Mazal Tov to Rabbi Dovid & Rachel Gutnick on the birth of a daughter.

JBD – Jews of the Melbourne CBD is now on LinkedIn. Follow us here.

Times: Shabbat starts on Friday at 5:03 pm and ends on Saturday night at 6:02 pm. The weekly Torah portion is Emor. Sunday is Pesach Sheni.

Mincha in the CBD: Mincha continues at Warlow’s Legal – 2/430 Lt Collins St. Join the WhatsApp group to stay across the latest details.

Study: The Weekly Shiur continues on Wednesday at about 1.15pm (after mincha) at Warlow’s Legal – 2/430 Lt Collins St. – and via Zoom. Current topic: animal husbandry. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week inspired by Rabbi Menachem Wolf. What makes us happy? People often look at a possible future, and say “if that will happen, then I will be happy”. There are two risks here. Firstly, their wish may not eventuate. Secondly, if it does, it may not lead to the happiness they seek. That in turn will lead them seek something else (something bigger or better) that hopefully will make them happy. But what if that doesn’t either?

The “pursuit of happiness” is therefore totally false. True happiness is therefore about being happy with what we have, and happy in the moment.

Pirkei Avot defines wealth as “being happy with what one has”.

How can we do this? By embracing the service of God “in the moment”. The daily laws and practices of Judaism allow us to be exactly what God wants at any given time. Through that, true happiness can emerge.