Parashat Yitro
Rabbi’s Drosh
This week’s Parasha is named after Moshe’s father-in-law. How do we make sense of the fact that our holy Torah was given to us in a Parasha that is named after someone who was once a key figure in Midianite idol worship?
This is one of the classic questions that Torah scholars have considered throughout the ages and contains an interesting message about what we gain when we give something up for a mitzvah.
Yitro gave up everything when he left the Midianite priesthood and went to the desert to join Moshe and the Jewish people. For this great sacrifice, the Torah rewards him with the honour of the name of this special Parasha.
For all of us, the pathway to Torah and mitzvot is not always an easy one, but the rewards are great and eternal.
We must ask ourselves this week, what can we give up for one more mitzvah. It doesn’t even need to be a big sacrifice like Yitro who gave up everything, but even with a small sacrifice, the rewards can be eternal.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Friedler
The Friedlers’ Highlights
Meeting with Dame Patsy Reddy
It was an honour to meet with our Governor General and thank her for her acknowledgement and apology about the small number of Jewish refugees who were refused New Zealand Visas during the Holocaust.
This is a particularly personal issue for our family as Deb’s grandparents went through the stress of Visa refusal for many months until ultimately they were permitted to settle in New Zealand.
Back to School
We wish all our young members who are heading back to school blessings and success for this year ahead. What better way to generate blessings and success than joining with our Kadimah students who are beginning 2021 with some beautiful T’fillah! We spoke about Tu Bishvat, trees and education - both long term investments in the future!
Getting ready with Adam
After months of practice, Adam is getting prepared for his Bar Mitzvah with rehearsals in the big shul. Only two weeks to go until the big day and he is sounding great. Keep up the good work Adam!
Kosher Kiwi App
The new Kosher Kiwi list and App have been a big focus of this week with virtual meetings between Auckland, Dunedin and Wellington as we prepare to launch in time for Pesach! Watch this space!
Getting Started with Jake
Jake had his first Bar Mitzvah lesson this week. He was excited to begin practicing his Torah reading and blessings, all under the watchful of eye of baby Achiya!
If your son or daughter is turning 12 or 13 this year, please contact us to start planning your simcha!
New Client for Kosher Kiwi
A nice start to the year with our first new client of 2021 to join Kosher Kiwi going through their preliminary factory inspections this week.
Thank you to the Kosher Kiwi team for their ongoing commitment to growing our client base. Hopefully the first of many more New Zealand food producers choosing to make their food Kosher certified in 2021.
It will be a busy time ahead as we try and fit in as many inspections as possible before Pesach!
UNIHRD - Remembering the Shoah
This Tu B’shvat I had the honour of presenting at the UNIHRD commemoration for the Holocaust. Normally Tu B’shvat is a joyous festival celebrating the new year for the trees, but this year we felt the seriousness of the messages of responsibility which come with both of these days, which fell at the same time this year.