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

Shabbat starts on Friday at 8:14pm and ends on Saturday at 9:15pm. The weekly Torah portion is Yitro and it’s Mevarchim Chodesh Adar I. Rosh Chodesh is next Friday and Shabbat.

Mincha at Ainsworth Property – GF/459 Collins is in recess for the summer and will resume in March if we get numbers and if not, after DST ends. Join the WhatsApp group for updates.

Weekly sushi & shiur has resumed on Wed at 1.30pm at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: tax policy. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to David Werdiger.

The eponymous character of this week’s Torah reading is Yitro, father-in-law of Moshe, and perhaps the first documented management consultant. In fact, he had several names, one being ‘Yeter’ – from the Hebrew to add, because a section of the reading was added in his merit. The specific section mentioned, however, is not the beginning of his exchange with Moshe.

It starts after Moshe returns from Mt Sinai with the second tablets, and assumes his role as judge and teacher, dealing with questions from the multitude all day long.

Yitro points out that this is unsustainable, and will lead to Moshe wearing himself out.

He then recommends a hierarchy whereby Moshe can delegate authority for lesser issues to something akin to middle management. It is this specific section for which Yitro is given credit.

The lesson is simple: it’s very easy to criticize others. The true value is only in suggesting a better way.