The Brisbane Synagogue

Archive for August, 2022

In this week’s Parsha – Torah reading, we encounter the most well-known words in all of Judaism, recited each day before we retire to bed at night and upon arising in the morning namely, the Shema – Hear, O Israel, The L‑rd is our G‑d; the L‑rd is one.

Why do we cover our eyes while reciting these words? On a simple level, this is to assist us in concentrating on the meaning of the words and not be distracted, but on a deeper level, we do this in order to put aside our own perspective of the physical world around us and delve deeper into the meaning and purpose of life.

And then we open our eyes, which enables us to create a relationship that fuses the deeper elements of our lives with our physical reality. As the words of the Shema continue:

“And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them to your children and speak of them when you sit in your home, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as ornaments between your eyes. And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your home and upon your gates.”

Our day-to-day tasks—when we walk on the road, lie down in the evening, rise in the morning, and the homes we create become imbued with spiritual meaning and Divine holiness. We are able to connect the words of the Torah, the unity and love of G‑d, to our daily life. Our material pursuits are sanctified because we use them as a conduit for holiness.

The above message relates to the Jewish Festival we celebrate tomorrow namely, Tu B’Av – the 15th of Av, a day which led to many Jewish marriages, among other significant historical events. Judaism teaches us that the 15th of Av is comparable to Yom Kippur, a day of supreme holiness. Why? Because this was the day that marriages were forged, which is a holy institution.

In celebration of Tu B’Av, Jewish girls would wear borrowed clothing so no one would be embarrassed by class differences. No high-fashion couture clothing or petty competitiveness to outshine one another. The girls danced joyously in the vineyards in simple, borrowed, linen garments. This matchmaking festivity underscored: look beyond the outer shell and find a deeper soul connection.

In our society, when the sanctity of marriage is being eroded, when our values have become shallow and our ideals battered, this day has a valuable message for us all, to focus less on superficiality and learn to appreciate the truly meaningful and enduring aspects of life.

Please join us this coming Wednesday evening at the Brisbane Synagogue Memorial Hall , for an important talk by visiting Rabbi Ian Goodhardt, (see details below), who will be joining us in Shul next Shabbat .

This week, we read the first in a series of seven special Haftarah readings relating to the theme of comfort, in the lead up to Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year, thus this Shabbat is named Shabbat ‘Nachamu’ – Comfort. May we all experience much comfort and inspiration.

In the lead up to the High Holidays, for many from the the 15th of Av, it is customary to conclude our correspondences with the traditional blessings for a sweet New Year.

ברכת כתיבה וחתימה טובה, לשנה טובה ומתוקה – May you to be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet new year. 

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom 

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe

This Shabbat is Tisha B’Av – the 9th of Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar on which we usually fast and mourn the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash – Holy Temple however,  being that this year it falls out on Shabbat, we will be feasting and celebrating Shabbat and the fasting and mourning is postponed until Motzoey Shabbat – Saturday night, and Sunday instead.

This is an important reminder to us all about the capacity for the holiness and power of Shabbat to transform negativity and sadness into optimism and joy.

In addition to beginning of the fifth book of the Torah, Devarim – Deuteronomy, this Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Chazon, as we read the haftorah that begins with the words: “Chazon Yeshayahu'” – the vision of Isaiah, and ends with: “Zion will be redeemed with justice, and its captives, with tzedakah.”

Who or what is Zion? And who are the captives, being referred to in these words by the great prophet, Isaiah?

Some say that Zion refers to Jerusalem, and the captives are the Jewish people. Others understand Zion to be the Jewish people themselves. But if Zion are the Jews, then who are the captives?

The answer is that Zion refers to Jews who study Torah and perform mitzvot, and the captives are Jews who are not yet  actively engaged in Torah study and the performance of mitzvot. They are called captives because they have willingly or un-willingly surrendered their will to their physical bodies and materialistic drives.” So-called ‘Zion Jews’ are redeemed with justice because they earned it. However, the captives among us are redeemed with  tzedakah – charity, as we are taught that all Jews will ultimately return to Torah and immediately be redeemed. This is an act of tzedakah – kindness from Hashem.

Our souls are, in essence, one with their source and, although they are sent down to this world to influence the body and our physical surroundings, since they are an actual part of Hashem, they are not affected by the dark concealment of life’s  challenges and negative experiences. On the contrary, the darkness and the exile cause the soul to bring out hidden strength that had been lying dormant, strengthening its connection with with it’s source in heaven.

The body, on the other hand, is subject to the harsh conditions and darkness of materialism. Hashem purposely puts us into this challenging physical environment so we may transform the darkness into light, through our positive thoughts, words and deeds.

This brings us to yet a third explanation of the word Zion, referring to our physical bodies, and v’shaveha (its captives)  can also mean “it’s returnees”, which alludes to our souls.

The neshamah, which did not suffer in exile, returns as a kindness, a tzedakah. Due to its influence on the body, it receives the greatest revelation through the body, which becomes refined though it’s physical engagement with the various visisitudes of life, thus fulfilling its mission of revealing G‑dliness in the world.

The above concepts enable us to understand more deeply the opening words of  the haftorah: “Chazon Yeshayahu.” the vision of Yeshayahu, stemming from the word yeshuah, meaning ‘salvation’ or ‘redemption, and our haftorah is thus conveying to us the message that, specifically during times of darkness and challenge, we have the capacity to accomplish the ultimate vision of redemption.

Shabbat Shalom and may the postponement of Tisha B’av, this Shabbat, bring about the postponement of all sadness, challenge,  and destruction, with the ultimate blessing of true and enduring happiness and peace and may we celebrate this Tisha B’Av in the third Bet Hamikdash – Temple, Amen!

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe

Thank you Rabbi Yitzi Horowitz for the above message