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MIZRACHI MATTERS PARSHAT EKEV

Friday, 30 July (21 Av) This week’s newsletter is generously sponsored by

Sue & Paul Korbl and family in loving memory of Sue’s father Joe Landy ה"ע יוסף בן ברוך

whose Yartzeit is next Tuesday, 25 Av

Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat: 5:20pm Candle Lighting: 5:12pm

Dvar Torah: R’ Mottel Krasnjanski1; R’ Danny Mirvis2 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 30 July 21 Av

Saturday 31 July 22 Av

Sunday 1 August

23 Av

Monday 2 August

24 Av

Tuesday 3 August

25 Av

Wednesday 4 August

26 Av

Thursday 5 August

27 Av

Friday 6 August

28 Av

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

Shacharit 6:30am1; 7:00am2; 7:30am3

7:20am1; 9:00am2; 9:30am1-3

8:00am1;

9:00am1 6:20am1; 7:00am2

7:30am1 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 6:11am 6:10am 6:10am 6:09am 6:08am 6:07am 6:06am 6:05am Tallit & Tefillin 6:29am 6:28am 6:27am 6:26am 6:25am 6:25am 6:24am 6:23am Sunrise 7:23am 7:22am 7:22am 7:21am 7:20am 7:19am 7:18am 7:17am Sh'ma ( גר״א) 9:54am 9:54am 9:53am 9:53am 9:52am 9:52am 9:51am 9:51am Earliest Mincha 12:53pm 12:53pm 12:53pm 12:53pm 12:53pm 12:53pm 12:53pm 12:53pm Plag HaMincha (גר״א) 4:27pm 4:27pm 4:28pm 4:29pm 4:29pm 4:30pm 4:31pm 4:31pm Mincha / Ma’ariv 5:20pm1 5:00pm1 5:20pm1 5:20pm1 5:20pm1 5:20pm1 5:20pm1 5:25pm1 Sunset 5:30pm 5:31pm 5:32pm 5:33pm 5:33pm 5:34pm 5:35pm 5:36pm Night/Shabbat Ends 6:12pm 6:13pm 6:14pm 6:15pm 6:15pm 6:16pm 6:17pm 6:18pm Second Ma’ariv 9:30pm3 9:30pm3 9:30pm3 9:30pm3 9:30pm3

DAF YOMI Via Zoom

Sukkah 23 Sukkah 24 Sukkah 25 Sukkah 26 Sukkah 27 Sukkah 28 Sukkah 29 Sukkah 30 8:15am 7:15pm 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’ Danny Mirvis1 R’ Chezy Deren2

R’ Leor Broh3 R’ James Kennard

4:10pm

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 R’ Yaakov Glasman Gary’s Gemara Shiur 8:30pm

Parsha Shiur R’ Danny Mirvis

8:00pm

MISHNAH YOMIT

Mikvaot 2:9-10

Mikvaot 3:1-2

Mikvaot 3:3-4

Mikvaot 4:1-2

Mikvaot 4:3-4

Mikvaot 4:5-5:1

Mikvaot 5:2-3

Mikvaot 5:4-5

EVENTS

Bnei Akiva for Juniors @ 4:30pm

Seudah Shlishit Anthony Raitman

Holy Bagel 9:00am

Chill n Cholent 9:45pm

YAHRZEITS Harry Rafalowicz

(Mother)

Michael Gordon (Father)

Harry Mainzer (Mother)

Peter Kacser (Father)

Danny Lamm & Gilda Moss

(Father) Sue Korbl

(Father)

Robert Fixler (Father)

Peter Weiss (Father)

Ben Slonim (Brother)

Ruth Epstein (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:

Ruby Jotkowitz

on the occasion of her Batmitzvah Mazal tov to her parents: Sharona & Benji Jotkowitz

Mazal tov to her grandparents: Sarah & Max Jotkowitz and Irit & Barry Kave

Nadav Kloot & Noa on their wedding.

Mazal tov to their parents: Nomi & Paul Kloot Mazal tov to their grandparents: Shosh Kloot

BAR / BAT MITZVAH ANNIVERSARIES: Michael Gruber, Moishe Syber, Daniel Parasol & Yehuda Moss

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sunday: John Kraus (HBD)

Monday: Alon Schmidt, Elianna Zellinger, Rachel Lazar, Sally Lowinger, Simmi Lipshatz

Tuesday: Yona Epstein Wednesday: Tzippi Lowinger

Thursday: Eva Goldberg Friday: Helen Savitz, Romy Prins

"א אב תשפ"א כ

Dear Reader Earlier this year Mizrachi received a very generous donation from Danny, Rolene, Rafi and Aliza Lamm. At that time the Executive resolved that the Shul in which Kehillat Ohr David and the weekday 7 am minyan daven, be named Beit Yitzchak in memory of Erwin and Ilse Lamm z”l. Accordingly, a dedication will take place iy'h on Mr Erwin Lamm’s seventh yahrzeit, which is this Monday night the 25th of Av at 7:00pm at Mizrachi. We thank the Lamm family for their ongoing support of Mizrachi. Shabbat Shalom David Brykman President

Parshat Ekev "The One who fed you manna in the Wilderness, which your ancestors did not know, in order to afflict you and in order to test you, to do good for you in your future" (Devarim 8:16). As Moshe prepares the Bnei Yisrael to enter the Land of Israel, he warns them not to forget "The One who fed you manna in the Wilderness… in order to test you". What was the test of the manna? At first glance, it looks like the easiest test of all time. The Bnei Yisrael did not have to make the slightest effort in producing or preparing their food. They did not even have to make a living, for Hashem Himself ensured there was bread on their tables and roofs over their heads. All they had to do was walk out each morning and collect their Divine meals. What is the challenge in living a life of relaxation? Seforno explains: "In order to test you – If you will perform His will when He provides your livelihood without trouble" (Seforno 8:16). According to Seforno, it was the carefree and relaxing lifestyle created by the manna that provided the real test. Without any concerns of producing crops, preparing meals or making a livelihood we had an abundance of free time. Therein lay the test. Free of distractions and potential excuses, would we immerse ourselves in futile pursuits or would we utilize our time to learn, observe Hashem's teachings and better His world? The miraculous existence of the Wilderness was never meant to be a long-term solution and we no longer rely on manna to fall from heaven. Nor do we rely on being otherwise miraculously sustained. The realities of this world dictate that there will not be any food on our tables or roofs over our heads if we do not invest a significant amount of time in making a living. Nevertheless, whilst we do not have the abundance of time the Bnei Yisrael had in the wilderness, the test of the manna remains true. The true test of a person's priorities is how they choose to spend their free time. Once we have worked enough hours to ensure a fair standard of living, how do we spend the rest of our time? Do we give time to others? How much time do we set aside for learning? How much time do we set aside for the family? Do we relax in order to prepare ourselves for challenges that lay ahead or do we make relaxation and leisure our main goals? If somebody spends ten hours a day working and only two hours with their children before they go to bed, it does not mean that their work is five times more important to them than their children. Similarly, even if we do not learn Torah all day every day, but that is how we choose to spend our spare time, we can fulfil our requirement to set aside time for Torah. By setting our priorities straight and realising that there is no such thing as "free time", may we successfully pass the test, Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Danny Mirvis

Reb Leor Broh Riddle for Parshat Ekev In Parshat Ekev, find a verse that has every letter of the Alef Bet except one. Answer to Riddle for last week (Vaetchanan) In Parshat Vaetchanan, four of us appear in one verse. There are altogether five of us, but one does not appear. We are not objects or persons. What are we, and which of us does not appear? Answer: we are the Five Senses. In verse (4:28), 4 of the 5 senses appear, only ‘touch’ does not appear. ן׃ א יריח אכלון ול א י א ישמעון ול א ־יראון ול ר ל בן אש ץ וא ם ע י אד ה יד ים מעש ם א�ה ועבדתם־ש “There you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, that cannot see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell”. See Rabbenu Bechaye who explains that touch and taste are so closely related that, at times, one will appear without the other, as they are included in each other. Refer eg. Tehillim 115 where touch appears rather than taste. See further his enlightening comments on the 5 senses.

From the Gush

Rav Moshe Taragin

Eikev: The Land of Milk and Ice Cream The recent decision to discontinue selling Ben and Jerry's ice cream in selected areas of Israel has roused the Jewish world, supporters of Israel, and opponents of economic boycotting. Fortunately, the actual ramifications of this boycott are limited, or even negligible. As Israel's economic influence continues to grow, the world is increasingly dependent upon Israeli high tech, medical technology, water management and cyber security. Countries will have to pay a steep price for their discriminatory boycotts of the only democracy in the Middle East. With God's help, our GDP is rising while investments in Israel are skyrocketing. In the year 2021 a boycott -even by a multinational provider of food – doesn’t pose a significant economic threat. These and other important points have been cogently articulated in numerous op-ed pieces in both the Jewish and international media. It is not necessary, nor is it quite the place for Rabbis to articulate the diplomatic, economic and elements of this boycott. However, there are deeper religious and moral messages to this struggle. The passionate responses which the boycott has elicited suggests that this isn’t just a discussion about ice cream cones. Here are three religious or moral angles to this story: Morality of the Masses Traditionally, ethics were articulated by thoughtful moral and religious thinkers who carefully considered the complexity of moral dilemmas. Right or wrong, positions hatched through careful moral deliberation should carry moral weight. Unfortunately, Democracy, Capitalism and social media have all created a moral circus. Politicians assert "moral" positions in a thinly-veiled attempt to court voters. Large corporations take "moral stands" to attract consumers. Despite its human rights abuses, China isn’t being sanctioned by Unilever- the parent company of Ben and Jerry's - because their market is too large to compromise. The Israeli market share is considerably smaller compared to the market size of BDS countries or communities. For its part, social media has decentralized the flow of information, empowering every individual to render moral positions. Mass politics, mass consumerism and mass information flow, together, have produced a distorted theater of "mass morality"- never a recipe for balanced or sensible moral positions. It sometimes feels as if we are walking through a moral house of mirrors. Additionally, globalization has eliminated any context or subtlety. In the global village, we are more connected to events and people across the world and feel licensed to offer uneducated moral rebuke, absent of historical context or complexity. Lack of contextualization always leads to shallow and vacant moral assertions. Globalized moral calculus also promotes "intersectionality", or the belief that all forms of discrimination overlap or are interdependent. The writing has been on the wall for some time. If Ben and Jerry's battles racial discrimination, advances climate reform, labors on behalf of LGBTQ+ rights, it must also campaign against the "abusive" policies of the only democracy in the Middle East. Intersectionality is the misleading byproduct of the globalization of social justice. Welcome to the moral circus we call "modern society". Moral relativism has muddled the notion of absolute "right and wrong". Mass morality has emptied moral conversation of depth and context. We must strictly preserve our moral compass and protect our moral clarity from scrambled and simplified moral

posturing. Popular moral positions, even when dressed in the righteous declarations of international organizations or noble agendas of socially conscious corporations, should never carry moral authority. The absolute will of God, as well as our own inherent sense of right and wrong should form our moral compass. Twitter should not reshape our moral conscience, nor should an ice cream company influence our sense of right and wrong. But it's "Ben and Jerry's"! Recently a Norwegian pension fund divested from Israeli companies who service the entire land and people of Israel. Though potentially, this financial impact is far more damaging than the Ben and Jerry's boycott, this divestment announcement barely registered. Everyone loves Ben and Jerry's while very few had ever heard of this Norwegian fund. Had it been Norwegian cruise lines it would have been a different story altogether! Beyond the economics of this boycott many are insulted at being rejected or censured by a company we all love, and whose ice cream we crave. Why do we care so deeply? The overall book of Devarim warns repeatedly against theological heresy and betraying God for idols. Parshat Eikev warns against a very different collapse. Jews will become too culturally comfortable with the pagan residents of Israel. They will covet gold and silver or offer to house ritual objects or other religious artifacts of their neighbors. This will, in turn yield greater social interaction serving as a potential gateway to unintended religious breakdown. Additionally, too deep an emotional connection to foreign cultures is concerning even if it doesn’t snowball into outright religious violation. Eikev doesn’t address heresy but rather the danger of culture creep and the challenge of how we invest emotionally. Are we too emotionally invested in cultural icons? Do we too intensely admire celebrities, athletes and large corporations? Should we be insulted by a decision of the board of Unilever/Ben and Jerry's. Are we too attached to the brand name of a jug of ice cream? Perhaps we should learn to enjoy ice- cream without revering the brand name. What do Google, Amazon, or Apple mean to us? They should mean absolutely nothing. They manufacture products we enjoy or that we employ to improve our lives. Our relationship with them should be purely transactional but not emotional. Enjoy the ice cream but without the emotional connection of brand loyalty or brand affiliation. Perhaps this decision of Unilever is a moment to take stock. Are we too attached? A Land that Flows Ice Cream? Parshat Eikev lists the shivat haminim- seven crops and fruits of Israel. In a fully redeemed condition, our land flows with milk, honey and supernaturally driven prosperity. We are meant to inhabit a lush country of Divine fertility. We hope and expect to, one day, reach these milestones. However, our struggle to return to our homeland should be propelled by large ideas and historical warrant. Often, as I stroll through the overstocked aisles of my local supermarket, my imagination drifts back forty years ago to "leaner years", during which Israel hadn’t yet achieved its current standard of living. There is nothing wrong with prosperity and especially as it has, undoubtedly, encouraged Aliyah. Furthermore, our continued economic growth is one of the many signals that this process of return has been blessed by God. However, in a stark world of lesser comforts, our idealism was more unambiguous and more palpable. Sometimes, too much comfort dulls our passion and anesthetizes our spirit. Perhaps, after Ben and Jerry's withdraw from the Israeli market we will have fewer ice cream options. It is more probable that a different brand will fill the vacant shelves. Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the ice cream section in the supermarket. But even in the unlikely scenario that our ice cream options diminish, our commitment to this land and its larger ideals will hopefully come into sharper relief. History is soon ending. We can all do with fewer calories and more passion. It may be a "Rocky Road" but I think we will be just fine!

After quite a long (and partially extended by force) holiday, Bnei will return this Shabbat, so a moment before we (hopefully) go back to our routine - we would like to share a few words to summarize our special winter camp experience. Honestly, it feels as though camp without the crazy last-minute changes wouldn’t have been a proper camp. Again, months of preparations got condensed into two weeks before camp. Suddenly another lockdown. After that, when we seem to have come free of it and a camp can be held - we get word that our campsite, pretty much the only one around the state that is big enough to hold Juniors, Intermediate and Seniors - has been destroyed

by the floods. What are the chances of finding an alternative? A week before camp our camp Tzevet spend endless days and nights on a stressful surge of calls and emails. Some campsites are already booked, others are very small and cannot even contain a quarter of the chanichim and madrichim, some are available but wouldn’t allow us to bring our food with us or cook it there. Each campsite with its own issues and once again - we return to the uncertainty. Will there or will there not be a camp this winter?! After a lot of Siata DShmaya, endless hopes and disappointments, adjustments and flexibility we found a camp that finally agreed to accept us. Smaller than most but available and just waiting for us to arrive. And so, Baruch HaShem, Machane Far From Home took off. A little different than other camps, a little shorter than most, but full of great experiences and tochniot which were executed in a way which only our Mads know how to do. A huge Shkoyech to all the incumbents who have shown flexibility, composure and wonderful leadership. It is always challenging to run a camp, and in such conditions, it was difficult in a way that only those who had been there could understand. And yet it happened, and all thanks to you. The delightful and active junior camp immersed us with tochniot on Judaism and Zionism whilst not forgetting the traditional color war. The Senior camp, which started straight after, held plenty of thoughtful programs, discussions and plenty of great atmosphere. The Seuda Shlishit was a memorable highlight. Powerful singing that shook the walls. We sang powerful songs together and ended with two about Jerusalem. "And to Jerusalem your city in mercy return"- ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב, and "If I forget you Jerusalem"- אשכחך אם In the first song- a prayer, and a request from Gd to keep his promise and return to Jerusalem in mercy, and .ירושליםdwell in it, as he promised. In the second - our promise and emulsification - not to forget Jerusalem. Our mouths and tongues will always continue to believe and pray. IYH we will be privileged to return to it very soon in body and in soul, as individuals and as a nation. We have been far away from home, in Machane Far from home, and we delved into and learnt about ourselves, as individuals, as a group, as a Bnei Akiva Snif, as a community and as a nation. The physical distance can sometimes be daunting, but when the heart is burning for a real connection and with God's help, we can overcome any obstacle whether that be corona or floods, boycotts, terror and everything else, and do whatever required of us to make the journey back to our home, to Jerusalem. Shabbat Shalom & Kadima Bnei Akiva! Yisca & Motty Goodman

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