Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candle lighting at 7:46pm, ends Saturday night at 8:49pm. The weekly Torah portion is Chayei Sarah.

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha continues at 1:45pm at 459 Collins using the SMS system as a reminder.

Study: Wednesday shiur & lunch is on Wednesday at 1.20pm at Billing Bureau, followed by 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 Yehuda Gottlieb. This week’s Torah reading describes the search that Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, undertook to find a wife for Yitzchak. As described in the verses, Eliezer asked for help from G-d. As he approached the well, he declared that any woman that not only provides water for him, but also for his camels, would be a suitable match for Yitzchak. Why did he choose this test in particular?

The Beis Halevi writes that Eliezer actually devised these tests to ascertain how the deeply this potential match understood the attribute of chessed (kindness). Firstly, Eliezer mentioned that the chosen woman would have to provide him water from her pitcher. This would cause a dilemma as on the one hand, the water would be unhygienic, and on the other, it may offend him if she asked him to wait while she found another utensil specifically for him. Then, once Eliezer had drunk, what would the woman do with the water? If she took it home to her family, she would be feeding them contaminated water. And if she poured it out, she would offend the stranger. That is why Eliezer said, that she should then offer it to the camels. It was precisely by meeting this specific test that provided Eliezer with clarity on how thoughtful and considerate Yitzchak’s potential match should be.