בס"ד MIZRACHI MATTERS SHABBAT PARASHAT NASO (Vol 7, No 34) CALENDAR 18-24 May 2013 / 9-15 Sivan 5773 Friday, 17 May (8 Sivan) Candle Lighting 5:00pm 1, 3, 4 Minchah at 5:05pm 1. Beit Yehuda 2. Beit HaRoeh 3. Beit Midrash 4. Bnei Akiva 5. Elsternwick 6. Midrashah 7. Rabbi s Home 8. Goldberger Hall 9. Nachalat David Z manim SHABBAT 18 MAY 9 SIVAN SUNDAY 19 MAY 10 SIVAN MONDAY 20 MAY 11 SIVAN TUESDAY 21 MAY 12 SIVAN WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 13 SIVAN THURSDAY 23 MAY 14 SIVAN FRIDAY 24 MAY 15 SIVAN Shacharit 7:30am 1 8:00am 1 6:25am 1 6:30am 1 6:30am 1 6:25am 1 6:30am 1 9:30am 1-4, 9 9:00am 3 7:25am 1 7:30am 1 7:30am 1 7:25am 1 7:30am 1 Dawn 6:04am 6:05am 6:05am 6:06am 6:07am 6:08am 6:09am Tallit & Tefillin 6:21am 6:22am 6:22am 6:23am 6:24am 6:25am 6:25am Sunrise 7:10am 7:11am 7:12am 7:12am 7:13am 7:14am 7:15am Sh ma (גר"א) 9:43am 9:43am 9:44am 9:44am 9:45am 9:45am 9:46am Earliest Mincha 12:46pm 12:46pm 12:46pm 12:47pm 12:47pm 12:47pm 12:47pm Candles 4:55pm Minchah followed by Ma ariv 4:50pm 1, 3 5:05pm 1 5:05pm 1 5:05pm 1 5:05pm 1 5:05pm 1 1, 3, 4 5:00pm Sunset 5:17pm 5:16pm 5:16pm 5:15pm 5:14pm 5:14pm 5:13pm Night 5:59pm 5:58pm 5:58pm 5:57pm 5:56pm 5:56pm 5:55pm Second Ma ariv 9:30pm 3 9:30pm 3 9:30pm 3 9:30pm 3 9:30pm 3 Shiurim Halachah Yomit Mishnah Yomit Events Yahrtzeits R Bert Mond 8:45am 3 R Leor Broh 9:00am 2 R James Kennard 9:30am 6 Drashot R Winkler 1 R Broh 2 R Sprung 3 Self Mastery Rabbi Sprung s Perek from the Parashah In Recess Not today 8:45am 3 Sefer HaKuzari 8:45am 6 9:45pm 3 Between Minchah and Ma ariv 1 8:15am 3 (for women) 9:30am 3 Dilemmas Shiur Having a manager keep your business running on Shabbat 8:30pm 2 R Dovid Segal Gemara B iyun 8:30pm 2 Michal Kaufman (Lewis house) 9:00pm 9:45pm 3 Between Minchah and Ma ariv 1 8:15am 3 R Yaakov Sprung Shiur for women 10:00am 6 Rav Kook Shiur Korbanot 8:30pm 6 9:45pm 3 Between Minchah and Ma ariv 1 8:15am 3 Weekly Parashah Shiur for ladies & girls Rabbi Arieh Berlin 7 Morrice Street Caulfield North 11:00am R Yaakov Sprung Masechet Brachot 8:00pm 6 Chani Winkler (for women) 8:15pm 2 9:45pm 3 Between Minchah and Ma ariv 1 8:15am 3 R Yaakov Sprung Gemara B iyun 7:00pm 6 Gemara Shiur 8:00pm 3 R Yaakov Sprung Shiur for men 8:30pm 7 Parashat HaShavua in easy Hebrew 8:45pm 3 8:45pm 3 Between Minchah and Ma ariv 1 8:15am 3 Not today Bava Metzia 9:10-11 Bava Metzia 9:12-13 Bava Metzia 10:1-2 Bava Metzia 10:3-4 Bava Metzia 10:5-6 Bava Batra 1:1-2 Bava Batra 1:3-4 4:40pm 1 4:55pm 1 4:55pm 1 4:55pm 1 4:55pm 1 4:55pm 1 4:50pm 1 Bar Mitzvah Kovi Zand 2 Children s Tefillah Groups 10:15am 11:30am Bnei Akiva Not this week Seudah Shlishit R Hanoch Teller Avot U Banim 6:45pm 3 The Holy Bagel 9:00am 3 Moshe Gilbert (Father) Aron Tauber (Family) Leon Anaf (Father) Ben Slonim (Father) Esther Meltzer (Mother) Dr Robert Vasl Finding Your Roots 8:00pm 2 To sponsor the newsletter please call Rae on 8317 2555 Birthday Stephen Moss Hanna Friedman Ruth Gershov Renata Gilbert Rosanna Leibler Eva Slonim Martha Wise (Father) Note: This page lists relevant personal milestones and events of paid-up Mizrachi members only. Relatives of paid-up members who themselves are not paid-up members are not included.
Nachalat David is happy to invite all its young members to our new Ktantanim Shabbat morning Play group! Where? Kinder foyer (By the women s section) When? Shabbat morning from 10am until the end of davening Who? Bubs ages 0-3 with a supervising parent. What? Play time & Shabbat party Looking forward to playing with you all! Please note this is NOT a babysitting service. Children MUST be supervised at all times.
PRESENTS A TALK AND AUDIOVISUAL BY VISITING SPEAKER & AUSSIE OLEH: Wednesday 22 nd May 2013 8pm, Beth Haroeh Shule 81 Balaclava Rd Balaclava (Mizrachi Centre) Vasl family almost 100 years ago Vasl family at same place today Come to hear how Dr Vasl recently rediscovered his family roots through an investigative trip back to the Carpathian mountains in Eastern Europe, a once thriving Jewish World. Tips, ideas, and names/addresses to start your own quest for your roots For information Call Mizrachi 83172555
Stamps of friendship 11 May 2013 J-Wire Stamps marking the heroic charge of the Australian Light Horse Brigade in Beersheba in 1917 were jointly issued by Israel and Australia. The official release of the stamps in the office of Senator Stephen Conroy on Friday celebrates the enduring friendship between Australia and Israel, dating back 96 years to the Battle of Beersheba, in which the heavily outnumbered Australian troops overran the Turkish troops to take Beersheba and open the way for the capture of Jerusalem. One stamp features the statue of an Australian Light Horseman in the Park of the Australian Soldier, funded by the Pratt Foundation, at Beersheba. Another features contemporary images of Australian Light Horsemen. Australia Post managing director Ahmed Fahour said the joint stamp issue is a tangible way for Australia Post to acknowledge its relationship with Israel Post. The Battle of Beersheba is something close to the hearts of both Israelis and Australians and was a clear choice to feature on the stamp issue, he said. Israel Postal Company chief executive Haim Elmoznino added: The Israel Postal Company is proud to issue two joint stamps with Australia as a manifestation of the friendship and cooperation that extends across a number of fields between the two countries. The launch coincided with the World Stamp Exhibition in Melbourne. Also in attendance were Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, one of two Jewish MPs in the Gillard government; Max Stern, Holocaust survivor and the official representative in Australia for the Israel Philatelic Service; Sam Lipski, the chief executive of the Pratt Foundation; Haim Almoznino, the director-general of Israel Post; and Yaron Razon, the director of the Israel Philatelic Service. There was added poignancy at the event given today marked 68 years to the day that Max Stern was liberated from Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany, a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Canberra said. The philatelist and stamp dealer spoke of the influence the famous charge of the Light Horsemen had had in the Balfour Declaration which was to underpin the establishment of the State of Israel. Max Stern and Senator Stephen Conroy Mark Dreyfus, Max Stern, Senator Stephen Conroy and Yaron Razon
ב ס "ד NE W S L E TTER F O R T HE ELSTERNWICK JEWISH COMMUNITY 18 May 2013 9 Sivan 5773 Parshat Naso Yahrzeits during the coming week Robbie Wyner (Mother) [19 May] Dennis Max (Mother) [19 May] Leon Sossen (Father) [19 May] Elka Gaensler (Mother) [21 May] Judy Simms (Mother) [21 May] Linda Bulwa (Mother) [23 May] Morning services Sunday and public holidays 8:00 am Monday, Thursday 6:30 am Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 6:45 am Rosh Chodesh, Fast days 6:30 am The Sunday service is followed by Breakfast with the Rabbi which always includes an interesting drasha. Shabbat times Candle Lighting this week Mincha (followed by break inc shiur) Kabbalat Shabbat this week Pre-Shacharit Shiur Shacharit Mincha at Shabbat ends at Candle Lighting next week Mincha (followed by break inc shiur) Kabbalat Shabbat next week 5.00 pm 5.10 pm 5.45 pm 9.00 am 9.30 am 4.45 pm 5.59 pm 4.55 pm 5.05 pm 5.45 pm The Rabbi s Shabbat Shiurim The early shiur (9.00am, before Shacharit) - come join the Rabbi for cake, coffee and an exploration of The Book of Ruth Birthdays this week Dean Goldberg turns 3 on 21 May Condolences David, Tamara, Jessica & Adam (Pastor), and Sophie Klein, and Rosie and Lottie on the loss of their beloved mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, Pearl Klein a h. Condolences also to Jacob and Deidre Goldstein and their children on the loss of their sister, sister-in-law and aunt. Condolences to Esther Klein on the loss of her daughter-in-law. Benyomin and Ilana Susskind on the loss of their adored son Boaz a h. EJC wishes the Klein & Goldstein, and Susskind & Abush families long life, may we only share happy events ahead. Kiddush this Shabbat You are all invited to the kiddush, which will be sponsored by EJC. Please wait for the Rabbi to recite the Kiddush before starting to eat. PLEASE NOTE: Next Shabbat, 25 May, the Nagle Avenue gate will be closed, and we will only be using the Brentani Avenue gate. The guard will be on the Brentani Avenue gate. The Nagle Avenue gate will be out of bounds, as they are removing the tree right next to the gate.
Naso 5773 Issue 480 Page 9 Sivan 5773, 18 May 2013 Bs d שבת מציון www.torahmitzion.org Mazal Tov to Ami and Aviva Drazin from Montreal on the occasion of Sam s bar mitzvah Being an Individual and Part of a Nation Rav Eli Lipschitz, Former Shaliach in Washington, Program Director at Israel Experience Yom Yerushalaim around the TMT world In a classic scene from an old Monty Python film a charismatic leader stands in front of a mob of people and shouts out to them Repeat after me YOU ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS, the entire mob repeats in unison we are all individuals. Only one person in the crowd shouts back I m not. The census taken at the beginning of Parshat Bamidbar, and that continues with the counting of the Leviim in Parshat Naso, takes the individual and makes him/her part of something bigger. One year and one month since leaving Egypt, the time the census was taken, may have been a serious amount of time in some aspects. We received the Torah, both written and oral. We built a Mishkan. We learnt all the laws of the sacrifices and of personal purity and impurity. However, in many ways we were still a group of individuals, each person or family caring for themselves. Even the monumental event of Matan Torah, the receiving of the Torah on Sinai, that we celebrated this week on Shavuot, where the people gathered beneath the Mountain as one person in one heart seems to have been a short lived symbol of unity that dissolved the minute a difficulty appeared and the Golden Calf was formed. At the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar, the Book of Numbers, there is an attempt to change this. Everyone gets counted; everyone is a number, one person part of a larger whole. Yet here too it doesn t go all the way. Many commentators on Parshat Bamidbar discuss the difficulty of forging national unity while emphasizing the fact that each tribe had its own colors and standards, or as Rashi puts it the color of this one( s flag) was not like the color of this one( s flag) (Bamidbar 2, 1). This unique unity in Am Yisrael seems to be something that was difficult for the people to grasp. On the one hand all of Shivtei Yisrael, the Tribes of Israel, surrounding one central symbol of the Mishkan and the Shchina, the divine presence that it represents, yet on the other hand they are split into their own separate tribes, set in specific places with specific jobs and character traits. This dissonance in the unity of Am Yisrael leads us straight into this week s Parsha, Parshat Naso. Immediately following the census and job description of Shevet Levi, the Torah goes on to discuss the laws of the Sotah and the Nazir. These are two types of people who take their individualism to an extreme. Sotah, in the first case, begins with an ego, with a husband who believes that everything revolves around himself. He believes that it is his right to decide who his wife speaks to and with whom she may not. The Sotah herself in some cases is an individual as well; she doesn t care about hurting others or about maintaining the fabric of society, she will do as she pleases and not care about the consequences. Both husband and wife, in their individual and egocentric actions, necessitate the erasing of the holy name of Hashem in the presence of the Shchina in an attempt to restore their unity and trust. The Nazir is an individual from the opposite side of the spectrum. On the one hand he wants to add Kedusha and holiness to his daily life by restricting himself above and beyond the letter of the law. On the other hand, it seems to not be enough for him as a regular part of Am Yisrael, or as the Talmud Yerushalmi (Nedarim 9) says is it not enough for you what the Torah has already forbidden us, you need to Continued on page #2 Memphis Melbourne Jerusalem Shabbat Times Jerusalem Did you visit our new Facebook page? www.facebook.com/shlichuttorahmitzion Begin 18:54 End 20:15
Naso 5773 Page 2 Blessing and Receiving the Blessing of Kohanim Bs d Rav Moshe Aberman, Former Rosh Kollel, Chicago and Rosh Kollelim, Torah Mitzion The Kohanim are commanded to bless Am Yisrael. This commandment is included by the Rishonim (Torah scholars between the years 1000 and 1500) as one of the six hundred and thirteen commandments. The source of this mitzvah offered by the Rambam (positive mitzvah 26) and the Sefer Hachinuch (mitzvah 378) is the passuk "ko tevarchu et Bnei Yisrael amor lahem"- so you shall bless Bnei Yisrael, say on to them. In the gemarah, the commandment seems to be a given and, therefore, the discussion is focused on its details. In Sotah, the gemarah discusses, in reference to the passuk, what form of the name of God should be used? Later, we find a second discussion on who is included in the title "Bnei Yisrael". In both cases, it is a given that the passuk commands the Kohanim to bless while the discussion refers to the details of how and whom should be blessed. While it is clear that the Kohanim are meant to give the blessing as we read in the opening words of the passuk, "Daber el Aharon ve'el banav", speak to Aharon and his sons. It is not clear whether there need be a recipient and, if there is a recipient, it is not clear whether they have a requirement to receive the beracha. The gemara in Sota (38b) discusses a situation where the entire community are kohanim. The question is if all would go bless as they are commanded to, whom would they bless? Rabi Zeira responds that they bless their brothers in the fields. The idea reflected in this answer is that all the Kohanim should partake in the blessing, even though there is no one present to receive the beracha. The recipients, though not present, are their fellow Jews out in the field, not presently in a place where they may be blessed by kohanim. In other words, Rabi Zeira teaches that there need not be a physical presence of recipients since the blessing is directed to all of Am Yisrael not only to those present at the time of the blessing. The gemara continues to discuss the concept of blessing for those who are not present and makes a distinction. Those who cannot be present are blessed in their absence while those who can be present but choose not to be face to face with the Kohanim are not blessed. This raises a question: is it only that they do not receive the blessing or are they nullifying the mitzvah of Birkat Kohanim as well? The answer to this question hinges on a dispute amongst the Rishonim. While the Sefer Chareidim, as quoted by later authorities, Continued on page #2 Being an Individual and Part of a Nation / continued from page #1 add more prohibitions on yourself? In an attempt to achieve a higher level of Kedusha as an individual, the Nazir needs to bring a sin offering, a Korban Chatat, to repent for shunning himself from Klal Yisrael. The dualism between being part of a crowd or being an individual is something, that as observant Jews, we deal with in one way or another every single day. Am I praying on my own, when I feel like it, and in my own words or am I waiting to be part of a Minyan at a set time while reciting set prayers? Am I a small anonymous person within my tribe or am I Nazir and holy person in Am Yisrael or am I a bit of both. The answer to this question and to the dilemma that Am Yisrael was in, prior the journey to Eretz Yisrael, can be found at the end of Parshat Naso. turn of the Nisiim, the heads of the tribes, to donate their gifts to the Mishkan. Each one in turn came to give their unique individual gift to the Mishkan and to the worship of Hashem. In eighty nine repetitive Psukim, the Torah explains in great detail how each individual Nasi brought the exact same gift to the Mishkan. As individuals, they all brought the same thing. It is the duty of the leaders of Am Yisrael to turn each and every individual into a piece of the puzzle that creates Klal Yisrael, who can then march in unison towards Eretz Yisrael. If even one person is too unique or too commonplace, it may just take another forty years of wandering in the desert before being able to come home. Shabbat Shalom! After Am Yisrael, in a great show of unity, donated everything they had to the building of the Mishkan, it was the Mazal Tov to Rav Elad & Odelia Dahan, former Rosh Kollel in Melbourne, on the birth of a son.
Naso 5773 Page 3 Where Desire Began Or What We Can Learn About Intimacy from Adam and Eve Rav Gideon Weitzman, Former TMT Shaliach Kansas City, Staff of Puah Organization Bs d Unfortunately, due to my own error last week, the beginning of my article was cut off, so I will give somewhat of an introduction now. The familiar story of Adam and Eve's creation and, eventually, ejection from the Garden of Eden is the story of humanity and, therefore, the story of each and everyone one of us. A deep and close reading of the verses can convey messages about the nature of mankind and give an eye-opening view on one of the most powerful forces that drive man; the search for intimacy. Last week, we saw Adam's desire for a significant other, for his opposite helper, who would not only be a co-worker but who would complete him and be his soul-mate. Adam was lucky and did not need to search for too long as God created the perfect woman for him from his own flesh and bone. God built the rib that He had taken from man into a woman and He brought her to man. Even though God had formed her and knew that she was the ultimate mate for man, still He had to bring her to Adam to get approval. Intimate connections cannot only be formed on paper. They may look perfect in the planning stages but that is not enough to create a perfect couple. Anyone who has tried to match up two people knows how true this is. Obviously, the root elements must exist before we can even contemplate fixing up a man and woman to become a couple. However, even when it all looks good on paper, it may just not click. That metaphysical element of connection may be missing and, try as we might, the shidduch just will not work. God brought the woman that He had formed from Adam's rib to man to see that they would be attracted to each other. Intimacy relies heavily on attraction. Often first impressions are what will make or break a relationship. While this may be annoying and frustrating for some who find it hard to make a good first impression, this is the reality of relationships. Do not despair since this element is impossible to predict and is not an objective quality. The subjective nature of attraction means that people will be attracted to their mates and spouses irrespective of other peoples' opinions of their choice. Often it is impossible to explain what one person sees in another and finds attractive. Yet this attraction can contribute greatly to happy couples and healthy relationships. So without Adam's approval, God would never have left him alone with the woman. The man said "This time a bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh, she will be called woman because she was taken from man." Adam approves, because he realizes that this is the one, This time it is different. He makes that decision and arrives at that realization immediately without any communication with the woman. This seems a little reckless and even foolish. However, the sign that the connection is real is his ability to call her by a name. We already saw Adam's talent of giving names in relation to the animal kingdom. He gave names that then became their names forever because he was able to understand and define their essence. When man gave woman her name, he showed the deep connection to her soul. Later, he will give her another name, Eve, that expresses her role as the mother of all humanity (see BeReishit 3:20) but, initially, he called her Woman since she came from Man, or in Hebrew, Isha from Ish. The name implies the deep soul connection between the two. Eve, Chavah, is woman's role in relation to the rest of humanity and creation, but Woman is her name in relation to Man himself. Man and Woman will connect together and create a life for themselves. They will find an intimate connection that will give rise to new life and new creativity. When man calls his new mate a name, he recognizes their connection. God must have been happy and left them alone to discover each other. More on that next week. Blessing and Receiving the Blessing of Kohanim/ continued from page #2 understands that just as the Kohanim are required to bless Am Yisrael, the people are commanded to be blessed. The Ritva (Suka 31b), on the other hand, is of the opinion that there is no requirement upon the people to be blessed. There are two interesting consequences to this dispute. First, must one stand for the Birkat Kohanim. If we say that being blessed is part of the mitzvah then just as the Kohen giving the blessing must stand so too must the Bnei Yisrael receiving the beracha must stand. However, if there is no mitzvah to be blessed then there is no place to equate the recipient to the Kohen and, consequently, no need to require standing for the Birkat Kohanim (Yechave Daat sec.5 res. 15). A second consequence of the debate between the Sefer Chareidim and the Ritva is whether one should stop his own Tefilah to hear Birkat Kohanim. Once again, if being blessed is part of the mitzvah then the mitzvah deorita of Birkat Kohanim would take precedence over the rabbinic mitzvah of Tefilah (even according to the Rambam the Tefilah as we say it is only Miderabanan) and, therefore, one should stop his tefilah for Birkat Kohanim. If there is no requirement deorita to be blessed, then one would continue with his tefilah even while the Kohanim recite the beracha. If you would like to sponsor a parsha sheet please email michelle@torahmitzion.org