Times: Candlelighting for Rosh Hashanah 5774 is Wednesday evening 5:43pm; Thursday evening not before 6:41pm; Friday evening 5:45pm; Shabbat ends Saturday 6:43pm. The weekly Torah Portion is Haazinu and it is Shabbat Shuvah. Don’t forget to make an Eruv Tavshillin before Rosh Hashanah. Fast of Gedaliah is Sunday 8th September; Fast begins 4:58am; Footy starts 3.20pm. Fast ends 6:32pm.
Mincha in the CBD: JBD mincha minyan continues (Monday, 9th September-Thursday, 12th September) at 1:00pm. There are also minyanim (Monday,9th September-Thursday,12th September) at 1.15pm at East Melbourne shul and Chabad of the CBD..
Study: Mon 12.30 @ East Melb Shule; Wed 12.30 Special @ Billing Bureau.
Kosher Food in the CBD: GOLD’S GOURMET are supplying delicious sandwiches to the following THREE outlets in the CBD:
Pronto on Flinders @ Ground Level, 335 Flinders Lane
CBW Express- CGU Building @ 181 William St.
Cityblend Café @ 365 Little Collins St.
Thought of the Week with thanks to Isaac Balbin – dedicated to the memory of his dear father R’ Shaul Zelig HaCohen Balbin.
I’m usually a bag of nerves. The Shofar has just been blown and just prior to returning the Torah to the Ark, we recite a few verses from Tehilim (Psalms 89:16) which commence: “Fortunate is the nation that knows the Teruah”. My mind is wandering as I am the Chazan at Elwood Shule and I’m contemplating the awe-filled task of representing the congregation in prayer. What is Teruah? We know that it is the staccato like sound of the Shofar. In Hebrew, most of the word is ra’uah, which means precarious and fluctuant. Why should I be happy when blasted by a tremulous sound signifying such a scary feeling? The Teruah testifies to the descent and degradation from the Shevarim sound. Shevarim connotes “broken” in Hebrew. It’s already bad, and then we move to Teruah which is even worse. Why be happy?
Rav Kook explains that prior to the great redemption, where the Tekiah Gedola is sounded, we will vacillate between the Shevarim and the Teruah. Without a Godly infusion, we would be asking, “Why us?” “Why are we still at the epicentre of each event that envelops the world?” “Can’t we be left alone and in peace”. To this King David responds in that same verse “Hashem B’Or Panecha Yehalechun”. As believers, the children of believers, we know that God’s light, His intention behind our destiny is enshrined in these experiences and therefore will eventually deliver us through His holy countenance towards the redemptive realisation post our existential worldly meandering. On Rosh Hashana, the day we re-coronate God, let us merit seeing Or Panecha – the light of His face, in the merit of Teshuva, Tefilla and Tzedaka—Return, Prayer, and Charity. A sweet and happy year to all.
