Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candle lighting at 5:20pm, and ends Saturday night at 6:17pm. The weekly Torah portion is Acharei Mot – Kedoshim.

Sushi Mondays: With thanks to our generous sponsor, we will now have sushi every Monday before (and after) mincha at 1.00pm.

Mincha in the CBD: Whisky and Kugel Fridays is on today at 1pm using the SMS system to confirm numbers. Mincha (Mon-Thu) continues next week at 1.00pm with the SMS reminder.

Study: The Wednesday shiur & lunch continues this week at Billing Bureau, following 1.00pm mincha. Next Wednesday (2/5) we will be having a siyum on Chapter 3 of Bava Metziah catered by Daneli’s!

Thought of the Week with thanks to Michelle Coleman. The second portion of this week’s Torah reading begins “”kedoshim tihiyu ki kadosh ani Hashem Elokeichem, you shall be holy for I, Hashem your Lord, am holy (Vayikra 19:2).”

It sounds straight forward but how does one be holy? Rashi explains this verse as referring to separating oneself from sexual immorality, given that the commandment to be holy follows immediately after the laws against forbidden sexual relations. Rambam, however, explains the commandment to be holy as not being a naval b’reshut hatorah – not to be a glutton with the Torah’s permission. In other words, although we are allowed to drink wine and eat meat, to earn money and to have sexual relations, we must not over-indulge in these permissible activities.

What do both Rashi and Rambam’s interpretations have in common? Both refer to exercising self-restraint in our activities.

What a difference this is to a modern Western view that says, “I can do what I like as long as I am not hurting anybody else”. No, says G-d, be holy (restrain yourself) for I am Holy.