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MIZRACHI MATTERS PARSHAT RE’EH / SHABBAT MEVARCHIM

Friday, 6 August (28 Av) This week’s newsletter is generously sponsored by

Sally Lowinger, Colette Tugendhaft, Sheila Esterman, Joe Sasson & families in loving memory of their mother Rosette Lola Sasson ה"ע רוזה בת שמואל

whose Yartzeit is next Thursday, 4 Elul

This week’s newsletter is generously sponsored by Ann & Henry Eisenberg and family

in loving memory of Henry’s mother Esther Eisenberg ה "ע אסתר בת אברהם

whose Yartzeit is Tuesday 2 Elul Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat: 5:25pm

Candle Lighting: 5:18pm Dvar Torah: R’ Mottel Krasnjanski1; R’ Chezy Deren2

REGISTRATION & MASKS ARE MANDATORY FOR ATTENDANCE AT ALL MIZRACHI SERVICES. PLEASE ENSURE TO REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE AT WEEKDAY MINYANIM & SHIURIM VIA THE QR CODES ON CAMPUS.

Friday 6 August

28 Av

Saturday 7 August

29 Av

Sunday 8 August

אלול ראש חודש

Monday 9 August

אלול ראש חודש

Tuesday 10 August

2 Elul

Wednesday 11 August

3 Elul

Thursday 12 August

4 Elul

Friday 13 August

5 Elul

1. Beit Yehuda 2. Beit Yitzchak 3. Beit Midrash (Beit Haroeh Shabbat Morning) 4 . Bnei Akiva 5 . Elsternwick 6 . Midrashah 7 . Goldberger Hall

Shacharit 6:30am1; 7:00am2 7:30am1

7:30am1; 9:00am7

9:30am1-4 8:00am1;

9:00am1 6:10am1; 7:00am2

7:20am1 6:30am1; 7:00am2

7:30am1 6:30am1; 7:00am2

7:30am1 6:20am1; 7:00am2

7:30am1 6:30am1; 7:00am2

7:30am1 Dawn 6:05am 6:04am 6:02am 6:01am 6:00am 5:59am 5:58am 5:57am Tallit & Tefillin 6:23am 6:22am 6:21am 6:20am 6:19am 6:18am 6:17am 6:16am Sunrise 7:17am 7:16am 7:14am 7:13am 7:12am 7:11am 7:10am 7:09am Sh'ma (גר״א) 9:51am 9:50am 9:50am 9:49am 9:48am 9:48am 9:47am 9:46am Earliest Mincha 12:53pm 9:50am 9:50am 9:49am 9:48am 9:48am 9:47am 9:46am Plag HaMincha (גר״א) 4:31pm 4:32pm 4:33pm 4:33pm 4:34pm 4:35pm 4:35pm 4:36pm Mincha / Ma’ariv 5:25pm1 5:05pm1 5:25pm1 5:25pm1 5:25pm1 5:25pm1 5:25pm1 5:30pm1 Sunset 5:36pm 5:37pm 5:38pm 5:38pm 5:39pm 5:40pm 5:41pm 5:42pm Night/Shabbat Ends 6:18pm 6:18pm 6:19pm 6:20pm 6:21pm 6:22pm 6:22pm 6:23pm Second Ma’ariv 9:30pm3 9:30pm3 9:30pm3 9:30pm3 9:30pm3

DAF YOMI Via Zoom

Sukkah 30 Sukkah 31 Sukkah 32 Sukkah 33 Sukkah 34 Sukkah 35 Sukkah 36 Sukkah 37 8:15am 7:20pm 8:15am 8:15am 8:15am 8:15am 8:15am 8:15am

SHIURIM

Reb Leor Broh 9:00am3

R’ James Kennard 9:30amKinder

Drashot R’ Chezy Deren1 R’ Danny Mirvis2

R’ Leor Broh3 R’ James Kennard

4:15pm

Rabbeinu Bachye for women

R’ Danny Mirvis 9:30am

(ZOOM & in person in the Midrasha)

Tzurba Communal Shiur R’ Jonny Brull 8:30pm

Ladies Tanach Shiur - Dr. Michal

Kaufman 8:30pm

Lunch and Learn R’ Danny Mirvis

1:00pm

Parsha HaShavua Shiur with

R’ Leor Broh 8:30pm

“Following in the Footsteps of our

Fathers” 11:00am

Ohel Devorah Dr. Michal Kaufman

Gary’s Gemara Shiur 8:30pm

Parsha Shiur R’ Danny Mirvis

8:00pm

MISHNAH YOMIT

Mikvaot 5:4-5

Mikvaot 5:6-6:1

Mikvaot 6:2-3

Mikvaot 6:4-5

Mikvaot 6:6-7

Mikvaot 6:8-9

Mikvaot 6:10-11

Mikvaot 7:1-2

EVENTS

Bnei Akiva for Juniors @ 4:30pm

Seudah Shlishit Aviya Wiener

Holy Bagel 9:00am

Molad for Elul 10:43 (10

Chalakim) AM

Chill n Cholent 9:45pm

YAHRZEITS

Ben Slonim (Brother)

Ruth Epstein (Father)

Hans Bachrach ע"ה

R’ Danny Mirvis (Sister)

Tommy Junger (Father)

Shelley Ginzburg (Father)

Helen Steg (Father)

Ilan Almagor (Father)

R’ James Kennard (Mother)

Eva Seidner (Mother)

Henry Eisenberg (Mother)

Eva Lipp (Mother)

Sheila Esterman, Sally Lowinger &

Colette Tugendhaft

(Mother) David & Ralph Greenberger

(Mother)

Brian & Debbie Wiener (Father)

Jennifer Wein (Mother)

Gary & Paul Korbl

(Father)

If you have an occasion or milestone event that you would like to be mentioned in Mizrachi Matters, please email it to office@mizrachi.com.au by 12:00pm on Thursdays

We wish a hearty Mazal Tov to:

Ellie Schon & Aaron Gubieski

on the birth of their son, David “Doovi” Herschel Mazal tov to his grandparents: Pearl Schon, Sam Schon and Annette & Zyg Gubieski

Mazal tov to his great grandmother: Mrs Chajscu Schon

Ari and Hayley Rosenbaum

on the birth of their daughter, Annabel Fay Mazal tov to her grandparents: Malva & Charles Fridlender

BAR / BAT MITZVAH ANNIVERSARIES: David Feldman, Gidon Waller, John Kraus, Joshua Paneth,

Benji Cook, David Rubin, Daniel Lowinger, Shimi Barr, Samuel Pyke

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Saturday: Debbie Herz, Rebecca Gilboa

Sunday: Basil Gampel Monday: Alan Shnider, Gidon Waller, JJ Balter, Judy Seigel (HBD)

Wednesday: Benji Hersh Thursday: Reuben Medding

Friday: Norberto Izsak

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: Friday: Reb Leor & Tirzah Broh (HWA)

Parshat Re’eh

"The entire word that I command you that you observe to do, you shall not add to it and you shall not subtract from it" (Devarim 13:1). This verse contains two prohibitions. First, it is forbidden to add on to that which is commanded in the Torah (e.g. using five species on Sukkot or making Tefillin with five compartments, as opposed to the required four). Second, it is forbidden to subtract from that which is written in the Torah. The Sefer Ollelot Ephraim (Ma'amar 385, by the author of the Kli Yakar) questions the need for this second prohibition. If we already know that it is forbidden to add on to the Torah, how much more so should it be forbidden to take away from it! Furthermore, from the fact that we are required to keep the commandments of the Torah, it is already intrinsically forbidden to reject them. Why do we need a separate commandment to tell us what we already know? The Sefer Ollelot Ephraim therefore explains that our verse should not be read as containing two prohibitions, but instead should be understood as a single prohibition, with a consequence - that we should not add on to the Torah SO THAT we will not come to subtracting from it. Adding to an artisan's creation implies that it was previously lacking. Similarly, adding on to the Torah, by suggesting that the Torah was previously incomplete, inherently subtracts from it. Once its value has been undermined and the Artisan's ability has been brought into question, the entire system becomes vulnerable and subtraction becomes inevitable. By adding on, we may end up taking away. Sometimes, more is less. This is especially true when it comes to matters of debate. The passion, desperation or heat of an argument can lead to the development of extreme opinions. Whilst those who take arguments to an extreme may feel that they are significantly strengthening their cause, the reality is that such an approach is counter-productive. Far from attracting others to what may be a just cause, extremism only encourages opposition and polarization. There are times when we must take strong stances, but we must never lose balance or perspective. By taking our arguments to extremes, we only stand to lose, Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Danny Mirvis

Reb Leor Broh Riddle for Parshat Re’eh Find a set of six words in a row that appear twice in the Parsha, in exactly the same order and with exactly the same “trop” (musical notes). Answer to Riddle for last week (Ekev) In Parshat Ekev, find a verse that has every letter of the Alef Bet except one. Answer:- 7:19 The letter Bet "ב" is the only one missing here.

היד החזקה תים ו פ המ ת ו האת יך ו ר־ראו עינ ת אש דל ת הג כל־ המס ה ה' אלקיך ל ן־יעש אך ה' אלקיך כ ר הוצ ה אש טוי ע הנ ר הז ום׃ ניה א מפ ה יר ר־את ים אש עמ )ז:יט( ה

“The wondrous acts that you saw with your own eyes, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm by which the Hashem your G-d liberated you. So will Hashem your G-d do to all the peoples you now fear.” The Baal Haturim explains that the absence of the letter “Bet” which has a numerical value of 2 alludes to the fact that there will be a “second time” in the future when Hashem will perform miracles for the Jewish People as He did in Egypt.

From the Gush

Rav Moshe Taragin

Re'eh: The Gift of Free Will Parashat Re’eh challenges us to shoulder the great burden of human free will: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord... and a curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord.” We sometimes take the concept of human free will for granted, but for the ancients, it was anything but obvious. A fearsome and intimidating world appeared to toy with our fate, and our destiny seemed to lie beyond our control. Humans were gifted with free will, but the harsh world they inhabited mocked that freedom. Currently, as the Jews assemble to enter the Land of Israel and attend to their historical mission, the great gift of free will is explicitly enunciated. It has been a long journey to this decisive moment. Imprisoned and enslaved in Egypt, the Jews had little free choice. Even after their liberation from their Egyptian masters, the Jews of the desert had limited free will. For 40 years they benefited from overwhelming Divine provision and providence. Often, experiences are so staggering and overpowering that our free will disappears. We are sometimes left without choice, voluntarily abdicating choice in the face of forceful experiences. We feel so “taken” by an experience that we feel morally compelled toward a particular decision. It is hard to imagine the desert Jews enjoying absolute free will. They saw too many grand miracles and witnessed too many divine decrees. If the Jews in Egypt were imprisoned as slaves, the Jews of the desert were captivated by miracles and held captive by the Divine will. All this is about to change: the Jews are now transitioning from a world of supernatural miracles into a more pedestrian and ordinary condition. The celestial clouds which protected them had dissipated, while the desert well which provided water had run dry. Shortly, the daily manna fall would cease, and they will be forced to fend entirely for themselves. Currently, they face the full effect of human free will – in all of its glory, but with all of its consequences. Man is born free and must bear the brunt of his freedom. With free will comes responsibility and culpability. To be human is to be gifted with free will and with endless potential for glory. Squandering that immense potential is a colossal tragedy. Free will can be emboldening, but it can also be frightening. Free will demands strength of character. Free will also serves as the foundation for human change. Our lives and our world are not static, but are constantly affected by our decisions, large and small. Annually, we read parashat Re’eh and its bold announcement of free will, just as the season of Elul and of personal transformation commences. To highlight the relationship between free will and personal change, Maimonides, who championed unlimited free will, embedded the discussion of free will within the section describing the experience of teshuva (repentance). Teshuva is the boldest implementation of human free will and would be

inconceivable without unqualified belief in absolute free will. This is the season of human free will. It would be fair to expect that in the modern world we more deeply appreciate and more fully employ the gift of free will. We occupy a world of political, economic and religious freedom. Repressive social hierarchies have been removed, abolishing the restraints upon human imagination and unleashing human potential. Ironically, it sometimes feels as though we exercise less free will than our ancestors did. What cultural forces interfere with human free will? A large and depersonalized world The modern world has become large and looming. Everything in our world feels towering. Mammoth corporations, massive governments and outsized institutions have all created an oversized world which feels fixed and immutable. Living in a “canyon of towers,” we feel small and overmatched, and our sense of free will decreases. Of greater irony is the effect of the Internet. Conceivably, the Internet should make the world smaller and more connected. Yet, somehow, as the distance between us contracts, the space we inhabit expands, and we shrink. Greater information flow expands our vistas but narrows the horizons of free will. As continents shrink together, we no longer live in space cut to human size. Finally, the dominion of statistics strips us of free will. Statistics promises to predict human trends while convincing us that we exist on the curve of a graph rather than in free space. If we are just part of a larger trend, how free are we to render our own decisions? Are we individuals or depersonalized numbers of cold statistical analysis? The corona epidemic and our reliance upon statistical models has exacerbated this condition. Human beings exercise free will; numbers have no fate or choice. They merely serve larger numbers and broader calculus. Freedom vs free will Never before have we enjoyed greater political and economic freedom. The repressive systems and stifling social orders that hindered the freedom of past generations have been removed. Yet, as our freedom has expanded, free will has diminished. Freedom is a state, but free will is a Divine gift, endowed uniquely to man among all creatures. Fashioning us in His image, God granted us consciousness, creativity and endless possibility. Free will is a sacred right of humanity and signals the grandeur of man. In the modern world the grandeur of man has become effaced. We have witnessed evolution replacing creation, democracy displacing God or at least pushing Him to the margins, and capitalism supplanting altruism. Darwin reduced man from a Divine masterpiece into an amalgam of genes, positioned randomly on an evolutionary timeline of billions of years, commencing well before Homo sapiens arrived. In place of a Divine grand mission, man is locked in an evolutionary survival of the fittest with the animals of the jungle. As the splendor of man fades, and as his distinctive calling is blurred, the power of free will dwindles. We have greater freedom but less gravitas. Man has become more independent but less sovereign. We possess more freedom of choice but less free will. In our rush to become voters and consumers, we have forgotten how to be authors and artists. Isn’t history predetermined? For Jews, the concept of free will is even more complex, given our belief in redemptive history. There is a pivotal difference between the Jewish view of history and the Western view of history. Western civilization views history as evolutionary and open-ended. The future is completely unknown and is solely a product of human decision. Judaism views history very differently: It is predetermined and cyclical. History is constantly surging toward a terminus which resembles the origin: a perfect world in which the Divine presence is uncontested by man.

If history is cyclical and predetermined, how free are we to impose our will or author our future? It is crucial to delicately calibrate between free will and historical redemption: While history constantly surges toward a predetermined conclusion, individuals still possess complete control over their actions and decisions. God steers the world toward its end point, but the pace and texture of that journey is very much a product of human behavior. Our return to the modern state and the redemptive era has reminded us of what we believed for centuries: Despite the improbability of Jewish redemption, it is inexorable. Historical inevitability doesn’t mitigate free will, nor does it relieve us of the responsibilities of free will. Our lives are part of a larger arc, but we musn’t allow historical predetermination to exempt us from personal free will. By gifting free will, God endowed humans with power and glory. By delivering His will to His chosen people, He tasked Jews with a great mission and responsibility. Free will grants potential but carries consequences. In a world which feels deterministic we must choose free will.

Elul 5781 Dear Friends, 5781 has certainly been an unusual year and it is hard to believe that we are nearing the end and Rosh Hashana is fast approaching. We can only hope that we will be fortunate enough to celebrate the start of 5782 in a much more traditional manner than we did last year. We have arrived at the time of year where we focus specifically on teshuva and m’asim tovim and it is the perfect opportunity to consider the needs of others especially those that rely on support from our community. Throughout the year the Mizrachi Charity Fund (MCF) is committed to providing members of our extended community with the necessary support to ensure that they are able to provide for their families adequately. The need is constant and the requests endless. Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of families within the community that rely on our support in order to manage their financial burden. Not surprisingly the last 18 months revealed a particularly steep increase in the number of requests received and our community’s reliance on our support is at an all-time high. *Jacob recently approached MCF after tragically losing his wife. Having no family in the country, Jacob resigned from his employment to care for his wife during her illness. Jacob was also required to care for his two children. Jacob is desperately seeking employment that will accommodate his need to be available for his two children who are struggling to adjust to life without their mother. He is finding it extremely difficult to find anything suitable and consequently cannot afford his daily expenses. *Esther is an existing client of MCF and manages with our support on a tight budget. Esther was employed by a small business however, unfortunately, the impact of COVID has had a significant effect on her employer’s business and they are no longer able to offer her employment. Esther is facing significant financial hardship without her income and is struggling to find alternative employment at this stage. Jacob and Esther, and their families are just two examples of families who turned to Mizrachi Charity for assistance when they found themselves so vulnerable. We receive requests from families within our community and beyond. The most alarming feature is that many of these requests are coming from families that are deeply integrated in our close knit community. The need is literally on our doorstep and it is something that we cannot ignore. Furthermore, the impact of the pandemic has resulted in the emergence of a new faction of the community seeking our support, families that have never sought assistance in the past but have been adversely affected in these challenging times. We are pleased to be able to assist those families that seek our support and the only hurdle we face is having limited funds which restricts our ability to assist to the full extent required. We are completely reliant on the support of our generous community which ensures that we sustain our record of distributing approximately $280,000 a year to those who find themselves hungry, homeless, jobless and with few avenues of support. Every month, funds are disbursed to provide food vouchers, rental assistance, medical assistance, payment of utilities and occasionally, financial support in order to retrain or re-educate an individual so that they can return to the workforce. We hope to do more of this. Obviously the more money we raise the more capability we have to assist. Sometimes what we provide is only enough to help our clients out of a drastic predicament and we always wish we had the ability to help on a grander scale. Please consider those families whose added challenges can be alleviated by our thoughtful assistance by supporting our Rosh Hashana Appeal. We are so grateful for your continued support and are delighted to advise that donations can now be made online by clicking on our website charity.mizrachi.com.au Wishing you all a Shana Tova and Gmar Chatima Tova. Warm regards,

Karen Franks Mizrachi Charity Fund Executive Director *Names have been substituted

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