Mazel tov to Ari & Megan Bendet on the birth of their daughter!

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

Shabbat starts on Friday at 8:19pm and ends on Saturday at 9:25pm. The weekly Torah portion is Vayishlach.

JBD together with Maor invite you to a pre-Chanukah shiur.

Mincha is now in recess for the summer. There is usually a minyan at L1 Capital on Thurs at 1.45pm following lunch & learn. Join the WhatsApp group for any updates.

Weekly sushi & shiur continues Wed at 1.20pm at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: strata titles. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to Ya’akov Waller.

In this week’s Torah reading, Jacob prepares to face his brother Esau and hundreds of armed men. In doing so, Jacob employs multiple strategies to account for all eventualities. He divides his camp for military security, sends gifts to appease, and prays for divine protection.

That in itself provides a lesson of enduring relevance in dealing with threat.

But perhaps more enduring is Jacob’s ultimate position in the fray: “וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ” – Jacob remained alone.

This solitude is reminiscent of Balaam’s later prophecy of a nation that dwells alone, and rings as true today in our current theological-political reality.

But that fate does not lead Jacob to fatalism. He still engages in comprehensive preparation, and ultimately prevails. That is perhaps the most important legacy.