I Hate My Birthday

Doco and Lectures for Tisha B'Av

Question of the Week: I know it's a good thing to celebrate your birthday according to the Hebrew calendar. But I don't. I was born on Tisha B'av. It's a bit hard to have a party on the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. And to be honest I have always felt strange about it. It's like, Tisha B'av is the day the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, and my mother gave birth to me.... What does it say about me that I was born on a day of national mourning? Answer: That's just about the best birthday anyone could possibly have. Because you left out another major event that happened on Tisha B'av. Moshiach was born. The Talmud teaches that the soul of Moshiach came into the world on Tisha B'av. That's right. The long awaited one, who will bring peace to the world, teach us all how to live a higher life, rebuild the Temple and bring us all back to the Holy Land, that soul was sent down on Tisha B'av.  It is no coincidence that the day of such deep darkness is also the day when such a bright light came into the world. Moshiach will show us how all the darkness of history was a necessary prelude to the light that follows.  Indeed when Moshiach comes, Tisha B'av will be transformed from the sad fast day it is today into the most joyous festival of the year. We will actually celebrate the sad times, when in retrospect we see how they were a part of a bigger picture.  This is unfathomable now. Our insight is limited, and we can't always see the good in hard times. We need Moshiach to help us see things for what they really are.  So if your birthday is on Tisha B'av, do you know what that says about you? Please don't get any ideas. You're a great guy and everything, but I'm not saying you are the Messiah.  Actually, I am. Every one of us has a bit of Moshiach in our soul. We have a little part of the world that is ours to redeem, and a little bit of darkness that is ours to transform. If you share Moshiach's birthday, you can do this big time. You are a soul of hope. So go light up some darkness.  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)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: SHABBOS DEVARIM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 9 August 2019| 8 Av 5779 Candle Lighting.................................. 5:03pm Shabbos Service ................................ 6:00-6:50pm Kids Program .................................... 6:00pm Followed by Kiddush   Shabbos Day, 10 August 2019 |9 Av 5779 In depth Parsha class................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program ............................ 10:30am Followed by Kiddush Mincha straight after Mussaf Saturday Night | Erev Tisha B'Av Fast begins........................................... 5:21pm Shabbos ends....................................... 6:00pm (say "Baruch Hamavdil ben Kodesh Lechol")   Maariv and Reading of Eicha Followed by Documentary Screening .......7:00pm   Sunday | Tisha B'Av Day Morning Service  with Kinnos and Explanations ................. 9:00am Video: The Rebbe's Response to Antisemitism..11am Study with Rabbi Moss:  Jeremiah's Almond and the Zohar............11:30am Study with Rabbi Sufrin:  Moving on - how to deal with pain.............12pm Mincha with Tallis and Tefillin................... 4:15pm Shiur: Where are the Keys to the Temple? Fast ends.............................................. 5:49pm Breaking of fast sponsored by R' Eli Barukh in memory of his grandfather R' Barukh ben Yitzchak Rachamim a"h   WEEKDAY SERVICES Mon- Fri............................................... 7:00am Latest Shema this week.......................... 9:19am   HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Toby Stein...................... 12 Av/ Tuesday 13 August   LONG LIFE Ivan Basserabie for his late father Moshe Chaim ben Avrohom... 9 Av/ Saturday 10 August Magda Schaffer for her late husband Paul Schaffer Pinchus ben Shmuel...11 Av / Monday 12 August Les Regos for his late father Joseph Regos ... 13 Av/ Wednesday 14 August Larnce Gold for his late grandmother Dora Goldbaum, D'Vora bat Eliyahu... 14 Av/ Thursday 15 August 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 23 August: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 31 August:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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What Are Angels?

Shabbaton in two weeks!

Question of the Week: Why does G-d need angels? Can't He do things himself? And can we pray to them? Answer: I'll answer you with a metaphor. The metaphor is a metaphor about a metaphor.  A preschool teacher wants to teach her little students the shape of planet earth. So she tells them, "The earth is spherical." They don't know what she is talking about. So she says, "The earth is round." They return blank stares. So she takes out a bouncy ball from the toy box and says, "The earth is a big ball." Now they get it.  You can't communicate an abstract concept to young students using abstract terms. You need to express the idea in terms that the students will relate to. The best way is with a metaphor, a parable, an illustration of the concept in more tangible and relatable ways. 'Spherical' or even 'round' means nothing to a toddler. But he knows exactly what a ball is.  That's the power of a metaphor. It conveys a concept that would otherwise be beyond the mind of the listener in a way that is totally relatable to them. And by doing so, an abstract idea becomes concrete and clear.  The metaphor has to have two components. It has to accurately depict the subject being taught by the teacher, but in language and imagery that can be understood by the student. The ball is round, just like earth, but it is readily found in a toy box, just like the kids.  An angel is like a metaphor.  G-d is infinite. We are finite. Our limited world can not handle infinity. So G-d created a medium through which His light can reach us. The angels serve this purpose. They are on the one hand spiritual beings, so they are able to handle divine light, but at the same time they are limited and finite beings, so they can convey the divine light down into this world.  Angels play a vital role. But they have no power of their own. They are just the metaphors delivering the message. Praying to them would be a waste of time. Don't mistake the metaphor for the message. If that kid thinks that his bouncy ball is actually a planet, he has missed the point, and if you think an angel has power over you, you have too. Only G-d can answer our prayers. Angels are just bouncy balls. Metaphorically speaking.  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)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: SHABBOS MATTOS/MASEI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 2 August 2019| 1 Av 5779 Candle Lighting.........................4:58pm Shabbos Service .......................6:00-6:50pm Kids Program .......................... 6:00pm Kiddush in honour of Phoenix Radus' Bar Mitzvah anniversary - Mazel Tov!    Shabbos Day, 3 August 2019 |2 Av 5779 Chassidus class....................... 9:00am Shabbos Service..................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program .........................10:30am Kiddush and Lunch in honour of Tzvi Cohen's birthday and passing his Semicha test! and in thanks for all of his amazing work with our community over the past year!  Sponsored by Stephen Brookes, Avi Rosencweig, Gavin Shnier, Kirsty White, Vitali and Karen Broyda, Jeremy and Nikki Kinstlinger, Mendel and Chana Michla Deitz, Marvin and Linda Weinman, Jack and Leyat Reuben, Rob and Lana Goldshaft, Danny and Samantha Meguideche   Mincha and Bar Mitzvah of Max Conway  followed by Seudah Shlishis in honour of Max's Bar Mitzvah...4:55pm  Pirkei Ovos ...................... Chapter 2 Shabbos ends................... 5:56pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday.................................. 8:00am Mon- Fri................................. 7:00am Latest Shema this week............ 9:22am   MAZEL TOV To Ronit & Darren Conway and the extended Conway and Zilberman familes on Max's Bar Mitzvah.   LONG LIFE Daphne Ravey for her late father Dan Ravey, Dan ben Ariyeh... 3 Av/ Sunday 4 August Peter Pakula for his late father Henry Pakula, Chaim Hanoh ben Yosef... 4 Av/ Monday 5 August 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 23 August: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 24 August:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Are You Waiting to be Asked?

Shabbaton rooms going fast!

Question of the Week: My grandfather used to always give beggars on the street a coin, and he would say it is better to give before you are asked. I am now realizing that many of his sayings were actually based on Jewish wisdom, and am researching the sources. Is there something about giving without being asked?   Answer:   Your grandfather was a mystic, even if he didn't know it.   Giving tzedakah is always a good thing to do. But there is an extra power to charity when you give it without being asked. When the giver initiates a donation, it arouses divine kindness from above even more than when you respond to a request to give.    This is illustrated by the fact that G-d's name, the name that denotes divine kindness - Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh י-ה-ו-ה  - is recreated when you give charity.    The coin that is given resembles the Yud ............................................................י The five fingers of your giving hand are the Heh, the fifth letter in the alphabet.......ה The arm reaching out to give resembles the Vav .................................................ו And the five fingers of the hand receiving the gift is the final Heh..........................ה   This name of G-d is extremely powerful. It is through these four letters that all blessings flow down to the world. When we give charity, we spell out these letters and invite G-d's light into our lives.  But to spell G-d's name correctly, you need to initiate the giving. If you wait for the poor man to stretch out his hand to you, it still generates blessings, but the letters of G-d's name are jumbled, and the reciprocal divine kindness is therefore delayed.  That's why your grandfather didn't wait for the needy to come to him. A proactive giver gets G-d's name the right way up. And that's why he lived such a blessed life. When you give unsolicited gifts, you receive unsolicited blessings from above, way more than you could have asked for.    Good Shabbos, Rabbi Moss   Sources: Baal Shem Tov al Hatorah Reeh 8 To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au      There are so many little things occurring throughout the building all at the same time that I'm just going to have to focus on one this week. A big thanks to our hard labourers for the terrific job they are doing excavating by hand what will be the rear entrance ramp to the Shule. A big effort indeed! Shabbat Shalom, Brent ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH    1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH   (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS SERVICE TIMES & COMMUNITY INFO: SHABBOS PINCHAS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, 26 July 2019| 23 Tammuz 5779 Candle Lighting.............................. 4:53pm Shabbos Service ............................ 6:00-6:50pm Followed by Kiddush   Shabbos Day, 27 July 2019 |24 Tammuz 5779 Chassidus class.......................... 9:00am Shabbos Service......................... 10:00am-12:20pm Kids Program ............................ 10:30am Followed by Kiddush   Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis......... 4:50pm  Pirkei Ovos ......................................... Chapter 1 Gematria & Story with Rev Amzalak........ 5:20pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss........................... 5:35pm Shabbos ends...................................... 5:51pm Followed by Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday.................................. 8:00am Mon- Fri................................. 7:00am Latest Shema this week........... 9:25am   New Moon/ Molad.... Thursday 1 August 4:22:3AM Rosh Chodesh Av.... Friday 2 August THANK YOU A special thank you to everyone from Julie for the beautiful flowers. MAZEL TOV Ben and Jodie Sebel on the birth of a baby boy! Yochanan and Chaya Tabar on the birth of a baby girl, Hadassah Leah! HAPPY JEWISH BIRTHDAY Chana Moss................ 25 Tammuz/ Sunday 28 July Elimelech Moss............ 25 Tammuz/ Sunday 28 July Misha Lavecky............. 26 Tammuz/ Monday 29 July Erna Frankfurter.......... 27 Tammuz/ Tuesday 30 July Bentzion Sufrin........... 28 Tammuz/ Wednesday 31 July Phoenix Radus............ 29 TammuzThursday 1 August Victoria Hoch.............. 29 Tammuz/ Thursday 1 August   LONG LIFE Joseph Newman for his late uncle  Cyril Moshe Shostak ... 23 Tammuz/ Friday 26 July Jon Shapira for his late mother Judith Esther Shapira Yehudith Esther bat Shmuel...23 Tammuz/ Friday 26 July Brian Schwartz for his late mother Rebecca (Becks) Schwartz Sara Rivka bat Moshe... 24 Tammuz/ Saturday 27 July Rebecca Steiner-Carrion for her late friend Anna Fisher Channa bat Leib... 25 Tammuz/ Sunday 28 July Rev Amzalak for his late father Reb Yizchak ben Reb Avraham... 27 Tammuz/ Tuesday 30 July Tauba Tanchum for her late brother Leslie Kaplan Eliezer ben Tevia... 1 Av/ Friday 13 July 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 2 August: $120 Basic Kiddush   $200 Deluxe Kiddush    SHABBOS DAY 3 August:  $350 Standard Kiddush   Email office@nefesh.com.au with any questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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