Condolences to Mark Leibler and his family on the passing of Mrs Rachel Leibler in Israel.

Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candlelighting at 7:34pm, ends Saturday night at 8:35pm. Early Shabbat – light candles between 6:30pm-6:35pm. The weekly Torah portion for Shabbos is Vayeira.

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha will continue next week on Mon Wed & Thu at 1.45pm at Level 5, South Tower, 459 Collins St, using the SMS reminder system to confirm numbers (No minyan on Cup Day).

Study: Wed shiur @ Billing Bureau: about 1:15pm

Kosher Food in the CBD: Nifla Kosher Catering (KA Hechsher)
Offers Corporate Catering, specializing in individual and board room lunches. For further details visit www.nifla.com.au
10% Discount on your first website purchase. Enter promo code “FIRST TIME”. Kosher sandwiches, muffins and salads are available at the following locations:
CUPP- Manchester Unity Building- Ground Floor-220 Collins Street
CBW EXPRESS-181 William Street.(Entrance Little Bourke St)
IN A RUSH CAFE–616 St Kilda Road-(Ground Floor-Lowe Lippmann Building)

Thought of the Week with thanks to  David Prins. This week’s Torah reading includes the well-known story of the binding of Isaac. The Biblical commentator Rashi notes that G-d did not tell Abraham to slaughter his son, and never intended Abraham to slaughter him. The command was rather to bring Isaac up to the place that G-d would tell him. Once he arrived there, an angel of G-d told Abraham not to sacrifice his son, and not to harm him in any way. The righteous Abraham complied with the angel’s words, and offered a ram instead of his son. The angel of G-d then praised Abraham for his actions and blessed him. This public act of non-sacrifice was a lesson to the world for all generations. The world today still needs to hearken to the voice that told Abraham that G-d does not want human sacrifice. The message of the Biblical story is to establish and maintain a culture of life, and not a culture of death.