Rabbi Moss: April 2021

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Have I Lost My Mind?

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Question of the Week:

I grew up hearing that to learn Kabbalah you have to be married, over forty, and an accomplished scholar. Otherwise you will go mad. Yet these days it seems everyone and anyone studies Kabbalah. So is what I heard not true or have the rules changed? Or have we all gone mad?

Answer:

The origin of the belief that Kabbalah study is dangerous seems to be a Talmudic tale.

There were four rabbis who shared an out-of-body mystical experience, where their souls wandered off into the higher realms. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Avuya and Rabbi Akiva.

Each of these scholars was impacted differently by the experience. For three of them, it was not a happy ending.

Ben Azzai died. Ben Zoma went mad. Elisha ben Avuya lost his faith. Only Rabbi Akiva was able to internalize and process this mystical experience, and come back down to earth unharmed.

They all shared the same vision, yet they were impacted so differently. When we analyze some biographical details of these four scholars we can understand why.

Ben Azzai was a permanent bachelor. He refused to get married, feeling that having a family would interfere with his spiritual life. His celibacy left him unattached to the here and now, so when he tasted the bliss of heaven he didn't want to come back. He had nothing to come back for. So he didn't. He died.

Ben Zoma was a promising young scholar. But he was undeveloped. He didn't have the maturity and stability to handle such high levels of revelation. His gifted but unripe mind was overloaded, and he went crazy.

Elisha ben Avuya was a brilliant man. But he had a weakness. He mingled his Kabbalistic ideas with concepts from Greek philosophy. He diluted the purity of the Torah by trying to fit it into worldly wisdom. And so in the end his confused spirituality led him astray. He misinterpreted the visions he saw and became a non-believer.

Why was Rabbi Akiva different? We know about Rabbi Akiva that unlike Ben Azzai, he was married. We also know that unlike Ben Zoma, he was a mature late bloomer. Until he was forty, he could not even read Hebrew. It was his wife Rochel who inspired him to start at the beginning and learn Torah from scratch. And unlike Elisha ben Avuya, he studied Torah in purity.

So from Rabbi Akiva we learn that safe entry into the mysteries of Kabbalah requires the maturity and groundedness of a married scholar who is over forty. Anyone else who dares to wander into the esoteric orchard risks losing their mind, or their faith, or even their life.

So can young, unripe and uninitiated novices study Kabbalah? Absolutely. Because there is a difference between Kabbalistic study and Kabbalistic experience. These three scholars were harmed because they were experimenting with out-of-body journeys, using divine names to enter higher worlds. You've got to be a Rabbi Akiva to dabble in that.

But studying the wisdom of Kabbalah is a different story. It doesn't matter so much who is learning Kabbalah, the question is more who is doing the teaching. If you have a pious teacher with authentic training, you can study Kabbalah anytime. If you plug in to the right sources, Kabbalah won't drive you mad. On the contrary, it will give you a taste of spiritual sanity in an otherwise mad world.

Good Shabbos and Happy Lag Baomer,
Rabbi Moss

Sources:
Talmud Chagiga 14b. See also Zohar I 26b and Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 40

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Friday, 30 April 2021 | 18 Iyar 5781
Candle Lighting ...............4:58pm
Shabbos Evening Service ...6:00-6:50pm
Count Omer Day 34
Followed by Kiddush

Saturday, 1 May 2021 | 12 Iyar 5781
For this week only at 36 Flood St, Bondi
Shabbos Morning Service with Bar Mitzvah of Daniel Super... 10:00am - 12:20pm
Children's Program.......................................................... 11:00am
Kiddush in honour of Daniel Super's Bar Mitzvah – Mazal Tov!

Mincha after Kiddush
Pirkei Ovos Chapter 4

Shabbos ends........... 5:53pm
Maariv at the Mosses..6:00pm
Count Omer Day 34

Latest Shema this week... 9:08am

MAZAL TOV
Gideon & Rita Super and their families on Daniel's Bar Mitzvah.
Mel Licker & Claudia Mangel on their wedding.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Jonathan Shapira... 22 Iyar/Tuesday, 4 May
Suzy Moss............ 23 Iyar/Wednesday, 5 May
Andrew Whitten.... 25 Iyar/Friday, 7 May

LONG LIFE FOR YORTZHEITS
Tami Kaplan and Wayne Kaplan for their late father Alan Kaplan... 19 Iyar/Saturday, 1 May
Steven Clemans for his late father Julian Clemans Yaakov ben Moshe... 20 Iyar/Sunday, 2 May
Moshe Moses Adee Moses for their late mother Matilda Moses, Masouda bat Toba... 25 Iyar/Friday, 7 May
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Thursday, April 22, 2021

I'm Completely Shaken By This

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Question of the Week

Why will my rabbi not shake a woman's hand? I find it highly offensive. I would think in this day and age women could be treated equally to men, not as inferior untouchables. Why can't a religious man have the basic courtesy to shake hands with me?

Answer

Does anyone shake hands anymore? I thought the hand shaking tradition died a quiet death during the pandemic. People stopped shaking hands, a nd curiously, no one took it personally.

When someone refuses to shake hands for health reasons, it is like saying, "Lovely to see you. If you don't mind I won't touch you because you may be infected, or unhygienic, or both. I'd rather not get sick from you."

This is completely acceptable. No one takes offense at you suspecting them of being dirty or diseased.

When someone refuses to shake hands with the opposite gender, it is like saying, "Lovely to see you. If you don't mind, I reserve physical touch between genders for members of my immediate family. The only woman who is not my blood relative that I will touch is my wife. There's nothing wrong with you. It is actually nothing to do with you. It's about keeping the magic power of touch within my marriage."

And it goes both ways. Just as your rabbi won't shake a woman's hand, his wife won't shake a man's hand. This is equal opportunity non-shaking. So please take no offense. You are not being avoided like the plague. And even that isn't offensive.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

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Friday 23 April 2021 | 11 Iyar 5781
Candle Lighting........................... 5:05pm
Shabbos Evening Service ............ 6:00-6:50pm
Count Omer................................ Day 27
Followed by Kiddush

Saturday, 24 April 2021 | 12 Iyar 5781
Shabbos Morning Service ....... 10:00am - 12:45pm
Children's Program ................ 11:00am
Kiddush & Lunch sponsored by Tzvika, Bev, Dafy and Shai Behrman to farewell the Nefesh community before their return to Israel- Hatzlacha Raba!

Dessert sponsored by Nefesh community to thank and farewell the Behrman family.

Mincha ............... after Lunch
Pirkei Ovos.......... Chapter 3

Shabbos ends...................6:00pm
Count Omer..................... Day 28

Latest Shema this week..... 9:06am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Nathan Peles......... 12 Iyar/Saturday, 24 April
Carol Melman........ 13 Iyar/Sunday, 25 April
Jonathan Isdale......13 Iyar/Sunday, 25 April
Layla Bando......... 4 Iyar/Monday, 26 April
Eitan Meguideche...17 Iyar/Saturday, 17 April
Avishai Kessel....... 18 Iyar/Friday, 30 April

LONG LIFE FOR YORTZHEITS
Frank Dreyer for his late mother Eva Dreyer
Chava bat Avraham... 12 Iyar/Saturday, 24 April

Anne Sarzin for her late grandfather
Ha Rav Avraham Ben Elimelech Halevi...12 Iyar/Saturday, 24 April

Jack Klein for his late father
Shimon Klein... 13 Iyar/Sunday, 25 April

Theresa Bengis for her late husband
Baruch ben Lasar...14 Iyar/Monday, 26 April

Alex Bartos for his late mother
Rachel bat Avraham...15 Iyar/Tuesday, 27 April

Judy Amzalak for her late mother
Bracha bat Moshe... 18 Iyar/Friday, 30 April

Carol Melman for her late brother Brian Shapiro
Baruch ben Aaron... 18 Iyar/Friday, 30 April

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Thursday, April 15, 2021

Why Are You Always Late?

SHUL TONIGHT - NEW WINTER TIME 6PM

Question of the Week:

I have a friend who is never on time for any social arrangement, and is often outrageously late. He is otherwise a great guy. His tardiness drives me crazy and is affecting our friendship. Does our sensible religion have something to say on why it is wrong to be late? I suspect that if Judaism promotes punctuality, he might lift his game...

Answer:

The Kabbalah teaches that people come under two personality types: chessed or gevurah.

A chessed type is someone who is giving and outward, generous and expressive. They are easy-going, spontaneous and free-spirited. But sometimes a bit all over the place.

A gevurah type is more inward and disciplined, controlled and contained. They are focused, predictable and dependable. And can tend to be a little square.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. A gevurah person can organize a party. A chessed person will be the life of it. A gevurah person is good at writing budgets. A chessed person spends the money. You'd rather get a gift from a chessed person. You'd rather get a lift with a gevurah person.

When they work together, a chessed person and a gevurah person make a great team. Their opposite talents compliment each other, and the one's strengths compensate for the other's weaknesses. But when it comes to time management, they will clash. A gevurah type arrives five minutes early. A chessed type is just getting ready to leave when they're already five minutes late.

Your friend sounds like a chessed type. He may find it hard to restrict himself in order to be on time. It may go against his very nature. This is not an excuse, just an explanation. Asking a chessed person to be on time is like asking a gevurah person to chill out and throw away their schedule. It's possible, but not so simple. We can't just change our nature.

But we can change our behaviour. If your friend would contemplate on the inconvenience his lateness causes to others, it may help him overcome it. We all have our nature, whether we tend toward chessed or gevurah. But even an extreme chessed person has some gevurah there deep down. And that latent gevurah can be activated by employing a third power in the soul, called tiferes.

Tiferes is empathy, our sensitivity to others. It is the ability to transcend our nature by becoming more attentive to the needs of those around us. Instead of acting from my own instinct, tiferes allows me respond to my surroundings.

When a chessed person taps in to tiferes, he is no longer stuck in his own instinctive pattern of lateness. He can awaken some inner gevurah. His chessed nature won't go away, but he can at least force himself to come on time, out of consideration for those gevurah people who will otherwise be waiting around for him.

Indeed your friend is a chessed person, and his challenge is to work on his gevurah, discipline himself and get his act together. But you have a challenge too. You're a gevurah person. So channel some chessed. Ease up a bit on your friend. His lateness is a part of the package, the fun-loving over-the-top spur-of-the-moment friend that you love. Teach him some gevurah, and learn a bit of chessed. He might still be late sometimes, but at least you'll be more chilled about it.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

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This innocent looking green box has caused quite a fuss for our building. We need a new one to provide the necessary electricity, and just as Ausgrid (the electricity provider) was about to install it, Council stepped in to block them, saying they no longer allow them on the footpath. We stood back to watch the clash of two titans, as Ausgrid insisted they want the box on the street and Council insisted they won't let it. The debate continues, but in the meantime we want to move on with our building, so we have agreed to allow the box to be on our property. After this little hiccup we are back on track. Now we just have to wait for Ausgrid to do their thing. After that, not much more to go....

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Friday, 16 April 2021 | 4 Iyar 5781
Candle Lighting........................ 5:13pm
Shabbos Evening Service .......... 6:00-6:50pm
Count Omer............................. Day 20

Saturday, 17 April 2021 | 5 Iyar 5781
Shabbos Morning Service ....... 10:00am - 12:45pm
Children's Program ................ 11:00am
Kiddush and Lunch sponsored by:
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Mincha .......... after Lunch
Pirkei Ovos..... Chapter 2

Shabbos ends......................... 6:07pm
Count Omer............................ Day 21

Latest Shema......................... 9:04am

MAZAL TOV
Helene & Gerard Solden on the birth of a baby girl!
Mendel & Chana Michla Deitz on the birth of a baby girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Benjamin Hoch.........5 Iyar/Saturday, 17 April
Nikki Kinstlinger....... 5 Iyar/Saturday, 17 April
Sheryl Deubler......... 6 Iyar/Sunday, 18 April

LONG LIFE FOR YORTZHEITS
Larnce Gold for his late grandmother Naomi Frere
Nechama bas Ester... 8 Iyar/Tuesday 20 April

Nikki Kaplan for her late father Errol Raphael Kaplan,
Aryeh... 7 Iyar/Monday 19 April

Marlene Franks for her late father Aaron Jacob Wolman
Aharon Yaakov... 10 Iyar/Thursday 22 April

David Bermeister for his late father
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Thursday, April 8, 2021

He Just Won't Commit...

SHUL TONIGHT - NEW WINTER TIME 6PM

Question of the Week

You may find it strange that I am writing to you, rabbi. You know I am not very involved in Jewish life. I am very spiritual, but not religious. I am turning to you because you know my boyfriend very well. We've been so long together and he still won't commit. He says our relationship is fine as it is, and we don't need to be married. Maybe you can give him a little nudge and explain that a relationship needs commitment to be real?

Answer

I would be glad to try and bring him around. You are a great couple and he would be a fool to lose you. But I must say, you can't blame him for not committing. You are doing the exact same thing as he is.

When he says, "I love you, but I don't want to marry you," it means he wants the benefits without the obligations. He likes the feeling of being in a relationship, but doesn't want the commitment that marriage demands.

It sounds great, which is why more and more people are choosing love without marriage. But what it really means is he is stuck in himself. He is looking at what he can gain from the relationship, but isn't willing to make himself vulnerable and put himself out for it. That's not love, that's convenience. I would tell him, If you really mean it when you say I love you, then commit. Do it for her.

That's my speech to your boyfriend. But I could give the same speech to you.

When you say you are spiritual but not religious, you sound exactly like him. You are open to spirituality, but not open to the discipline of religion. It's like saying to G-d, "I love You, but I am not ready to commit to You. I will do what feels good to me, but it has to be on my terms. My meditations, my fixing the world, my way. Just don't ask me to do things Your way."

True spirituality is not about feeling good. It's about doing good, no matter what you feel. You aren't limiting yourself when you commit to observing divine commandments. You are opening yourself to the infinite, transcending your limits, committing to a higher purpose. There can be nothing more liberating.

And getting married is not limiting yourself either. It is expanding yourself, because your life is not just about you anymore. By committing, you are making yourself vulnerable, answerable to another person. Your life is not just about you. What you do matters to someone else. That is at once humbling and exhilarating.

So here's the deal. I will talk to your boyfriend, and explain to him the beauty of a committed relationship. And you back me up as a living example of just that, by doing a mitzvah and committing to G-d. Maybe he will do it for you, if you will do it for Him.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

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Friday, 9 April 2021 | 27 Nissan 5781
Candle Lighting........................ 5:22pm
Shabbos Evening Service ...........6:00-6:50pm
Count Omer..............................Day 13
Kiddush sponsored by Jenny Kantorovich in honour of the yortzheit for her late father, Pinchus ben Shlomo on 16 Nissan- Long Life.

Saturday, 10 April 2021 | 28 Nissan 5781
Shabbos Morning Service ....... 10:00am - 12:45pm
Children's Program ................ 11:00am

Followed by Kiddush
Mincha ................................. after Kiddush
Pirkei Ovos............................ Chapter 1
Shabbos ends........................ 6:16pm
Maariv at the Mosses.............. 6:20pm
Count Omer........................... Day 14

Latest Shema......................... 9:02am
New Moon/Molad................. Monday 12 April 7:47:6am
Rosh Chodesh Iyar............... Mon 12 & Tue 13 April

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Bianca Hedges..................... 3 Iyar/Thursday 15 April

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Simone & Darryl Green......... 30 Nissan/Monday 12 April

LONG LIFE FOR YORTZHEITS
Jack Reuben for his late father Joseph Reuben
Yosef Ben Reuven... 4 Iyar/Friday, 16 April

Danny, Jesse and Dove Meguideche for their late mother
Sarah Meguideche... 4 Iyar/Friday, 16 April

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Thursday, April 1, 2021

A Fortnight of Pesach

Question of the Week

Why do we have the Moshiach meal on the last day of Pesach?

Answer:

You often hear people say, "I wish Pesach would last another week."

Well, not so often.

But the Zohar teaches that when Moshiach comes, it will. Instead of just one week, Pesach will last a full fourteen days. The first seven days will celebrate Moses taking us out of Egypt, the mother of all redemptions. The second seven days will celebrate the coming of Moshiach, ending almost two thousand years of exile.

Before anyone starts to panic about fourteen days of Pesach, let's make things clear. We will still eat Matzah for the first week, to remember how we had to rush out of Egypt. And then, for the second week, we will eat bread. There will be no need to rush out of this exile. We will walk out calmly, with nothing to run away from. Evil will be vanquished. There will be no pharaohs chasing us anymore. We will finally have enough time for our bread to rise.

This is why we have the Moshiach meal at the end of Pesach. Because in the futuristic two week festival, day eight will be the first day of the second week, celebrating Moshiach's arrival. Even today, the eighth day of Pesach has a Moshiach air about it. The Moshiach meal we have today is a taste of the new Seder we will have when Moshiach comes.

And this just about sums up the Jewish view. We commemorate the miracles of the past, and we anticipate the wonders of the future. Our history teaches us to hope for a happier tomorrow. We got out of Egypt. We can get out of anything. Our story is not over. The best is yet to come.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

Sources:
Tikkunei Zohar 21
Pri Tzaddik Pesach 54

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EREV YOM TOV | SHABBOS SHEVII SHEL PESACH
Friday 2 April 2021 | 20 Nissan
Candle Lighting 6:31pm (earliest 5:39pm)
Mincha 6:15pm
Shabbos & Pesach Evening Service 6:30-7:20pm

SHEVII SHEL PESACH (DAY 7)
Saturday 3 April 2021 | 21 Nissan
Shabbos & Pesach Morning Service 10:00am - 12:30pm
Children's Program 11:00am
Priestly Blessing 12:00pm

Candle Lighting                   after 7:25pm
Mincha                                          6:30pm
Yomtov Evening Service                  7:15pm

ACHARON SHEL PESACH (DAY 8)
Sunday 4 April 2021 | 22 Nissan
*Daylight saving ends
Pesach Morning Service   10:00am - 12:45pm
Children's Program                       11:00am
Yizkor Memorial Service                 11:30am
Priestly Blessing                           12:15pm
Mincha                                     after Musaf
Seudas Moshiach
Shabbos & Yom Tov ends and Maariv               6:23pm
Please allow half an hour before eating chometz that was sold.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Reverend Amzalak ................ 22 Nissan/Sunday 4 April
Meir Moss ........................... 24 Nissan/Tuesday 6 April

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Rabbi Moss

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Have I Lost My Mind?

Thursday, April 22, 2021

I'm Completely Shaken By This

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Why Are You Always Late?

Thursday, April 8, 2021

He Just Won't Commit...

Thursday, April 1, 2021

A Fortnight of Pesach

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