The Brisbane Synagogue

Archive for April, 2022

Tomorrow evening commences the Festival of Pesach – Passover, the Festival of our Liberation. We are pleased to welcome four delightful Yeshivah students, who have come up from Melbourne to assist in leading services, Communal Seders, and kids programs – Yosef Bondar, Yehudah Frazer (formerly from Brisbane), Yehudah Meyers (Formerly from Brisbane), & Shaz Morosow.

Please make an effort to attend services, as we are sure that they will be enjoyable and uplifting, including kids programs which will be conducted on both morning services of the Chag – festival.

Please see information below regarding Pesach services and events and, it is not too late to book for the communal Seders as we have a few more spaces available. It is customary to sell any Chametz – leaven, food items that we are reluctant to dispose of for the entirety of Pesach. You can sell your Chametz via this online form.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher Vesameach –  wishing you and happy and Kosher Pesach.

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe

This Shabbat is Shabbat Hagadol, the ‘Great Shabbat’. Among the reasons given for this title, is its connection with the words from the special Haftorah, which is read on this Shabbat, describing a day in the future which will be gadol, – great. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” ( Malachi 3:23), in reference to the day of redemption in the future. Pesach – Passover, is the festival of the redemption from Egypt, which serves as the archetype of the future redemption.

The Parsha – Torah portion this week, which discuss the purification process from the Biblical leprosy-like disease, starts with the words “This is the Torah of the metzora.- Leper”, as opposed to the laws of diagnosing and quarantining the afflicted individual, where no such preface is included. Surely it would have made sense to say “This is the Torah of the metzora” at the start of the laws of the metzora? Why wait until the purification process?

A profound lesson is contained in the placement of these words as an introduction, specifically to the details of purification rather than the process of declaring the afflicted individual unclean. How must we view the metzora? Do we focus on the ailment or on the solution? How does the metzora view himself? Does he see himself as an outcast, or as a person who was granted the opportunity to search ways in solitude to refine oneself to lead a more meaningful existence?

The Torah states “This is the Torah of the metzora” by the purification and re-entry, to emphasize that the focus needs to be on the positive.

When life becomes challenging or hands us a devastating blow, it is easy to dwell on what’s wrong, and complain about how miserable life may be.

We must of course acknowledge the pain and the hurt,just as the metzora needs to be quarantined, expressing the hurt and sadness involved. These steps may be important, but they need to ultimately be trumped by positive purposeful thinking and action. We all suffer hardships and pain. It’s what we do next that makes the difference.

This is the Torah of the metzora.

We extend our thanks to the Brisbane City Council for scheduling their kerbside collection service to coincide with our Pesach – Passover preparations, as this is very convenient for those of us wanting to get rid of our unwanted items before Yom Tov – the Festival.

Please see information below regarding Pesach – Passover, which commences next Friday evening.

Shabbat Shalom and may we share good news

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe

Thank you Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz for the above message. Yitzi, who has been rendered immobile by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Unable to speak or type, he uses his eyes to write heartfelt thoughts on the weekly Torah portion.