The Brisbane Synagogue

Author Archive

With just over two weeks until Pesach – Passover, and the commencement of the festive Jewish month of Nissan, next Tuesday, we will be reading the fourth and final special Torah reading this Shabbat namely, Hachodesh – ‘The Month’, in which we highlight the uniqueness of the month on Nissan, being the first of the months. This raises a question as the Jewish calendar commences on Rosh Hashanah, which is the first day of Tishrei, not Nissan.

Like a sphere with two poles, the Jewish year has two “heads” or primary points of reference, each of which is equally its beginning. Our annual journey through time is actually two journeys, one of which commences in Tishrei, on Rosh Hashanah, and another commencing in Nissan. Every day on the Jewish calendar can be experienced on two different levels, for it simultaneously exists within these two contexts. Thus, the first of Tishrei is Rosh Hashanah, “the Head of the Year,” while the month of Nissan is designated as “the head of months.”

The “Head of the Year” — the one on which we sound the shofar and pray for a healthy and prosperous year—occurs on the first of Tishrei, which is the anniversary of G‑d’s creation of the universe, particularly His creation of man. On this day we reaffirm our commitment to G‑d as our Creator and King, and ask that He inscribe us in the book of life, which represents the first day of human history. The month of Nissan marks the birth of Jewish time, when G‑d commanded His first mitzvah to the fledgling nation of Israel—to establish a calendar based on the monthly lunar cycle. On the fifteenth of that month, the Jewish people exited the land of Egypt and embarked on their seven-week journey to Mount Sinai.

The Jew is a citizen of G‑d’s world—a status he shares with all other peoples and all other creations. As such, his head of the year is the first of Tishrei, the birthday of man and the Rosh Hashanah of the natural world. But the Jew also inhabits another reality—a reality born of the supra-natural events of the Exodus, the splitting of the Red Sea and the divine revelation at Sinai. This dimension of his life has its own “head”—the miraculous month of Nissan.

As the creator of the heavens and the earth, G‑d as the author of nature, is the G‑d that Israel shares with the rest of creation. At Sinai, however, G‑d did not speak to us as the G‑d of creation, but as the G‑d of the Exodus. At Sinai, a new chapter was opened in divine-human relations, as G‑d and the people of Israel committed themselves to a miraculous relationship—a relationship that does not recognize the dictates of convention and normalcy.

The natural and the miraculous time-systems are mutually interconnected, each serving as the basis for the other.

As Jews, we follow both cycles, straddling both worlds. On the one hand, even the most natural aspects of our lives are predicated upon the miraculous and are permeated with a norm-transcending vision. On the other hand, our most miraculous achievements are grounded in the natural reality.

Our mission in life is to transform the very nature of reality; in the words of the Midrash, to build “a dwelling for G‑d in the lower realms.””—that we transform the lower realms (i.e., the natural, material world, which by its nature conceals the face of its Creator) into an environment receptive to the divine truth, into a place in which the goodness and perfection of G‑d is at home and is the dominant reality.

To achieve His aim in creation for a dwelling in the lower realms, G‑d created the Jew, a hybrid of the Tishrei and Nissan realities. For only in incorporating both these time-cycles in our lives, combining a norm-defying approach with a natural-pragmatic modus operandi, can we achieve the redemption of ourselves and our world. Only by drawing from above to change from within can we make our world a home for G‑d.

As we bless, this Shabbat, and enter the redemptive and miraculous month of Nissan, may we witness the miraculous release of the remaining hostages and enduring peace in Israel and throughout the world!

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov,

Last Shabbat, was a truly meaningful and uplifting experience for all who attended the Brisbane Synagogue Shabbat morning service, as we used our historic 200-year-old Czech Torah, which was saved from the Shoah, and restored, to read Parshat Zachor, the special Torah portion, which is read in the lead-up to Purim, and contains the Mitzvah, we are obligated to fulfil daily namely, to remember how the ancient nation of Amalek confronted us, in an unprovoked attack, cooling down the enthusiasm of the Jewish people as they commenced their journey from Egypt to receive the Torah on Mt Sinai.

The Nazi regime, which too sought to destroy our people, along with many other evil regimes before them, have all come and gone, only to be relegated to the history books while we, the Jewish nation, are alive and well, still reading the very same words and being inspired by their messages, as we have been doing from more than 3000 years. Am Yisrael Chai!

We extend our sincere thanks to the two Yeshivah students, Shneor Cohen and Sholom Ber Kaye, who came from Melbourne to assist us over last Shabbat and the Purim celebrations, reading the Torah and the Megillah multiple times at various services and communal functions, and for some private people who, due to various reasons, were unable to leave their homes.

Kol Hakavod to Leah Phillips and her JCCQ team for the wonderful Purim day celebrations at the Community Centre, at which a large number of people were afforded the opportunity to observe the various Purim traditions, while enjoying great food and entertainment, with great spirit.

Due to the long weekend, and several members being away, please make a special effort to join us this Shabbat to ensure that we can secure Minyanim, particularly as we will take out an additional Torah for Parshat Parah.

With heartfelt prayers for the release of the remaining hostages and enduring peace in Israel and throughout the world!

Shabbat Shalom and may we share good news.