Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candlelighting at 7:19pm, ends Saturday night at 8:14pm. Early Shabbat candle lighting is between 6:20pm-6:25pm. The weekly Torah portion is Ki Tisa- Parshat Parah.

Upcoming Event: TODAY at 12:45pm: Polish-themed lunch and lecture with Monika Krawczyk on “Preserving Jewish Heritage in Poland Today” at Billing Bureau, Level 5 South/459 Collins Street. For more information click here for the JBD website.

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha (at 2.00pm) continues using the SMS system.

Study: Wednesday shiur & lunch is on Wednesday at 1.40pm at Billing Bureau, followed by mincha.

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
New Stockist- PRONTO ON FLINDERS– 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Tel. 96297724 stocking sandwiches and pastas.
New Stockist- CBW Express – Corner Little Bourke and William Streets Melbourne.
Tel. 96421491-stocking sandwiches, bagels , muffins and fruits salads.

Thought of the Week with thanks to Gaby Silver. There is an established notion that the name of each weekly Torah reading denotes a concept that permeates the entire portion. Ki Sisa literally means “when you will raise up”; our sages extrapolate this out to apply to the souls of the Jewish people, who were elevated by the collection of the half shekel from each to be used for implements for the Mishkan. The same applies to the Priestly garments, incense, anointing oil and other holy implements that are detailed in the portion.

However, it is difficult to comprehend how the tragic episode of the Golden Calf and the breaking of the first set of tablets could possibly be associated with spiritual elevation. This grave sin reinstated the impurity of the original sin (of Adam & Eve) into the world and is a root source of all subsequent transgressions. The answer lies not in the fall of the Jewish people, but in their subsequent re-elevation, spurred on my an intense and sincere teshuvah – repentance. G-d’s divine light needs to infiltrate every aspect of our existence, even the lowest levels of sin. When we as Jews engage in heartfelt teshuvah, returning our souls to G-d’s loving grace, we elevate even that which we have profaned and defiled to an even higher level than it originally occupied.