Condolences to Ron Burdo and family on the passing of his father Boris (in Israel)

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

Shabbat starts on Friday at 4:51pm and ends on Saturday at 5:52pm. The weekly Torah portion is Bechukotai and Mevarchim Chodesh Sivan. Yom Yerushalayim is on Wednesday. Rosh Chodesh is on Friday.

Mincha 1pm continues at Ainsworth Property – GF/459 Collins Mon-Wed. Join the WhatsApp group where we take a count to confirm each day.

Weekly sushi & shiur continues on Wed at about 1.10pm (after mincha) at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: paying employees in a timely fashion. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to Jeremy Herz.

In this week’s Torah reading of Bechukotai, G-d promises blessings for observing the Torah. These include rainfall, agricultural prosperity and peace.

Rashi comments that peace is vital and prosperity without peace is of questionable value. Whilst peace may refer to secure borders and peaceful foreign relations, the commentator Ketav Sofer explains that Rashi understood peace in this passage as internal harmony among the Jewish people.

Without it, material success becomes a curse rather than a blessing, leading to bitter rivalry over resources. True prosperity exists only with peace within the nation, when people feel concern for others and conversely rejoice in the success of their neighbours. Absent peace, prosperity causes strife, which is hardly G-d’s intended blessing for observance of the Torah.