Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candlelighting at 5:29pm, ends Saturday night at 6:28pm. The weekly Torah portion is Re’eh. Rosh Chodesh Elul is on Tuesday (22/8) and Wednesday (23/8)

Past Lecture: To listen to the lecture from Yedidya and Lital Slonim that took place on Wednesday, August 9th on “The Political Conflict in Israel” Journey Between the Past, Present and Future. A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of Land Redemption in Israel Today, click here for the podcast.

Upcoming Event: Thursday, 24th August at 5:00pm: Lecture with Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz on “Business Talk- Moral Dilemmas”.  Wingate, L48, 101 Collins Street. RSVP for catering purposes to klin@wingategroup.com.au by Friday, 18 August.  For more information click here for the JBD website.

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha continues at 1:00pm at 459 Collins using the SMS system as a reminder.

New Mincha Minyan: A second mincha minyan is running Mon-Thu at 1:15pm at Empress Diamonds, Level 10, Suite 7, 55 Swanston St. Join the WhatsApp list with Gabi Yitshaki 0413 145 577

Study: Wednesday shiur & lunch is on Wednesday at about 1.15pm at Billing Bureau, following mincha.

Kosher Food in the CBD: Unfortunately, due to lack of demand there is no longer kosher food being sold in the CBD. Glicks, we want you back!!

Thought of the Week with thanks to Rabbi James Kennard. Over and over again, Moshe warns the people not to descend into idolatry, throughout the book of Devarim but especially in the section of Re’eh. But in an age without totem poles or icons, how can we relate to this seminal prohibition?

Maimonides explains that the essence, and the failing, of idolatry is that it represents man-centred religion. Man builds his own gods; man determines how to worship them and man imagines what these gods command (which just happens to be what man wishes to do anyway). Judaism, by contrast, is God-centred. It is God who tells us how to live our lives in accordance with His will. The faithful strive to create themselves in God’s image; the idolators create their God in the image of man.

In our day, when the only morality is self-actualisation and self-gratification, the real tenets of idolatry are not so far removed.