Times: Yom Kippur starts on Friday night, candle lighting at 6:05pm, fast ends at 7:03pm. Change the clock one hour forward for DST on Saturday night

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha switches to summer schedule and continues next week Monday and Tuesday at 1:45pm at 459 Collins using the SMS system as a reminder.

Study: Wednesday shiur & lunch will take a holiday break and resume on Wednesday (18/10).

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  Avi Gordon. Next week’s Torah reading opens with the line “This is the blessing that Moshe the man of G-d gave to Israel”. Describing someone as a “Man of G-d” is the highest possible compliment.

But it seems quite incongruous, given Moshe’s amazing life, leadership and achievements, that he should now be bestowed this great title that when he is simply giving a blessing to the Jewish nation. Surely when he took Israel out of Egypt or brought the tablets down from Sinai or after many other more significant events would have been more appropriate time to give him this amazing title?

We all know that Moshe dreamt to have the merit to enter into the land of Israel. For him, entering the land of Israel and all that it represented spiritually was an outstanding opportunity, and something he looked forward to his entire life.

And what happened? After constant complaining bickering and agitation from the children of Israel, Moshe let his guard down for a single moment and was punished severely for it, crushing all his dreams.

In the very next verse, Moshe is commanded to bless these very same people! The ones that made him lose out on everything he was hoping for. And as we know the standard form of the blessing – “Baruch ata Hashem … ” – “We bless You, G-d … who commanded us … to bless the nation of Israel with love”.

A person who can, almost in the very same breath bless the people who “wronged” him, and not just bless, but bless with true love is truly a man of G-d.

May we all forgive and be forgiven this Yom Kippur.