Condolences to Ralph Greenberger and family on the passing of his sister Alice

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

Shabbat starts on Friday at 8:08pm and ends on Saturday at 9:13pm. The weekly Torah portion is Vayishlach. Chanukah starts on Thursday night and continues until the following Thursday night/Friday. 

Solidarity Event

Tuesday, December 12th (6th night of Chanuka)
5:45 pm Ground Floor, 459 Collins Street, Melbourne

Listen to personal experiences and reflections from Melbourne Jewish Leaders

In conversation with
Adir Shiffman and Jeremy Leibler

RSVP 4th December, 4:00pm

 

>> RSVP <<

Mincha at Ainsworth Property – GF/459 Collins is in recess for the summer. Join the WhatsApp group for updates.

Weekly lunch & shiur continues on Wed at 1.20pm at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: the nature of miracles. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to Benjamin Jones.

When Jacob arrives back in Israel after the encounter with his brother Esav, the Torah describes how he arrived in Shechem “shalem” meaning “whole” or “complete”. No one else is described in this way when coming to a place. Why Jacob and why now?

Rashi comments that Jacob was complete in three senses:

1. Physically – having recovered from the injury with Esav’s angel
2. Financially – as G-d had replenished him after the lavish gifts he’d showered Esav with.
3. Spiritually – having not forgotten his Torah after 20 years in Lavan’s house.

Another opinion is that we’re not complete until we mend our relationships with everyone. With Jacob having made a covenant with Lavan and having left Esav on good terms, he was now complete.  

In these trying times, may we continue to mend relationships within the Jewish people and continue to build achdut – unity, so as a nation we will also be “shalem” – complete.