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

Mazal Tov to Raphael & Rivki Leibler on the birth of a son!

Condolences to Sam Siegel and family on the passing of his mother

Shabbat starts on Friday at 5:33pm and ends on Saturday at 6:32pm. The weekly Torah portion is Eikev.

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 will continue on Wed at about 1.10pm (after mincha) at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: collecting on debt security. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to David Prins.

Throughout his valedictory speech that comprises most of the book of Devarim, Moshe instils in the people that they must remain faithful to G-d and obey his commandments. In this week’s Torah reading he does so by reminding the people that throughout their wilderness years G-d fed them with manna and never left them hungry.

The famous phrase “Man does not live by bread alone” originates in this week’s Torah reading. But while many think this refers to our need to be satiated with other yummy foods, in fact the verse concludes by saying that man rather lives by everything that proceeds from the mouth of G-d. Nan requires spirituality. He cannot be satisfied solely by physicality.

The command to say Birkat HaMazon (Grace after meals) originates from this week’s Torah reading: “you shall eat and be satisfied and bless G-d”. But the verse does not say that we are blessing G-d for the food, but rather for the good land that He has given us. This command is placed with well-known verses setting out the natural beauty of this land, in the context of seven species of food that it produces.

Moshe is teaching that the people, their spirituality and the land are inextricably tied together. They are the building blocks for building the state after they leave the desert, and for eternity.