Parashat Chukat
Rabbi’s Drosh
In this week’s Parasha, we read about the people of Israel complaining about a lack of water. Hashem instructs Moshe (Moses) to bring forth water by talking to a rock. Instead, Moshe calls the people of Israel rebels and, caught in a moment of anger, he strikes the rock twice to bring forth the water for the people of Israel. For this action, Moshe is punished severely.
When the Torah explains the punishment however, it does not talk about Moshe’s anger. Rather the words Hashem uses are “Because you did not believe in me…“.
At first glance this seems strange. In order for us to understand why Moshe was punished, we first need to understand the connection between getting angry and a lack of faith.
The Talmud says that anyone who is angry, it is as if they are taking part in idol worship. This is because if we have real faith and truly believe that everything that happens is from Hashem, and that ultimately it is for good, then how can we be angry? Anger is therefore a denial that what has happened is from Hashem and for good. This, our sages explain, constitutes a lack of faith.
In contrast, if we are in a situation which would seem to warrant anger, and we are able to overcome it, then we are demonstrating the ultimate faith in (and closeness to) The Almighty.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Friedler
The Friedlers’ Highlights
Rosh Chodesh Tamuz
This week we welcomed in the month Tamuz with mixed feelings, as always. Rosh Chodesh (the start of a new month) is celebrated as a time of joy, but the month of Tamuz marks the beginning of the destruction of the Temple.
Kosher Additives and Chemicals
I visited a new client this week who exports their additives all over the world. Most people are not aware of exactly what is in their food. There can often be unfamiliar ingredients which can be derived from non-Kosher materials in everyday foods. Part of our Kashrut supervision involves making sure that all ingredients are kosher, including any additives.
Tour with the Residents of St Andrew’s Village
This week I was joined by Residents from St Andrew’s as they learned about Judaism and got to tour around the Auckland Hebrew Congregation, seeing the Synagogues and taking out a Sefer Torah.
A special thank you to Evelyn Jaffe for her help organising this special tour for the residents and sharing her experiences with them.
Chassidism Session at LIMMUD
We loved presenting together at LIMMUD NZ on Sunday during our session on The Joys of Chassidism. Thank you to all the team for another fantastic conference. To hear a Chassidic story from our session, click below.
Mazel Tov Jake!
This Shabbat is Jake’s Bar Mitzvah. It’s been a pleasure learning with him over the past year, preparing for this special day. We know that not all the family could travel to join the simcha because of COVID19 restrictions, but we are proud of Jake for taking it all in his stride!
Supporting families Dealing with Antisemitism at School
This week I was working with a Principal and family to support a student who had experienced antisemitism at school. If your child has been affected by antisemitism and needs support, please contact the Rabbi for confidential advice or to talk/meet with the school leadership.
Getting Ready for Achiya’s 1st Birthday
It takes a village to raise a child and Achiya has certainly been blessed to be surrounded by love. Thank you for showering him with so many cuddles in his first year in our community (and this world).
Grandma Diane says that Achiya is a ‘Lulav Baby‘ because everyone picks him up , has a little shake, and then passes him on to the next person! What a wonderful start in life!
SAVE THE DATE!
We would love to celebrate Achiya’s 1st Birthday with you on Saturday the 10th of July with a Kiddush after the service.
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JOIN US IN OUR HOME FOR TORAH LEARNING, DRINKS, AND NIBBLES AT…
RABBI’S CLASS
…NEXT CLASS IS WEDNESDAY 23RD OF JUNE - CONTACT RABBI OR DEB FOR MORE DETAILS