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Services, Events & Classes Rabbi Moss Weekly Email by Rabbi Moss

Does Anyone Believe In You?

Friday, 22 May, 2015 - 2:02 pm

Posted by Rabbi Aron Moss

DO DRUG DEALERS DESERVE DEATH? All night learning - see below

Question of the Week:

I don't pray every day. Sometimes I'm not so sure that I believe in G-d enough to pray. I just don't think I can have the unwavering faith that people like you seem to have. I'll never be so sure. Can you pray and be a good Jew if your faith is unsteady?

Answer:

To be a Jew means to struggle. The very name Israel means "one who struggles with G-d". Faith is not a light switch that you turn on and it stays on. Faith is a fire that you need to tend and fuel, and sometimes rekindle. It is a wrestle that never ends.

There are days that your faith shines through and everything fits into place. On these days, you feel at one with yourself and G-d, and prayer comes naturally. Then there are days that you wake up and it is all dark, your faith seems to have dried up. G-d, soul, prayer, goodness all seem like annoying insects buzzing in your ear, and you just want to just roll over and go back to sleep.

But even on those days, you have to find the motivation to get up and get on with it. Perhaps your faith won't get you out of bed, so how about trying another approach. Putting aside your faith in G-d, what about G-d's faith in you?

There is a powerful prayer that we say as soon as we wake up in the morning:

I give thanks to you, Living and Eternal King, for You have returned my soul to me with kindness. How great is Your faith.

The faith referred to here is not our faith in G-d, but rather G-d's faith in us. The very fact that we have woken up is proof that G-d believes in us. He knows that we are not perfect, is well aware of our failings and knows the mistakes we have made. And yet, in the morning after our sleep He returns our soul to us, and gives us another chance, because He trusts us. He has faith in our ability to change and make today a bit better than yesterday. We may or may not believe in Him, we may or may not believe in ourselves, but G-d believes in us.

Humans are fickle, G-d is constant. His faith in us is firm and unchanging, even if our faith in Him is shaky. That's the faith of an Israelite, one who struggles with G-d. We may be struggling, but we are struggling with G-d - He is always there.

If you woke up this morning, if your soul was returned to you to see another day, then give thanks. Start your day with a prayer, if not out of your faith in G-d, then at least out of G-d's faith in you. He trusts you enough to give you a precious soul. Use it.

Good Shabbos and Good Yomtov,

Rabbi Moss

To ask your question, or to subscribe, CLICK HERE or email [email protected] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

SERVICES AT NEFESH

 

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REMEMBER TO LIGHT A 48 hour candle before Shabbos so you can light Yomtov candles

SHABBOS SERVICES

 

Friday, 22 May 2015 | 4 Sivan 5775 

Candle Lighting 4:41 pm 
Mincha 4:50 pm 
Followed by NEW WEEKLY SHIUR 'The Kabbalists Speak'- thoughts on the Parsha from Arizal, Zohar, Shelah (every week after mincha)


Friday Night Shabbos Service (with kids program) 6:00-6:50 pm 
followed by Kiddush.  


Shabbos Day, 23 May 2015 | 5 Sivan 5775   

Parshas Bamidbar

The Chassidic Parshah Class 9:00 am 

Shabbos Morning Service 10:00 am-12:15 pm

Barmitzvah of Cassius [surname requested]
Followed by Kiddush in honour of the barmitzvah of Cassius Collis- Mazal Tov!

Early Mincha 1:00 pm


SHAVUOS SCHEDULE

 


 

Saturday Night 23 May

Candle Lighting........................ 5:38pm
 Shavuos Evening Service....... 6:00 pm
 All Night Learning......... from 9:00 pm


 

Sunday, 24 May 2015 | 6 Sivan

Shavuos, Day 1

Morning Service.................... 10:00 am

Reading 10 Commandments 
and Ice Cream Party ............ 10:30 am
Followed by Dairy Luncheon!

 

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING SHAVUOS LUNCH SPONSORS...

Stuart Shaw in memory of Pilot Officer Ray Shaw, KIA 29/5/1942 in a flying battle over Libya;

Sybil and Arnold Castle to welcome the safe arrival of their grandson Jonah, son of Elana and Grant Smuts, and to thank the Nefesh community for their amazing support and hospitality;

Anonymous;

Michelle Brenner in honour of her mother and father who gave her the gift of life on the second day of Shavuot many years ago;

Anonymous in memory of Farha Naima bat Lulu A'H;

Samantha Msika in memory of her late father Pierre Haim Msika who passed away on the 23rd Iyar; Harry & Sara Kornfeld & Family; 

Shimon & Yosefa Friedman in honour of Dovid Hamelech and the Baal Shem Tov.

 


 

Mincha...................................... 4:45pm
  Candle Lighting............... after 5:37pm
Shavuos Evening Service....... 6:00 pm
  

Monday, 25 May 2015 | 7 Sivan
Shavuos, Day 2
 Morning Service.................... 10:00 am
Yizkor-Memorial Service...... 11:00 am
 Followed by a Kiddush


 

Mincha...................................... 4:45pm

Shavuos ends & Maariv......... 5:37pm


 


 

 

 

WEEKDAY SERVICES

Shacharis

 

 

Tuesday-Friday 7:00 am

 

 

Latest Shema this week 9:13 am

 


 

MAZAL TOV TO

Miri Collis and family on the barmitzvah of her son Cassius on Shabbos


 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Lilah Hedges for 5 Sivan/ 23 May

Wayne Kaplan for 6 Sivan/ 24 May     

Alison Brown for 10 Sivan/ 28 May 


 

 

LONG LIFE TO THE FOLLOWING WHO HAVE YORZEITS THIS WEEK

Eric Borecki for his late brother David Borecki on 4 Sivan/22 May 

Gabor Palanszky for his late sister-in-law Georgina Palansky 5 Sivan/ 23 May

Judi Berman for her late grandfather Hyman (Ray) Segal 6 Sivan/24 May

Rob Goldshaft for his late grandfather Leon Israel Rosenthal 7 Sivan/25 May

Richelle Goldshaft for her late father Leon Israel Rosenthal 7 Sivan/25 May

Rosalie Cohen for her late husband Edward Cohen on 8 Sivan/ 26 May

Gilda Cohen-Shapira for her late brother Edward Cohen on 8 Sivan/ 26 May

Lee-Anne Whitten for her late father Edward Cohen on 8 Sivan/ 26 May

Nicholas Levy for his late grandmother Ruby Levy on 8 Sivan/ 26 May

Allen Rosenberg for his late wife Anita Louise Rosenberg on 9 Sivan/ 27 May

Abie Greengarten for his late mother Musia Greengarten on 10 Sivan/ 28 May

 

 

 

 

 

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