Judaism/Spirituality

Compliments cost nothing, but many pay dearly for them – Thomas Fuller What is the point of giving compliments?  Are they really the integral self-esteem boosts some people claim they are or are they just unnecessary demonstrations of vanity?  To give them correctly for some might not be worth the …

We are at the height of Sukkot at the moment and I would love to write about the special prayers and celebrations that are taking place in Jerusalem and around the Jewish world, but with coronavirus still ravaging our population, we are in lockdown, synagogues are closed and prayer are …

The festival of Sukkot, the most joyous festival in the Jewish calendar, began last night, lasting for 7 days (8 outside of Israel), running straight into the Simchat Torah festival on the 8th day (9th day outside Israel). Sukkot is the last of the Shalosh R’galim (three pilgrimage festivals). Like …

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins tonight (Friday night), and lasts for 2 days, until sundown on Sunday night. The Jewish year follows the lunar calendar, and the number counts the number of years since Creation. This year we will mark the beginning of 5781. This year is going …

Dvar Torah for this week Vayakhel Pekudai and Coronavirus An African child playing with a roll of waste paper recently was told off by his mother “Don’t waste! There are children in Australia who don’t have access to toilet paper right now”. Our universe is currently suffering the impact of …

JEWISH COMMUNITY OF CAIRNS, CELEBRATED THE NEW YEAR FOR TREES BY VOLUNTEERING FOR THE COUNCIL. The Cairns Jewish Community celebrated the ecological new year for trees Tu B’Shevat by planting trees for the council to make it a more beautiful city, on February 9th 2020..   Cairns has a vibrant …

The eight-day festival of Chanukah began on Sunday night. And its message seems especially important – especially relevant – this year. We know about the miracle of the oil: When the Jews achieved victory over their Greek oppressors, in the second century BCE, they went to rededicate the Temple, which …

You have heard of the Giant Mango but have you heard of the Giant Mango Chanukah Menorah? Cairns Jewish Community ignited a public Chanukah menorah erected on the Esplanade in Cairns .  This Chanukah menorah –  is likely to be a world first, as it is created using North Queensland …

Toldot. When spouses can be your sibling For most people, the relationship with siblings will be the longest lasting of their entire lives.  The attachment with siblings is immovable, no matter what happens there will always be an innate sibling bond.  The bond with a spouse, however, can change in …

HEAVEN & HELL. Q.  What do Jews believe about heaven and hell? A.  Judaism does not prefer the afterlife to this life. Samson Raphael Hirsch says, “The purpose of God’s rule does not consist in death and destruction, but in the advancement of life and having men develop and unfold …

The marathon of Jewish holidays is almost over. as the last and most joyous festival of the holiday season approaches– Sukkot finishes tonight and Simchat Torah begins. But before that, today, the last day of Sukkot, is known as Hoshana Raba, which despite the happy nature of Sukkot is a …

The festival of Sukkot, the most joyous festival in the Jewish calendar, begins tonight, lasting for 7 days (8 outside of Israel), running straight into the Simchat Torah festival on the 8th day (9th day outside Israel). Sukkot is the last of the Shalosh R’galim (three pilgrimage festivals). Like Passover …

THE ROSH HASHANAH SEDER. On Rosh Hashanah evening many people put an array of “simanim”, symbolic foods, on the table – not just apple and honey but other foods too, which are tasted one by one as their meaning is explained. The apple and honey signify our prayer for a …

HOW TO TREAT A CONVERT. Q.  How should we treat a convert – to Judaism, and away from Judaism? A.  The convert to Judaism must be treated with respect and love.  This rule is supported by the verse, “You shall love the stranger (‘ger’), for you were strangers in the …

MISREPRESENTATION IN BUSINESS. Q.  What is the Jewish perspective on a business exaggerating or misrepresenting its worth both in terms of its good will and the service or product it provides? A.  There are several leading Jewish researchers and writers on business ethics such as Dr Meir Tamari and Rabbi …

ABORTION. Q.  Does Judaism permit abortions? A.  Judaism regards children as a blessing and procreation as a religious and moral obligation. Through children a couple cement their own relationship and ensure personal and cultural continuity. Through children they enrich the world:  who knows whether the child they bring to life …

THE 21 DAYS. The fast of Tishah B’Av is the culmination of the Three Weeks, which are known as “Bein Ham’tzarim” – “Between the Straits”. This is based on a verse from Echah 1:3, “All her (Israel’s) pursuers caught her between the straits“. One view is that the verse is …

      WHO WAS PINCHAS? Pinchas had “pi-nechas (nechoshet)”, “a mouth of brass”. He was a gallant warrior who was indignant when he saw people rebelling against God and the Torah. As a priest, a grandson of Aharon HaKohen, he should never have taken up a weapon and killed …

KEEPING ALL 613 COMMANDMENTS. Q.  Does anyone keep all the 613 commandments? A.  There are two answers, the practical and the theoretical: 1. The practical answer: many commandments only apply to certain groups (kings, farmers, judges, women, kohanim, etc.) or certain places and times (the land of Israel, the time …

WHAT IS GOD? I can only give a personal view. There are two reasons. One: we all have our own take on God. I cannot be certain that my father’s God is the same as mine. I can’t be a believer with my father’s heart, only with my own. Two: …