Rabbi Moss: What Keeps You Up At Night?

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Question of the Week:

I am from a somewhat traditional Jewish family, and yet the festival of Shavuos is completely unknown to us. We always had Seder on Pesach and fasted on Yom Kippur, but we never did anything to celebrate the giving of the Torah. All my friends did the same. I would have thought that this would be an important event to commemorate. So why is Shavuos the forgotten festival?

Answer:

The reason why Shavuos is the least celebrated Jewish festival is a startling one. It is the least demanding. The easier the festival, the less it is observed.

The most difficult festival to observe is Yom Kippur, on which we abstain from food and drink altogether and pray all day. And yet, this rather grueling holyday is the most widely observed. The easiest festival to observe is Shavuos. All that is expected of us is to have a day of rest and eat lots of cheesecake. How hard can that be? And this pleasurable festival is the most neglected.

There's a surprising lesson there. We value things that require effort. If something comes too easy, it is taken lightly. But if it's demanding, it is more compelling. A tough diet will be taken seriously. A difficult work project will be given more attention. We invest ourselves where we feel what we are doing actually matters. When we are given serious responsibilities we step up to the role.

You would expect the opposite to be true. Indeed, there have been well meaning voices in Jewish history that have suggested that the best way to stem the tide of assimilation is by easing the laws of Judaism to make it more appealing. It makes sense. Lower the bar, lighten the burden, and people will be more willing to stay Jewish. But the result was the opposite. The Jewish movements that demanded less from their constituents have more often than not been a gateway out of Judaism rather than a way in. Quite simply, if Judaism asks nothing of me, then that's what Judaism will get.

We don't need to dilute Judaism to make it attractive. We just need to make it accessible. Jewish souls are thirsting for a Judaism that will ask something of them, demand their allegiance to a higher cause, stretch their minds to think deeper, challenge them to live with a sense of purpose and mission.

Perhaps this is one reason why the kabbalists introduced the custom of staying awake all night on Shavuos. Just eating cheesecake was too easy. Let's ask ourselves to give something up on Shavuos to show that it really matters to us. Fluffy Judaism is a tranquilliser. A demanding Judaism keeps us wide awake.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

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SHABBAT SERVICES TIMES AND COMMUNITY INFO

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Friday, 26 May, 2017 | 1 Sivan 5777

Candle Lighting....................... 4:38pm

Mincha................................... 4:50pm

Making Sense of the Siddur

(a class with Rabbi Moss).......... 5:30-6:00pm

Friday Evening Service.............. 6:00pm

Followed by Kiddush.

Shabbos, 27 May, 2017 | 2 Sivan 5777

In depth Parsha Class............... 9:00am

Children's program................. 10:45am

Shabbos Morning Service ........ 10:00am- 12:20pm

Kiddush sponsored by Rabbi Zalman & Rivka Leah (nee Cylich) Popack on the occassion of their wedding- Mazal Tov!

Mincha with Pirkei Ovos Ch 6

followed by Seudah Shlishis .............. 4:30pm

Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak....... 4:55pm

Shiur with Rabbi Moss......................... 5:15pm

Shabbos ends and Maariv.................... 5:36pm

Followed by Havdalah

WEEKDAY SHACHARIS SERVICES

Sunday................................. 8:00am

Mon, Tues & Fri...................... 7:00am

Latest Shema this week............ 9:17am

SHAVUOS TIMES

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Tuesday 30 May

Candle Lighting .................. 4:37pm

Mincha................................4:45pm

Shavuos Evening Service...... 5:30pm

Catered Dairy Dinner- BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL... 6pm

All Night Learning.......... 9:00pm-5:00am

Wednesday 31 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!

Early Mincha after Kiddush

KIDS TEN COMMANDMENTS READING AND ICE CREAM PARTY WITH JEMS 4-5pm

Candle Lighting...................after 5:35 pm
Shavuos Evening Service............. 5:35 pm

Thursday 1 June | 7 Sivan
Shavuos, Day 2
Morning Service.....................10:00am

Yizkor-Memorial Service..........11:00am

Followed by Kiddush

Mincha...................................4:45 pm
Shavuos ends & Maariv.............5:35 pm

MAZEL TOV TO

Reverend and Mrs Amzalak on the engagement of their granddaughter Nechama Moskowitz (Ukraine) to Mendel Levitin (Israel)!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Sabrina Tsipris...... 2 Sivan/ Saturday 27 May

Lilah Hedges......... 5 Sivan/ Tuesday 30 May

Wayne Kaplan....... 6 Sivan/ Wednesday 31 May

LONG LIFE TO

Mrs Amzalak for her late father Moshe Tuvia ben Abraham Aaron 2 Sivan/ Sat 27 May

Eric Borecki for his late brother David Borecki, David Ben Osher 4 Sivan/ Mon 29 May

Gabor Palanszky for his late sister-in-law Georgina Palansky,

Georgina Bat David....... 5 Sivan/ Tuesday 30 May

Judi Berman for her late grandfather Hyman (Ray) Segal

Chaim ben Leib... 6 Sivan/ Wednesday 31 May

Martine Springer for her late grandfather Hyman (Ray) Segal

Chaim ben Leib... 6 Sivan/ Wednesday 31 May

Richelle Goldshaft and Robert Goldshaft for their late father and grandfather Leon Israel Rosenthal, Leib Yisrael ben Shmuel 7 Sivan/ Thursday 1 June

Mark Gindin & Faina Strier for their late father Ilya Gindin

Eliyahu ben Mordechai... 7 Sivan/ Thursday 1 June

Rosalie Cohen, Gilda Cohen-Shapira and Lee-Anne Whitten for their late husband, brother and father Edward Cohen, Tuvia ben Moshe 8 Sivan/ Friday 2 June

Nicholas Levy for his late grandmother Ruby Levy

Rifka bas Daniel... 8 Sivan/ Friday 2 June

KIDDUSH SPONSORSHIP

If you have a birthday, yorzheit, special occasion or just because, we'd love you to sponsor a kiddush. Just tell us the date and kiddush type you'd like and we look after the rest.

CURRENT DATES AVAILABLE

First Day Shavuos 31 May CHEESECAKES, BLINTZES AND SALAD BAR

HELP US FUEL THE SHAVUOS FUN

- Sponsor an hour of learning (+coffee, red bull and cake) in honour of someone or something $45

- Sponsor the whole night of learning (+hot drink and snack bar) in honour of someone or something $360

- Kids ice cream truck cosponsor $50 (SOLD)

- Cheesecake sponsor $54

- Cosponsor dairy kiddush $180 (3 more neeeded)

Friday night 2 June

Shabbos Day 3 June

Friday night 9 June

FRIDAY NIGHT KIDDUSH OPTIONS

Herring & L'Chaim-$60 + B.Y.O Whisky

HOT Soup kiddush- $75 | Basic Kiddush - $100

Deluxe Kiddush - $180

SHABBOS DAY KIDDUSH OPTIONS

Herring & L'Chaim- $90 + B.Y.O Whisky

Standard Kiddush - $300

Simply email office@nefesh.com.au

For special or larger kiddushim, we recommend you engage an external kosher caterer to provide all the food, drinks and disposables. Just email the office for assistance with this option.