Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candle lighting at 8:09 pm, and ends Saturday night at 9:08 pm. The weekly Torah portion is Terumah.

Upcoming Events Tuesday February 12th at 12:45 pm: Security Presentation with Zohar Dromi. Federation Room, Adina Hotel, 88 Flinders St, Melbourne.

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha will return in February.

Study: The Wednesday shiur and lunch has resumed, and continues at 1.15pm

Thought of the Week with thanks to Gaby Silver. The word Terumah – the name of this week’s Torah reading – is generally translated as “gift”. In this case, a gift to the A-mighty. The tangible offerings of precious metals, skins, building materials and other physical items were made with incredible enthusiasm by a population who had been essentially promised something rather intangible in return – the promise of divine blessings and protection. Surely this represents a truly stunning example of altruistic love and generosity? The only pity is that the internet wasn’t around for Moshe Rabbeinu to set up a Charidy campaign and organise matching donors so that they could reach their goal quicker!

All these donations were directed towards the construction of the Mishkan, which had at its epicentre and focal point the Ark of the Covenant, in which were stored the holy tablets that Moshe Rabbeinu received at Sinai. These tablets stipulated 10 commandments that are direct us in the ways of kindness, honesty, compassion and justice towards our fellow man and our Creator.

In a frenetic, bustling world, these are values that can often fall imperceptibly by the wayside as we rush through our routine of work, family and religious obligation. As we approach Shabbos Terumah, we are given the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to those same principles of unbridled compassion, generosity, love and kindness that has no expectation of a return