Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candlelighting at 8:16pm, ends Saturday night at 9:22pm. Early Shabbat candle lighting is between 7:00pm-7:05pm. The weekly Torah portion is Veyetzei.
Friday Mincha in the CBD: Friday “mincha & kugel” at Billing Bureau will be on today at 1.49pm (food from 1.30pm), using the SMS reminder system to confirm numbers.
Mincha in the CBD: Daily mincha is slowly getting later, and next week is at 1.51pm at Billing Bureau – Level 5 South/459 Collins – using the SMS system to confirm numbers for as long as people keep coming.
Study: Wednesday shiur & lunch continues on Wednesday at 1.15pm at Billing Bureau.
Kosher Food in the CBD: Nifla Kosher Catering (KA Hechsher)
Offers Corporate Catering, specialising in individual and board room lunches. 10% Discount on your first website purchase. Enter promo code “FIRST TIME”. For further details visit www.nifla.com.au
IN A RUSH CAFE-616 St Kilda Road-(Ground Floor-Lowe Lippmann Building)
Thought of the Week with thanks to Rabbi Leon Anaf. he Torah in this week’s parsha tells of Yaacov’s escape from his brother Esav,who was planning to kill him. The verse states that Yaacov “came to a place.” Our Sages explain that Yaacov’s travels took him past the future site of the Temple and he realised that he had passed the holy place without praying. He immediately turned back but G-d made the sun set earlier and brought him immediately to the holy site where he prayed. Yaacov thus instituted the evening Maariv prayer.
The commentators state that Yaacov prayed to “HaMakom” which literally means “the place” but is also one of G-d’s names. In other words Yaacov prayed to “HaMakom” recognising that his situation was brought about by G-d. Yaacov understood that we must serve G-d on His terms, not ours. Religious observance must not be limited to when the weather is fair, conditions are favourable and when we have plenty of time on our hands. Our commitment to G-d remains even when the sun suddenly sets, when life takes unexpected turns or when hardships abound. Even then, we must devotedly pray and serve G-d recognising that He, HaMakom, places us in whatever position we are in for a reason.