What's a shoelace worth? ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Hope you've had a good week. A young man came to a great sage and asked to be accepted as a disciple. The sage took the young man for a stroll through the garden as they discussed various deep philosophical and ethical issues. The young man was very astute and intelligent, and he impressed the sage with his questions and observations. After an hour, the sage shook the young man’s hand and said, “Farewell and good luck to you.” The young man was stunned. "I thought I had made such a good impression on you! Why will you not accept me as your student?” “Young man,” said the sage, “when we were walking in the garden you were pulling leaves off the bushes and tossing them on the ground. Why?” “I don’t know,” the young man replied. “What does it matter?” “That exactly is the problem. You think the leaves on the bushes don’t matter. But they do. Everything has a purpose, and I assure you that those leaves were not put there for you to destroy so casually... You cannot be a student of mine."
We see a similar point made in this week's Parsha. Avraham had just won a fierce war against four powerful kings. He routed the invaders and liberated the captives. The king of Sodom begged Avraham to keep the wealth recovered along the way as a reward, but he absolutely refused. “I will not even take a thread or a shoelace nor anything else that is yours,” he declared. You can say well, thread? Shoelaces? They are insignificant, why would he want them anyway! Or you can say, even something like a thread and shoelace are significant and have purpose, and even THAT Avraham wouldn't take. We live in a society that often overlooks the little things. Where things are expendable and disposable as long as it gets us from one moment or place, to the next. It is important however that every once in a while we pause and appreciate the value in all the little things that G-d has placed in the world, as a gift. Leaves and shoelaces alike. And as we know, it's usually the little things that lead to enriching and meaningful experiences.
Wishing you a peaceful and enjoyable Shabbat!
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Shabbat Starts / Ends Friday, 15 Oct: Light Candles by 7:19pm Shabbat, 16 Oct: Shabbat ends at 8:19pm This week is Parshat Lech Lecha - See synopsis below.
No In-Shule Services due to lockdown :( VirtShule Services on www.elwoodshule.org/zoom: Tonight Friday Night 6:00pm Weekday M-T Mincha Maariv 7:15pm
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We can't wait to reopen the Shule in a few weeks and get back to what we know and love! We are working diligently to put the right processes in place to ensure that we comply with the current Victorian Government directives for a safe and smooth welcome back for all our members and friends. We will be in touch soon with more information.
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This Thurs, 21 Oct at 8pm - Please join us for a special LIVE online talk with newly installed Supreme Court Judge Rabbi Marcus Solomon SC, on www.elwoodshule.org/zoom. The appointment of Rabbi Marcus Solomon as Justice to the Supreme Court last month was a proud and historic moment for Australian Jewry. Together with East Melbourne Shule, we are excited to be hosting Justice Solomon, in conversation with Elwood Shule member and Lawyer Amanda Mendes Da Costa, to learn more about Australia's first ever Rabbi and Supreme Court Judge.
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Communal Havdalah & Kumzits. After Shabbat, 23 Oct, 8:45pm. An interstate collaboration! LIVE from MELBOURNE, SYDNEY & BRISBANE! Brisbane HC, Elwood Shule, Maroubra Synagogue and St Kilda Shule - Featuring Rabbis Yaakov Glasman, Yossi Friedman, Levi Jaffe & Shmuel Karnowsky // Chazzan Brett Kaye, Ronny Kowadlo, Corey Fooks and Isaac & Alexander Itescu. On YouTube here and on www.facebook.com/elwoodshule.
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I've signed up to run 60km between 14-23 October to raise funds for vital cancer research at Peter Mac and in support of those in our Shule fighting their battle with cancer, may they have a Refuah Shleima! I'd appreciate if you would partner with me in supporting this worthy cause by clicking here. Thank you to those who already have!
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Please keep us in the loop by notifying us of your lifecycle events. Happy - Jewish - Birthday! We wish a very Happy Jewish Birthday to Damien Banky, Jessie Fleiszig, Blake Fleiszig, Adina Fleiszig, David Frenkiel, Tyler Friede, Leon Goldberg, Rachel Grosman, Greta Grossberg, Adam Hoppe, Daniel Kagan, Nicky Kegen, Igor Kleiman, Sharon Kuran, Mia Lefkovic, Tali Bouzaglo, Tomer Simovich, Abby Suss, Sharon Unger, Noah Zajonc, Andrew Zielinski, Bryan Zielinski. We wish them good health till 120. Jewish birthday Calculator. Engagement! Mazal Tov to Sophie Harris and Ariel Jacobson on their engagement! Mazal Tov to the parents Gene & Lawrence Harris and Pauline Wroby. Yahrtzeits Shabbat Meishl Wagman - Grandfather of Rick and Monique Leventer Bertha Barabash - Grandmother of Ian and Syndon Eddy Caspi - Father of David, and Sandy Sable Gita Tova Paluch - Wife of Avi Sunday Frida Wajskop - Mother of Sue Grinwald Tuesday Hyam Friedman - Father of Simon, Michelle, Leon and David. Ignace Brandsteter - Father of Teresa Joe Teitelbaum - Husband of Shifra, father of David and Elick Elizabeth Horsky - Mother of Simone Virgona Thursday Morry Lissek - Father of Issy Wilfred Gabriel - Grandfather of Darryl Goldman
Friday Avraham Stiebel - Father of Jona Weingart We wish the respective families blessings of long life and good health. |
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This week's PARSHA is Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1-17:27) G‑d speaks to Abram, commanding him, “Go from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.” There, G‑d says, he will be made into a great nation. Abram and his wife, Sarai, accompanied by his nephew Lot, journey to the land of Canaan, where Abram builds an altar and continues to spread the message of a one G‑d. A famine forces the first Jew to depart for Egypt, where beautiful Sarai is taken to Pharaoh’s palace; Abram escapes death because they present themselves as brother and sister. A plague prevents the Egyptian king from touching her, and convinces him to return her to Abram and to compensate the brother-revealed-as-husband with gold, silver and cattle. Back in the land of Canaan, Lot separates from Abram and settles in the evil city of Sodom, where he falls captive when the mighty armies of Chedorlaomer and his three allies conquer the five cities of the Sodom Valley. Abram sets out with a small band to rescue his nephew, defeats the four kings, and is blessed by Malki-Zedek the king of Salem (Jerusalem). G‑d seals the Covenant Between the Parts with Abram, in which the exile and persecution (galut) of the people of Israel is foretold, and the Holy Land is bequeathed to them as their eternal heritage. Still childless ten years after their arrival in the Land, Sarai tells Abram to marry her maidservant Hagar. Hagar conceives, becomes insolent toward her mistress, and then flees when Sarai treats her harshly; an angel convinces her to return, and tells her that her son will father a populous nation. Ishmael is born in Abram’s eighty-sixth year. Thirteen years later, G‑d changes Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of multitudes”), and Sarai’s to Sarah (“princess”), and promises that a son will be born to them; from this child, whom they should call Isaac (“will laugh”), will stem the great nation with which G‑d will establish His special bond. Abraham is commanded to circumcise himself and his descendants as a “sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Abraham immediately complies, circumcising himself and all the males of his household. Click here to explore the Parsha. |
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