen often. But once you have discovered the Holy Wall within yourself, you can start to rebuild your inner Temple around it, so that sense of holiness will never be lost again. That's the secret of faith. You don't get it from the outside, you discover it within yourself. It was always there.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

Can an Agnostic Meet G-d?

Question of the Week:   I am just back from my big trip to Israel. I thought I'd never get there. I think it's the first Jewish thing I've done since my bar mitzvah (which wasn't so Jewish either). But here's the weird part. I went to the Wall in Jerusalem, and you know me, I'm the last person to have a "spiritual experience". But as I approached the Wall I started to cry uncontrollably. I felt this strange magnetism towards the Wall, almost as if G-d was pulling me. What do you think? Not bad for an agnostic, huh?   Answer:   You have a powerful Jewish soul, and you caught a glimpse of its power at the Wall.   The Wall is the last remnant of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. While ransacking Jerusalem 2000 years ago, the Romans burnt the Temple, and knocked down its stone walls. But one wall refused to budge, the Western Wall. The sages predicted long ago that the Western Wall will never be destroyed. It represents a holiness that no foreign power can ever touch. They can destroy the Temple, but there is something that is beyond their reach, a divine presence that never leaves Jerusalem.   The Kabbalists teach that man is a microcosm. Whatever exists in the world, can be found within ourselves. If there is a Wall that is so holy that it can never be destroyed, then within us must also be a spark of holiness that can never be lost. This is our spark of Jewishness, the essence of the Jewish soul. Our soul may be surrounded by foreign invaders - skepticism, ignorance, scars from negative Jewish experiences - but it nevertheless remains intact. Nothing can extinguish the Jewish spark, it is always there waiting to be ignited.   Even an agnostic Jew who has been dislocated from his spiritual heritage for generations, is Jewish at the deepest level of his being. Nothing can take that away. Eventually, if he allows it, that innate Jewishness will surface.   Everyone has a different catalyst that ignites this spark. In your case, the microcosm met the macrocosm. Your Jewish spark, the indestructible presence of G-d within you, was awakened at the Wall, the indestructible presence of G-d in the world. I guess it's not surprising that many have had that experience.   Now it's up to you. You have been given a gift. You have come face to face with your soul. These experiences don't happen often. But once you have discovered the Holy Wall within yourself, you can start to rebuild your inner Temple around it, so that sense of holiness will never be lost again. That's the secret of faith. You don't get it from the outside, you discover it within yourself. It was always there.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au Tisha B'Av at Nefesh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The fast of Tisha B'av, mourning the destruction of the Temple, commences on Saturday night 28 July at 5:13pm and continues on Sunday 29 July until 5:40pm.   Motzoei Shabbos - Saturday Night July 28 Evening Service 6:30pm followed by Lamentations and   EXCLUSIVE VIDEO LECTURE by internationally acclaimed speaker   Rabbi YY Jacobson     The Bar Kochva Revolt in History and Kabbalah     Sunday July 29 Morning service 8am including Kinnos service with explanations and stories of the destruction of the Temple.   Learning Program    10am Talmud Class - The Destruction of Betar 11am Chassidus - The Rebbe's Maamar on Tisha B'av    Mincha 4:40pm followed by Maariv Fast ends 5:40pm   Breaking the Fast Kiddush sponsored by Eli Barukh NETWORK AND NEFESH FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Friday Night   Candlelighting 4:54pm Mincha 5:05pm   Shabbos Service 6:00pm followed by Kiddush in honour of Lana Goldschaft's birthday- Mazal tov!   Shabbos Day   Class - The Spiritual Parsha 9am Morning Service 10am -12:20pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Adam Pisk in honour of the yarzeit of his grandmother Frida Pisk and by Jodie Ariel in honour of the yarzeit of her mother - Long Life   Early Mincha straight after Kiddush (approx 1:00pm)   No Seudah Shlishis at shul this week.   Fast begins 5:13pm   Shabbos ends 5:52pm

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VIDEO - Get Rid of Bad Attitude in One Scoop

The Soup Ladel Get Rid of Bad Attitude in One Scoop 2 minute video on the Parsha   Question of the Week:   Due to my business, I travel a lot and meet many people from different religions. I have met Buddhists, Muslims and Christians of all denominations, and each and every one believes that their religion is the one true religion and it is the right one to follow. We can't all be right. So how are you so convinced that you are not going to burn in hell by not following Catholicism? Or get Allah angry by not being a good Muslim? Ultimately should we pick a religion like we choose our lotto numbers; just hoping that when it all comes to an end we have made the right choice? Best regards and may the right god be with you.   Answer:   Imagine there was one belief that Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists all accepted as true. Wouldn't that be amazing? For these very different religions to agree on something - anything - is nothing short of a miracle. If all the major religions would concur on one divine revelation, there could be no stronger indication that this revelation is true.   Well, it exists. There is one revelation that all believe to be true. All these religions agree that the Torah was given to the Jewish people at Mt Sinai. This fact is written clearly in the Christian and Muslim scriptures. And the eastern masters venerate the Torah and its divine wisdom, to the point that they actually send Jewish seekers back to Judaism. The Dalai Lama is known to have told Jews who come to him: "Why do you come to me? Go home and study Torah!"   So all major religions believe in the divine origin of Judaism. The same cannot be said for any other belief system. This is an incredibly significant point. It means that while so many Jews walk around unsure of their beliefs, most of the world today believes that G-d gave the Torah to the Jews.   But there's more. Believing Judaism is true does not mean negating other spiritual paths. Judaism teaches that while Judaism is the way for Jews, it is not for everyone. We are not out to convert the world to Judaism. Unlike almost every other religion, Jews do not missionize. This is because we believe not everyone needs to be Jewish.   A non-Jew can be close to G-d, go to heaven, and lead a moral and meaningful life, all the while remaining a non-Jew. Spiritual paths other than Judaism can be valid, as long as they conform to the seven basic laws for all humanity, known as the Laws of the Children of Noah (Noah being the father of all humankind). The seven laws are: do not serve idols, do not curse G-d, do not murder, do not commit acts of sexual immorality, do not steal, set up a fair justice system, and treat animals mercifully.   This leaves us with an astounding conclusion. Other religions believe in Judaism, and yet Judaism leaves room for other religious expressions. I am proud to be part of a belief system that can accept others, and is accepted by others. Not that this is the basis of my faith. Judaism doesn't need outside confirmation to be acceptable. But this is a strong argument against those who think that faith is a zero-sum game. And it provides a vision for how the world can live in harmony - many paths, one divine truth.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au                                  Tisha B'Av at Nefesh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The fast of Tisha B'av, mourning the destruction of the Temple, commences on Saturday night 28 July at 5:13pm and continues on Sunday 29 July until 5:40pm.   Motzoei Shabbos - Saturday Night July 28 Evening Service 6:30pm followed by Lamentations and   EXCLUSIVE VIDEO LECTURE by internationally acclaimed speaker   Rabbi YY Jacobson     The Bar Kochva Revolt in History and Kabbalah     Sunday July 29 Morning service 8am including Kinnos service with explanations and stories of the destruction of the Temple.   Learning Program    10am Talmud Class - The Destruction of Betar 11am Chassidus - The Rebbe's Maamar on Tisha B'av    Mincha 4:40pm followed by Maariv Fast ends 5:40pm   SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Friday Night Candlelighting 4:49pm Mincha 5:00pm   Shabbos Service 6:00pm followed by Kiddush   Shabbos Day Class - The Spiritual Parsha 9am Morning Service 10am -12:20pm followed by Kiddush sponsored anonymously in honour of the Nefesh community   Mincha 4:45pm followed by Maariv and Seudah Shlishis   Shabbos ends 5:48pm   Sunday Shachris 8am followed by beginners Talmud and breakfast   DAILY MINYAN Monday to Friday 7am NOTE: Wednesday minyan has some positions vacant - can you help?

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Why No Flowers on a Grave?

Question of the Week:   I am going to visit my grandmother's grave, and was planning to buy a bunch of her favourite flowers. But I have noticed that Jewish graves don't have bouquets, only  stones laid on them. Is there anything wrong with placing flowers on a grave?   Answer:   The custom to place a stone on a grave is an ancient one. By doing so we are symbolically adding to the gravestone, building up the monument that honours the departed. Placing flowers on a grave is not our custom. Flowers wither and die. Stones remain unchanged. While flowers are a beautiful gift to the living, they mean nothing to the dead. In death, the body which is ephemeral and temporary is gone, and all that remains is that eternal part of the person, their soul. The body, like a flower, blossoms and then fades away, but the soul, like a solid stone, lives on forever. In the world of truth, the place we all go after life on earth, what counts is the lasting impact we had on the world. It is the achievements of the soul, not of the body, that remain beyond the grave. The money we make, the holidays we go on, the food we eat and the games we play - these are all flowers that die along with us. But the good deeds we do, the love we show to others, the light we bring to the world, these are eternal stones that never die. If you want to honour your grandmother, take the money you would have spent on flowers for her and give it to charity in her memory. And take a modest stone that cost you nothing, and place it on her grave, to tell her that though she is gone, the impact she had on you is everlasting. Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au             SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    Friday Night Candlelighting 4:45pm Mincha 4:55pm   Shabbos Service 6:00pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Malka Kurta in honour of Shabbat   Shabbos Day Shiur 9am Morning Service 10am -12:20pm followed by Kiddush   Mincha 4:40pm followed by Maariv and Seudah Shlishis sponsored by Rev Amzalak in honour of the yorzheit of his father R' Yitzchak ben Avraham z"l - long life.   Shabbos ends 5:44pm   DAILY MINYAN Monday to Friday 7am   Friday Rosh Chodesh Av

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VIDEO - Are We Really So Bad?

Are We Really So Bad? 2 Minute Thought on the Parshah  Question of the Week:   I see myself as a very kind person. I am always doing for others, I am the first to offer help. But people don't seem to appreciate my kindness. So I end up being even more giving, and then get burnt out and resentful. I am not looking for accolades, but sometimes I wonder whether it is worth being so giving when it isn't appreciated. So what should I do - be less giving?   Answer:   The Kabbalah teaches that there are two distinct ways of giving to others. One is called being kind, the other is being considerate. And they are very different.   Kindness is the inclination to share of yourself. A kind person is a natural giver. But they give indiscriminately. They will be good to you whether you like it or not. They give and give, but not always are they aware of the receiver's needs.   A kind person will help an old lady across the street, even when the old lady wanted to stay where she was. They will clear your plate from the table to save you standing up, but you weren't finished your meal. Their kindness is indiscriminate, and sometimes undeserved. It may be appreciated and helpful much of the time, but not all of the time, because there is no consideration. The needs and circumstances of the other are not taken into account. It is their kindness, on their terms.   Then there is the considerate person. They are sensitive to the situation around them. They have antennae that pick up the needs and wants of others. They have tact and timing, they know when to step in and when to step out, when to give and when to hold back. They will sense when their giving is too much, or not warranted, or even damaging to the receiver.   It is much easier to be kind than considerate. A kind person is in control. They are responding to their own inner desire to give. But consideration puts the other person in control. Their giving is in response to the other's needs, not their own. So their efforts are directed to where they are most needed and appreciated.   You are a beautiful and kind person. But perhaps you need to work on your consideration. Are you giving wisely? Are your gifts arriving at the correct address, at the right time? There are times when the best gift is silence, and the kindest thing to do is nothing. So don't become less kind. Just become more considerate.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe  CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au SERVICES AT NEFESH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    Friday Night Candlelighting 4:41pm Mincha 4:50pm   Shabbos Service 6:00pm followed by Kiddush sponsored anonymously   Shabbos Day Shiur 9am Morning Service 10am -12:20pm followed by Kiddush sponsored by Jodie Ariel in honour of Eli and Jodie's 8th wedding anniversary- Mazal Tov!   L'chaim sponsored by Rose Rev and the Schaeffer families in honour of the 80th birthday of Paul Schaeffer- Mazal Tov!   Mincha 4:35pm followed by and Maariv Seudah Shlishis sponsored by the Ariel family in honour of the yartzeit of Eli's brother, Ariel Ariel z'l.   Shabbos ends 5:40pm   Sunday Fast of 17th Tammuz begins 5:41am   8am Shachris   Fast Ends 5:27pm    DAILY MINYAN Monday to Friday 7am

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