I hope you've had a good week. I sat with a young couple this week as they prepare to get married in the coming months. Besides for discussing the details of the wedding day and the ceremony itself, we also spent time talking about life in general and married life in particular. One thing I like discussing are Gary Chapman's 'Five Love languages' (www.5lovelanguages.com). Chapman's premise is that everyone’s ‘love tank’ needs filling with something different. One person may appreciate gifts as a gesture of love and friendship, but for someone else an hour of quality time would mean a lot more. Everyone gives and receives love differently, and with a little insight into these differences, we learn to communicate love well. This is true not just for couples of any age or at any stage, but for all forms of relationships – children and teenagers, friends and colleagues, workplaces and so on. Each of us are different. Out of the billions of people on planet earth, every single individual is entirely unique. And our uniqueness does not end with our physical make up. The way we think, feel and view the world is individual too, and influenced by many factors, our nature and and our nurture. When dealing with people, it is important to remember these differences. This is something we see in this week's Parsha, when Moshe was told that he was about to die, he said to G-d, "You know that the mind of the individual is not similar to that of another. Appoint a leader over the congregation who will be able to deal with every individual according to his mind" (Rashi 27:16). A true leader is someone who understands every person on an individual level, and deals with each one accordingly. In our day-to-day interactions it is very important to remind ourselves of this. Taking a step back and trying to understand someone else's perspective can prevent arguments and fights and help build stronger and deeper connections. So here's to a week of understanding, connecting and nurturing our relationships. I'll be doing just that and spending next week away with the family, in the serene surrounds of our beautiful State. For any Shule matters please contact Jack as usual, 9531 1547. Ronny is available for any pastoral care matters on 0413 863 263. I have prescheduled next week's email, and if technology behaves it should arrive in your inbox Friday morning. Take care and Shabbat Shalom! |