What Annoys You Most?

NEW COURSES: Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, Kabbalah

Question of the Week:   I am so annoyed with the world. Everyone treats me badly, everyone is so self-absorbed, nobody really cares. I try to be nice but never get anything in return. I am not sure it is worth it. Why should I be good to others when they can't reciprocate?    Answer: You can change this pattern. But you have to change yourself. There is a penetrating teaching by the master of souls, the Baal Shem Tov. He says that when you look at another person, you are really looking in the mirror. The things that annoy you most in others are the things that annoy you most about yourself. The reason you notice them in your fellow is because they are inside you, they are familiar, and they bother you, because they are yours.  If you didn't suffer from the same issue you simply wouldn't be able to recognise it in another person. You have to identify with something to be effected by it. If it pushes your buttons, it's because they are your buttons. So if you think everyone around you is so self-absorbed, if all you can see in others is selfishness... We are all a bit selfish. But if you can see nothing but selfishness around you, you are too stuck in your own experience of things and not seeing how they look from the other's perspective. Like the man who complained to his Rebbe, "When I go to Shul everyone walks all over me." To which the Rebbe replied, "If you wouldn't spread yourself all over the Shul, people would be able to avoid stepping on you. But you haven't left any room for anyone else to step..." You have a good soul. So do most of the people around you. Love your fellow, and then you can love yourself.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss Source: Meor Einayim Parshas Chukas To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 1 or 8 February:   BASIC $120  or DELUXE $200    SHABBOS DAY 2 Feb or 9 February:  STANDARD $350  or LUNCH (*FROM $450 - email office@nefesh.com.au for lunch options)  SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: BESHALACH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 25 January 2019 | 19 Shevat 5779 Candle Lighting............ 7:47pm (Not before 6:42pm) Mincha........................ 6:15pm Shabbos Service........... 6:30-7:20pm Kids Program .............. 6:30pm Kiddush sponsored by Tanya Schneider Shabbos Day, 26 January 2019 | 20 Shevat 5779 In depth parsha class ..................... 9:00am Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program................................ 10:30am Kiddush sponsored by Ron Moss in honour of his birthday - Mazel Tov!   Early Mincha and Aufruf of Kelly Moses  followed by Seudah Shlishis ...............5:30pm   Shabbos ends.................................. 8:45pm WEEKDAY SERVICES Sun - Mon (Pub.Hol) ................................. 8:00am Tues- Friday............................................. 7:00am Latest Shema this week............................. 9:36am   MAZEL TOV Jodie Susskind & Kelly Moses and their extended families on the call-up and wedding this week! Manor and Mor Mor on the birth of their son Yehonatan. Reverend and Mrs Amzalak on the Bat Mitzvah of their Granddaughter Bracha Amzalak in Melbourne this weekend.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Michelle Kaplan..... 26 Shevat/ Friday 1 February   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Janet & David Kessler..................20 Shevat/ Saturday 26 January Robert & Natalie Dabscheck......... 23 Shevat/ Tuesday 29 January Michael & Linda Lenn.................. 23 Shevat/ Tuesday 29 January Jackie & Les Regos..................... 25 Shevat/ Thursday 31 January

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Why Does the Torah Speak Loshon Hora?

Question of the Week:   If it is forbidden to speak Loshon Hora (gossip) then why is it ok that the Torah tells us bad things about people, like the sins of the Israelites in the desert, Korach challenging Moses, Aaron helping make a Golden Calf? Even the story about Miriam speaking loshon hora about Moses,  isn't that Loshon Hora?   Answer:   Evil talk is a serious sin. Even when it is true, speaking badly about people is wrong and damages all involved - the speaker, the listener and the subject. But when the Torah relays negative information about someone, it is for the benefit all, even the subject spoken about.  The greatest correction of a sin is when the sin itself inspires people not to sin. By telling us stories of those who did wrong and the consequences they faced, the Torah teaches us to avoid wrongdoing. The intention is not to gossip, but rather to learn from the mistakes of others.  This is a great benefit to us, as we learn right and wrong from the stories of the past. And it is also a great benefit to those who committed those wrongdoings. If their mistakes can serve as a lesson to others to become better people, then their sin is redeemed and their soul is cleansed.  This doesn't mean we can all go around gossiping about others in order to learn from their mistakes and correct their souls. You can only do that if you can be absolutely sure that the only reason you are sharing the information is purely for the good of all, without any inkling of bad feeling or taking pleasure in the failings of others. The average human can't claim to have such pure intentions, and so we can't help correct souls by speaking about them.  The only time we are allowed to share negative information is when it is of a clear practical benefit to the listener. If someone is about to enter a business deal with a person we know for a fact is an unrepentant crook, we are obligated to share that information. That is not gossip, it's preventing loss. But even then, you can only say what you know, without exaggeration or speculation. Even when you need to, you shouldn't enjoy speaking ill of others.  It is one of the uglier sides of human nature that we revel in the sins of others. Maybe we should quench that urge by studying the Torah passages that describe human failures, and learning the lessons from them. If that's the only gossip we indulge in, we'd all be better off.    Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 25 January or 1 February:   BASIC $120  or DELUXE $200    SHABBOS DAY 26 January or 2 February:  STANDARD $350  or LUNCH (*FROM $450 - email office@nefesh.com.au for lunch options)  SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: BESHALACH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 18 January 2019 | 12 Shevat 5779 Candle Lighting............ 7:50pm (Not before 6:44pm) Mincha........................ 6:15pm Shabbos Service........... 6:30-7:20pm (No Kids Program due to holidays) Kiddush sponsored by Malka Kurta in honour of the recent Yortzheit for her late father, Alexander Rees (Shlomo Ben David HaLevi) on 7 Shevat- Long Life   Shabbos Day, 19 January 2019 | 13 Shevat 5779 In depth parsha class ..................... 9:00am Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm (No Kids Program due to holidays) Kiddush sponsored by Janet and David Kessler in honour and appreciation of their forthcoming 6th Wedding Anniversary - Mazel Tov!   Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis .............7:55pm Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak............ 8:15pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss................................ 8:35pm Shabbos ends........................................... 8:50pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Mon - Friday................................................ 7:00am Latest Shema this week................................. 9:31am   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Valerie Smaller........... 14 Shevat / Sunday 20 January Mendel Moss.............. 15/16 Shevat-Monday/Tuesday 21/22 January Zac Weinberg............. 17 Shevat/ Wednesday 23 January Mitchell Deubler.......... 18 Shevat / Thursday 24 January   LONG LIFE Les Pozniak for his late father Maurice Pozniak, Moshe Ben Yeshiou......14 Shevat/ Sunday 20 January Jacqueline Rosenberg, Natalie Lipson and David Eliovson for their late husband and father Peter John Eliovson, Perach ben Ezra...... 18 Shevat/ Thursday 24 January

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Would You Eat Bacon for $10 million?

Rabbi YY Jacobson Video Lecture

Question of the Week:   I was watching a debate between the famous atheist Richard Dawkins and some rabbi about religion and G-d. Dawkins said that religions are just money machines, and its leaders fleece their gullible followers of their cash and come out rich. What do you have to say about that?   Answer:   So Dawkins is saying that for believers, money trumps morality. I assume he holds that atheists are different. Let's test that hypothesis. What happens when people need to choose between money and principles? Let's try the following theoretical experiment.   Imagine you put Richard Dawkins in a sealed room all alone, with no one watching, no recording devices or CCTV's, and you offer him a deal: "I will give you ten million dollars if you will make the following statement right here and now: G-d most certainly does exist, He created the universe, and atheism is a delusion. I will never tell anyone that you said it. There will be no record of this one off event. Just make the statement, get the cash, and it will all be forgotten."   Does anyone have any doubt that Richard Dawkins would go for it and take the money? Can you think of any reason in the world for him to refuse that offer? Would he even hesitate to accept it? I think clearly not.   Now imagine you put the rabbi he debated in that same sealed room, all alone, and made this offer: "Rabbi, you will receive ten million dollars cash, tax free, no strings attached, but on one condition - you eat this piece of bacon. No one will ever find out, it will not go beyond this room, it will be forgotten forever. Just eat and take the prize."   What would the rabbi do? Would he too sell his principles for ten million dollars? After all, it's just a one-off, and no one will ever know.   Let's be honest. Rabbis are humans too, and some rabbis may find the temptation too hard to resist. But I would say that the overwhelming majority of rabbis would refuse this offer and walk away. And not just rabbis, but many observant Jews, including those who could desperately use the money, would be able to withstand the test and not eat the bacon.    I am not suggesting that religious people do no wrong. I am saying that a religious person has reason to stand for their principles even when they can get away with it, and reason to regret it when they fail. It makes no difference that no one will find out or no one is looking. G-d is always looking. An atheist doesn't have that restriction. I don't believe that even one single atheist in their right mind would refuse to abrogate their atheism when there is something to gain and no one will find out.   Money is indeed a powerful corrupter. But in a choice between money and G-d, at least G-d has a chance. Between money and atheism, there is no contest.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 18 January:   BASIC $120  or DELUXE $200    SHABBOS DAY 5 January or 12 January:  STANDARD $350  or LUNCH (*FROM $450 - email office@nefesh.com.au for lunch options)  SHABBOS TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: Shemos ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 28 December 2018 | 20 Teves 5779 Candle Lighting............ 7:50pm (Not before 6:42pm) Mincha........................ 6:15pm Shabbos Service........... 6:30-7:20pm Kids Program................6:30pm Gravlax and Whisky Kiddush sponsored anonymously to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer! Shabbos Day, 29 December 2018 | 21 Teves 5779 In depth parsha class ...................... 9:00am Shabbos Service............................ 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program ............................... 10:30am Kiddush in honour of the Aufruf and wedding of Daniel Lazarus and Megan Kessler - Mazal Tov!   Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ............7:50pm Gematria and Story by Rev Amzalak........... 8:10pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss............................... 8:30pm Shabbos ends.......................................... 8:50pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday & Tuesday (Pub.Hol).......................... 8:00am Mon, Wed- Fri.............................................. 7:00am Latest Shema this week................................. 9:18am   Condolences to Steven, Harry and David Fester and families on the passing of their mother Goldie.   Mazal tov to the Lazarus and Kessler families on Daniel Lazarus' Aufruf this Shabbos and his upcoming marriage to Megan Kessler on Sunday!   Mazal Tov to the Kahn and Valoschin families on Joel and Vicky's wedding this Sunday!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY Richelle Goldshaft... 25 Tevet / Wednesday 2 January Cade Lessem......... 25 Tevet / Wednesday 2 January   LONG LIFE Harold Judelman for his late sister Elaine Tudin, Ella bat Yisroel... 21 Tevet/ Saturday 29 December Adele Glick for her late father Mendel Rieback... 24 Tevet/ Tuesday 1 January Carol Melman for her late father Arnold Shapiro Aron Ben Yitzchak... 25 Tevet/ Wednesday 2 January Judy Traub for her late husband David Traub David ben Yaacov... 26 Tevet/ Thursday 3 January Libby Moss and Peter Irving for their late mother Joan Cohen Chana Bas Yesse... 27 Teves/ Friday 4 January Jack Klein for his late mother Grace Helen Klein... 27 Tevet/ Friday 4 January

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