Are Humans Equal to Animals?

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JOIN NEFESH FOR HIGH HOLYDAYS www.nefesh.org.au/membership  Question of the Week:     I have been looking into the Seven Noahide Laws. I understand these are the biblical commands to all humanity - the children of Noah - and they provide the basis for ethical living. But looking at the list, there seems to be an odd one out:   1.    Do not worship idols - agreed, we have to believe in G-d 2.    Do not curse G-d - have respect for Him, I can dig that 3.    Do not murder - obvious 4.    Do not steal - ok 5.    Do not commit adultery - fine 6.    Set up courts of justice - needed to ensure the other laws are kept, but: 7.    Do not eat the limb of a living animal - Um, what?????????????   Why of all things, include that one? While I have no intention of tearing off any animal limbs, I can't see how that would be in the top seven most important things for all humanity to observe... Thank you for any help in enlightening this Noahide!   Answer:   What is the true test of a moral person? How do you know that someone is really good in practice, and not just preaching?   One test is to observe the way they treat subordinates. Someone who can show concern for those who are lower and more helpless than themselves is a person who is truly good.   And so in formulating laws for all mankind, the Torah gives seven commands that should be seen as seven categories of ethical behaviour. The prohibition to steal includes all dishonest and unethical business practices. The outlawing of adultery encompasses all inappropriate relationships. And the ban on eating the limb of a live animal is a general law which commands us to be kind to animals.   These are not arbitrary categories of law. They cover the full gamut of moral obligations toward our fellow beings -respect for G-d who is above us, respect for human beings who are equal to us, and respect for the animal kingdom beneath us.   There is a clear hierarchy here. We are not on par with G-d, and animals are not equal to humans. The myth of equality is only necessary to protect the weak in a world devoid of morality. But moral beings with a clear code of ethics can recognise the innate inequality of nature without exploiting it. Being higher means being more responsible. Nature is here to serve us, but we are here to serve G-d, and that means treating all His creatures, equal or not, with respect.   Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au   TISHREI HONOURS Opening ark for Kol Nidrei/Neilah, Chassanim for Simchas Torah, Kiddush in the Sukkah and more, all up for grabs. Be quick! www.nefesh.org.au/tishrei  A BIT OF TRIVIA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our Trivia Night last week was a great success and could not have been possible without an amazing team of volunteers. Special mention to Gavin Shnier who coordinated the event, and to helpers:  Richard Skimin, Karin Puels, Kirsty White and Karen Uziel. Sincere thanks as well for prizes donated by Steven Maloney and Jack Reuben.  Here was the most memorable question: A bat and a ball together cost $1.10. The bat costs one dollar more than the ball. What does the ball cost?  (hint: it's not 10 cents) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: KI SAVO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 20 September 2019| 20 Elul 5779 Candle Lighting.................................. 5:32pm Shabbos Service ................................ 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program .................................... 6:00pm Kiddush in honour of the birthdays of Mendel and Aron Sufrin - mazel tov!   Shabbos Day, 21 September 2019 | 21 Elul 5779 In depth Parsha class.................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program ............................ 10:30am Followed by Kiddush   Mincha after Kiddush..... Pirkei Avos Ch.3 & 4 No Shiurim or Maariv services this week   Shabbos ends............................. 6:27pm   Saturday Night, 21 September 2019 Farbrengen - Lechaim, Stories & Song..... 10:30pm Selichos service.................................... 11:55pm- 12:25am   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday....................................... 8:00am Latest Shema this week................ 8:47am   HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Nick Hedges............... 24 Elul/ Tues 24 September Michelle Samuel.......... 24 Elul/ Tues 24 September Nisan Krimhand.......... 25 Elul/ Wed 25 September   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Morice & Allan Levenstein..... 22 Elul/ Sun 22 Sept Andrew & Lee-Anne Whitten..26 Elul/ Thur 26 Sept   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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 27 September: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 5 October:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Tishrei honours are now available to buy!  Purchase for yourself or sponsor in honour of someone else.  www.nefesh.org.au/tishrei Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Why Is Life so Hectic Now?

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JOIN NEFESH FOR HIGH HOLYDAYS www.nefesh.org.au/membership  Question of the Week:    Why is life so frantic at the moment? It seems like things are unusually hectic, not just for me but everyone I talk to. Shifts in personal life, career moves, some good and some bad, big stuff and massive changes, all in the last week or so. Is something going on spiritually that I should know about? Answer:   Oh yes. We are in the final month of the Jewish year, the month of Ellul. A lot has to happen in these last weeks of the year.  The Jewish view is that time has a personality. Each year has a character of its own. It's like a guest who stays with you for twelve months, follows you around everywhere you go, and then leaves so another guest can move in. Each year arrives with its particular energy and feel, and then that energy makes way for a new year with its own personality and style.  Some guests are easy, others can be quite demanding. But each leaves a gift behind -the lessons learned, the challenges faced, and tasks fulfilled in the year gone by.  Every year on Rosh Hashana it is decreed in heaven what each person needs to face in the year to come. We are each given a specific set of obstacles to overcome, lessons to learn and changes to make over the course of the year.  As the year comes to a close, we need to deal with any unfinished business. We must complete this year's spiritual task list while this year still exists. Rosh Hashana will come and this year will be gone, along with all its challenges and opportunities. New ones will then arrive, but first we have to finish up with the old. Next year has its own energy and its own tasks.  So now, at the end of the year, the pace speeds up, the intensity is increased and everything is thrown at us. Our guest is about to leave. We need to say goodbye to this year soon, but before we do we need to squeeze every last opportunity out of it. No wonder it's hectic. It is the drama of saying farewell forever. There is no time to waste. This year will never be again.   Good Shabbos,  Rabbi Moss Source: Tanya Igeres Hakodesh 14 To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au   THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: KI SEITZEI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 13 September 2019| 13 Elul 5779 Candle Lighting.................................. 5:27pm Shabbos Service ................................ 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program .................................... 6:00pm Kiddush sponsored by Dan Helfand in honour of his sister. Thoughts and prayers are with her at this challenging time.   Shabbos Day, 14 September 2019 | 14 Elul 5779 In depth Parsha class.................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program ............................. 10:30am Followed by Kiddush.   Mincha after Kiddush............ Pirkei Avos Ch.2 No Shiurim or Maariv services this week   Shabbos ends.............................. 6:23pm   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday........................................ 8:00am Latest Shema this week................. 8:53am   HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Mem Eichenblatt..... 14 Elul/ Saturday 14 September Kevin Smaller......... 15 Elul/ Sunday 15 September Claude Sandler....... 15 Elul/ Sunday 15 September Judi Redelman........ 17 Elul / Tuesday 17 September Mendel Sufrin ........ 20 Elul/ Friday 20 September Aron Sufrin ........... 20 Elul/ Friday 20 September Dafna Behrman....... 20 Elul/ Friday 20 September   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Daniel & Stephanie Nadel...... 15 Elul/ Sun 15 Sept Melanie & Jethro Marks...... 19 Elul/ Thurs 19 Sept   LONG LIFE Mildred Stocks and Tanya Stocks for their late husband and father Alfred (Freddy) Stocks, Avrom ben Hiam...14 Elul/ Saturday 14 September Harry Fester for his late father Mendel Fester Mendel ben Michael... 16 Elul/ Monday 16 September Nurit Eckowitz for her late mother Hedy Wieder Chava bat David... 18 Elul/ Wednesday 18 September 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 20 September: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 21 September:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Is G-d Picking on Me?

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JOIN NEFESH FOR HIGH HOLYDAYS www.nefesh.org.au/membership  Question of the Week:    Does G-d pick on some people? I think he is picking on me because I have suffered one loss after another for much of my life. It seems that as soon as I have survived one tragedy, another one comes crashing down on me. I always bounce back but I am starting to take it personally...   Answer:   There was once a tow-truck driver who lived near a muddy old country road. Every day he would jump into his truck and drive a mile or so to a particularly sludgy bend in the road, and every day his truck would get stuck in the mud. But it was a trusty old truck, and its chunky tires and growling engine would always be able to beat the mud and climb up onto solid ground. Most days, as he drove along he would encounter other motorists who had unknowingly ventured onto the muddy road and got stuck in the bog. Some of them had been trapped there for hours, haplessly revving their engines and watching their wheels spin aimlessly in the muck. The truck driver would appear like a savior and offer them a tow, drag them out and set them back on the road. The truck driver's son once asked him, "Why do you always drive down this muddy road. You always get stuck in it. Why don't you take your truck somewhere smoother, where the road is clear and dry?" "That's the whole point," said the truckie to his son. "My tow-truck has the power to get through that mud. The only reason I go pass by there every day is to find others who are stuck and can't get out themselves. That's what a tow truck is for." Some souls are like tow-trucks. They somehow have the strength to burst through the thickest and muddiest roads of life. No matter what life throws at these people, they muster the inner fortitude to get through. And so they keep getting thrown into the abyss, over and over again. What these souls probably don't even realize is that they are helping others. When you face a tough time and beat it, you bring light into that dark place, which can shine a path for others who are stuck in their own darkness. It could even be that the only reason you had to pass through that dark roadway is to help drag other souls out of their darkness. Sometimes we help others directly, by sharing our experiences and teaching a new way to those who can't see a way out. Or it may happen indirectly. The mere fact that you went through it and survived blazes a pathway, opens a door, and other suffering souls whom you may never meet suddenly find a way out of their quagmire and are set free.   So perhaps you are a tow-truck soul. Perhaps sometimes you are being towed. We all experience both. But if we would realize that every time we conquer our own darkness we may be helping someone who can't help themselves, we would be inspired to keep on trucking.    Good Shabbos,  Rabbi Moss Sources: See Maggid of Mezritch Ohr Torah 451 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)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: SHOFTIM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 6 September 2019| 6 Elul 5779 Candle Lighting.................................. 5:22pm Shabbos Service ................................ 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program .................................... 6:00pm Kiddush sponsored by David Stern, Justin Stern and Danielle Lechem in honour of their wife and mother Linda Stern on the 12th anniversary of her passing- Long Life.   Shabbos Day, 7 September 2019 | 7 Elul 5779 In depth Parsha class.................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program ............................. 10:30am Followed by Kiddush.   Mincha after Kiddush............ Pirkei Avos Ch.1 No Shiurim or Maariv services this week   Shabbos ends................................ 6:18pm   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday........................................ 8:00am Latest Shema this week................. 8:59am   MAZEL TOV Ronny Haughton & Michelle Hassin for their wedding on Sunday!   HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Vitali Broyda............... 8 Elul/ Sunday 8 September Yossi Segre................. 8 Elul/ Sunday 8 September Paloma Rochat............ 9 Elul/ Monday 9 September Hania Skimin............. 10 Elul/ Tuesday 10 September Deborah Graham........ 10 Elul/ Tuesday 10 September   LONG LIFE Tauba Tanchum for her late father Tevia Kaplan, Tevia ben Eliezer... 8 Elul/ Sunday 8 September Beth Lipovic for her late mother Ruth bat Avraham... 11 Elul/ Wednesday 11 September 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor a Kiddush  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRIDAY NIGHT 20 September: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 14 September:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!