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Times: Shabbat starts on Friday at 4:51 pm. The weekly Torah portion is Bamidbar. Shavuot follows on from Shabbat. Light holiday candles after 5:51 pm from a pre-existing flame. On Sunday, light holiday candles after 5.51 pm from a pre-existing flame. Shavuot ends on Monday at 5.51 pm.
Mincha in the CBD: Mincha is switching locations: On Mon/Tue/Thu, it will be at ABL – 21/333 Collins, and on Wed at Warlow’s Legal – 2/430 Lt Collins St. Join the WhatsApp group to stay across the latest details. No mincha on Monday because of Shavuot.
Study: The Weekly Shiur continues on Wednesday at about 1.15 pm (after mincha) at Warlow’s Legal – 2/430 Lt Collins St. – and via Zoom. Current topic: employee eating rights. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.
Thought of the Week with thanks to Jeremy Herz. On Shavuot this weekend we celebrate the anniversary of the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. The Gemara in Bava Kamma asks why the first ‘version’ (in the portion of Yitro) of the Ten Commandments does not contain the word ‘good’, whereas the second ‘version’ (in Va’etchanan) does, in the context of the commandment to honour one’s parents.
The Maharal (and other commentators) views the inclusion of the word ‘good’ as referable to the second set of Ten Commandments as a unit, rather than the fourth commandment alone.
The two sets of Commandments, although given to the Jews in close time proximity of one another, were received by them at very different junctures. On the first occasion, they had reached the highest level of purity and were listening directly to voice of G-d. The second time, they were still reeling from the sin of the Golden Calf and had fallen dramatically from their earlier heights.
The Maharal explains that G-d reserved the word ‘good’ for the second set of Tablets, to reaffirm the philosophy that the Torah is suitable for all Jews – even after they have sinned – and regardless of their varying religious and moral tendencies.