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HomeRABBI MILECKIArticles and Sermons   Articles and Sermons   What the Pope Should Do    I couldn't help noticing that a local Jewish delegation is to meet the Pope during his visit to Sydney   THE Giant of Australian Jewry    4 Tammuz 5768 saw the passing of THE Giant of Australian Jewry, Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner OBM   We Make Mentschen    A Tribute to Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner OBM   Master or Monster?    That's the screaming headline at the front of this week's Wentworth Courier, referring of course to internationally famous Australian photographer, Bill Henson.   The Anzac Israel Connection    On the Last Day of Pesach I spoke of the deep connection that exists between our "lucky country" of residence, Australia, and our country of origin and ultimate destiny, Israel.   Tough Decisions    Tough Decisions   Remember those Less Fortunate    Remember those Less Fortunate   Time for Some Good News    Time for Some Good News   Purim Q & A    Purim Q & A   Two Halves of a Whole    Two Halves of a Whole   The True Meaning of Sorry    The True Meaning of Sorry   Great Innovations @ South Head    Great Innovations @ South Head   Chanukah & the Fast of Tevet    Education begins at home.   Chanukah: From Adam to Moshiach    The dreidel has evolved from the humble clay or wood version that many of us hand-crafted as children, to the "hi-tech" multi-media version, replete with lights and musical accompaniment, that can be now be found on shop shelves and in many homes. Move aside plasma screens, the dreidel is the way to go.   The Battle Within    In Jewish thought Jacob and Esau are compared to the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Hara (the good inclination and the evil inclination) that reside simultaneously within the bosom of each of us.   Israel - Living In or Living Out    Fascinating really. Israel is deeply embedded in the consciousness of our people.   Fantastic Start to JLI Course    Our Jewish Learning Institute course, The Land and the Spirit, got off to a fantastic start in its first week with 64 people attending over the two sessions.   A Battle of Two Souls    The parasha commences with Rebecca's difficult pregnancy.We are told that she was so overwhelmed with the pain, that she even considered terminating it! This from a woman who had been barren for twenty years! It just doesn't make sense.   The Jewish Response to Death    When Sarah dies, Abraham does what any devoted husband would do - but more so. Not only does he bury her with the honour that was her due; he uses her passing to acquire the first Jewish property in Israel, the country that is called the Land of Life (Eretz HaChaim).   Be a Child at Heart    A child is full of boundless energy, always seeking to discover something new and never content to just sit around.   Do You Care about Israel?    Do you care about Israel? Of course you do. That you are reading this, and in all likelihood, reacted strongly to the suggestion that you may not care, is the clearest indication that you care deeply about Israel.   The Tree of the Field    In this week's parasha we are told that "Man is like the Tree of the Field" and on this basis the Talmud and commentaries expound upon the many similarities that exist in both Tree and Man.   The Need to Celebrate Together    In just a few short weeks we will be celebrating the High Holy Days. We are confident that you, our generous and warm-hearted community, will again assist the less fortunate in our community to celebrate Yom Tov in a befitting manner.   Watch Your Manners!    In this morning's Sydney Morning Herald there is an interesting piece on the role of schools in teaching manners and values to children. There are those who strongly feel that the school is there to teach academics whereas values and behaviour are the province of parents alone, whereas others are equally strong in the belief that value-education too is part of the school's brief.   Feeling G-d's Pain    The "three weeks" of mourning the destruction - traditionally called the "three of punishment" (tlasa d'paranusa) - have concluded. This week we commence reading the first of the seven haftorot of Consolation (sheva d'nechemta).   The Shabbat of Vision    This Shabbat is Shabbat Chazon, literally The Shabbat of Vision.   Mind Your Own Business!    "Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov" - "How Goodly are Your Tents, O Jacob" - is a verse that is familiar to many of us. Appearing in the parasha of Balak, it is one of Bilaam's blessings to the Jewish People. But what does it mean?   The Torah's Uncommon Sense    In law courts around the world, confessing to a crime is considered absolute and irrefutable proof of guilt. Under most circumstances prosecutors will accept a plea of guilt to a lesser crime than go to trial in an attempt to secure a conviction on a more serious offence.   Can the Dead be Alive?    This past week we commemorated Gimmel Tammuz, the thirteenth Yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. For Lubavitcher Chassidim, and for many others as well, the Rebbe is still very much alive - not only in Gan Eden (Paradise) but here on earth as well.   Gimmel Tammuz    Gimmel Tammuz   Does G-d Really Care?    Throughout the ages, religious philosophers have been confounded with the question:Why would G-d, Creator of a universe comprising a billion galaxies inhabited by a billion stars each, be concerned with us puny human beings, much less with the minutiae of our daily lives?   When "Gay" isn't that Happy    I think that many readers would be as shocked as I was to read that the Reform movement in Australia has decided to "bless" same-sex partnerships   Celebrating Jewish Peoplehood    In a few days we will celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, which ostensibly commemorates the Giving of the Torah. But is that all that happened? In truth something of far greater import occurred at Sinai.   Should We Pray for Rain?    The Prime Minister recently announced that the farmers of the Murray-Darling Basin - one of the nation's most important agricultural regions - faced having no water for the coming irrigation year unless heavy rain fell in the next six to eight weeks. He went on to say: "It's very serious, it's unprecedented in my lifetime and I really feel very deeply for the people affected. So we should all, literally and without any irony, pray for rain over the next six to eight weeks."   It's Not What you Know    It's not what you know; it's the diligence with which you apply it. And it turns out that getting markedly better results has little to do with greater intelligence, more talent or better tools. Applying greater diligence to what we do, paying more attention to detail, is what makes the real difference.   Israel's Sixtieth Birthday    On Monday April 23 we commemorate the State of Israel's 59th birthday, the beginning of her sixtieth year. The Talmud tells us that a person's sixtieth year is very significant. If one get's through one's sixtieth year, it's a potent sign that one has faced down the existential threats to one's life and can look forward to a future of joy and happiness.   The Past is with us Always    We don't merely live in the present. Life is not only about now and the future. The past is very much alive not only because of its contribution to the present but because it really still exists.   The True Meaning of Freedom    Together with our family, and all the team at South Head, we would like to take this opportunity of wishing you a Happy and Kosher Pesach. May it truly be a Festival of Freedom - a release from the worry and anxiety that so often plagues our lives.   Pesach Resources    With just over a week until Pesach, it's time to brush up on what we need to know and do for this most complex - but enjoyable! - of festivals.   A Joyous Reunion    I would like to share with you something truly beautiful that the Rebbetzen and I (and others in the Jewish community) experienced this week.   Thank Yous & Photos    Wow, we have had an exciting couple of weeks at South Head, so now it's time to express gratitude to those who contributed to our hugely successful events.   Fancy Dress    On the surface, the Megillah is the tale of the palace intrigues of the Royal Harem of Persia some 2,500 years ago. A quaint story of power and sex with anti-Semitism mixed in to boot.   A Joyful Heart    "When Adar enters, we increase in joy; when Av enters, we decrease in joy."   Song of Defiance    It is hard for us, living in this wonderful country, to even begint o understand the suffering of ouir people the not too distant past.   What Did the Torah Achieve?    Approximately six hundred people attended the Shloshim Service for our Bobbe, Rebbetzen Maryasha Garelik, on Monday night. who passed away in New York at the age of 106 last month.   Memorial Service    Memorial Service February 5 / Shevat 17 South Head Synagogue, Sydney, Australia. Celebration of the life of a woman who lived an inspirational life of total sacrifice for, and commitment to, Judaism under the most adverse circumstances, prevailing against the Czars, the Communists and the Nazis.   Sadness: The Passing of a Great Woman    It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of the Rebbetzen’s grandmother, Bobbe Maryasha, on Wednesday evening, 21 Teves, in New York.   A Chanukah Present for You!    Chanukah, as it's name implies, is a time of dedication and education. So what better time than now to dedicate a really terrific educational and enjoyable website.   Light Your own Candle!    Every Jew has untold potential. His body is the wax and his soul is the wick, but it requires our holy Torah and the Mitzvot to truly light us up.   Today is the Day!    Today is the Day! .. A strange paradox indeed. In spite of our unique bond with our Land - an undying love that has survived 2,000 years of separation - it was Exile that was host to many of our greatest achievements.   Participation at a Bris    As I am sure everyone is aware, participation at a Bris Milah is considered a great Mitzvah.   The Joys of Zeidahood    People are constantly asking me, "How does it feel to be a Zeida, Saba, Grandpa..." And I must honestly answer, "Not a thing". But that is only until I see my little grandchild. Then, something else takes over. An inexplicable sensation that fills me to the very core of my being as I melt away in the overwhelming pleasure of just looking at him. And that feeling of elation does linger.   Evolution vs. Einstein    Last week’s TIME magazine featured a fascinating debate between the well-known atheist biologist Richard Dawkins and the famous mastermind of the human genome project Francis Collins, entitled "Science versus G-d". In shule last Friday night, I summarized the debate while adding a few insights of my own.   Reach for the Stars!    As a people our contribution to the world has far outweighed our numbers. In the fields of religion, medicine, science and finance - we have been major players throughout our history.   Belief in G-d = Respect of Man    All religious leaders, must be fully cognizant of the truth stated at the beginning of the Torah - "Let us make man in our image". Put simply this means recognition of the formula: "Belief in G-d = Respect of Man".   Return to the Real World    This Sunday marks the Seventh of Cheshvan. In the times of our Holy Temple, when pilgrims would return from Jerusalem after the holiday period, the Seventh of Cheshvan represented the day that those who lived furthest from Jerusalem would reach their homes. In a symbolic kind of way, today too, the Seventh of Cheshvan represents a return to the "Real World" after the euphoria of the High Holiday period and the Festival of Succot which follows it.   The Great Lights    I am currently in Melbourne participating in a Conference of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia which was addressed this morning by Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Jonathan Sacks.   Confidence, Joy and Positive Action    Throughout this High Holy Day period my message to you has been one of confidence, happiness and positive action.   Easy but Meaningful    As we approach Yom Kippur I wish you an easy fast but a meaningful day. Indeed, to a large extent, one is dependent on the other.   A Rosh Hashana Gift    Together with your seat cards this year, you will be receiving, as a special Rosh HaShana gift from the Rebbetzen and myself, some very special bookmarks   Welcome to our New Website    Hello and welcome to our new-look South Head News and website. There are many new and useful features on our website which we hope that you will find useful and enjoy   Yom Tov Appeal    As we approach Yom Tov we pray to G-d for a bountiful year. At the same time we look to our own community to ensure we help those families who would otherwise not be able to enjoy Yom Tov in the way most of us take for granted. Each year at this time I ask you to contribute to our Simchat Yom Tov fund and each year you surpass my expectations. I trust that, as always, I can count on you for the generosity and warmheartedness that has become a hallmark of our Kehilla.   Prayers for Current Situation Elul 5766    In view of the unstable state of the entire world at this time, I urge everyone to recite the following prayers, which according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendl Schneerson, of blessed memory, have the ability to steady a shaky world. At the beginning of the day, the following should be recited: Behold I accept upon myself the positive commandment, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."   Appointment of Youth Director    Shabbat Re'eh 25 Av / Aug 19 It gives me great pleasure to wish Mazal Tov to our President and Youth Chairman, Mr Malcolm Kofsky, and to the Board of Management, on the appointment of our new full-time Director of Youth Activities, Shmuli Kraus, who will be ably assisted by his wife Dinah.   The Assymetric War    Much has been made of the asymmetric nature of Israel's war against the terrorist Nasrallah and his cohorts with Israel, because of its superior military might, being depicted as Goliath and the terrorists as David.   A Letter from a Refugee from Northern Israel    We should not underestimate the suffering of our own people. Last week, I received a letter from my good friend and former congregant of South Head, Binyomin (Graham) Alexander, who with his wife Devorah and some fifteen thousand other residents, was forced to flee from Safed   Use Your Head    by Rabbi Benzion Milecki Shabbat Matos Masei It is impossible to see the pictures of carnage and loss of innocent life, including that of young children in Lebanon, and not feel sick to the pit of your stomach. The images speak straight to your heart - and you would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved. And not to feel very angry with the perpetrators.   Tisha B'Av    As you are no doubt aware tonight is Tisha B'Av. By now you would have received my previous email describing tonight's programme which will include prayers for the soldiers and citizens of Israel. I hope that you will be able to attend.   The Great World Cup - South Head Division - Debate    by Rabbi Benzion Milecki Shabbat Beha'loscha A few days ago a congregant wrote saying that there had been a family discussion regarding the appropriateness of praying for one's national team and wondering whether I had an opinion on that.   Solidarity Prayer Meeting July 14th    Shabbat Pinchas by Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM As I write these lines, Israel is once again under attack. What began as "small" kasam rockets which "only" terrorized the residents and a "limited" border incursion that led to the murder of two soldiers and the kidnapping of another in the South, has rapidly escalated into katyusha rockets with a range of 25 km that have caused death and destruction in the northern cities of Israel and far more lethal border incursions and kidnappings along the northern border.   Convergence: Julia Roberts & the New Israel    Shabbat Nasso by Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM On Shavuot night I participated in a panel comprising Chemi Shalev (Associate Editor Australian Jewish News & Ha'aretz writer), Jeremy Jones AM (Director AIJAC) and David Bierman (Former Director Israel Govt Tourist Office), on the subject of "The New Israel andi its Future Borders". The following is the text of my presentation.   World Cup: Part Two    By Rabbi Benzion Milecki Shabbat Shelach Last week we looked at soccer from a Jewish perspective and concluded with a brief observation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of what can be learnt from the game. During my Friday night sermon I elaborated further on this - of how the Rebbe viewed soccer as a metaphor for life in general. I include these remarks here.   Musings on Jerusalem Day    Shabbat Bamidbar - 29 Iyyar 5766 Today is Yom Yerushalayim - the anniversary of that awesome day thirty nine years ago when the entire Jerusalem came under Jewish sovereignty for the first time in almost 2,000 years.   Are our Children Really Angels?    In Western thought and literature children have always been synonymous with innocence. In the faces of children we see the faces of angels. While Judaism certainly does not subscribe to the notion that Man is irretrievably born in sin, it does posit that man is born with a propensity towards selfishness and self-absorption.   A Letter of Consolation    A while ago a congregant asked me if I could help him with an unusual request. A very close non-Jewish friend had suffered the tragedy of losing his beloved wife shortly after the birth of their second child. Although several months had passed he was inconsolable. He had been comforted by very senior members of his church, but to no avail. Our congregant asked if I could perhaps share with his friend some Jewish wisdom.   Solidarity Prayer Tonight .. Friday July 14th 5.45pm    As I write these lines, Israel is once again under attack. What began as "small" kasam rockets which "only" terrorized the residents and a "limited" border incursion that led to the murder of two soldiers and the kidnapping of another in the South, has rapidly escalated into katyusha rockets with a range of 25 km that have caused death and destruction in the northern cities of Israel and far more lethal border incursions and kidnappings along the northern border.   Chukas Wedding    We were blessed this week with two weddings of long-standing members of our congregation, Michael Friedman to his bride Kate Hendry and Rachel Harkham to her groom Baruch Kluwgant. They were both beautiful weddings and we wish the young couples, with their respective families, true Yiddishe nachas.   Bitachon: Trust in G-d    There is faith (emunah) and there is trust (bitachon). They are two separate things. Emunah is the belief in the omnipotence of G-d. However, it doesn’t necessarily penetrate a person's being. It is possible to believe in G-d and to do the opposite of His will, as it is written in the Zohar, "the thief prays to G-d just as he's about to steal".   On Commemorating the Holocaust    I have often been asked: Why is there a thirty-three day period of mourning for the students of Rabbi Akiva who died almost two thousand years ago and yet no formal religious commemoration for the Holocaust? To me it seems that the question betrays a misunderstanding of the real meaning of the current period of mourning known as Sefira...   The Redemptive Power of Prayer    We have just entered into the month of Nissan, which is also known as the Month of Redemption (Chodesh HaGeulah) because of its association with Pesach. And because our Rabbis have told us "In Nissan they were redeemed, and in Nissan they will be redeemed", it is also the month in which our anticipation of the Messianic Redemption is also heightened...   Some Very Special Blessings    As we approach the Festival of Pesach, with its emphasis on Redemption, it is worth thinking of that other Redemption that we as Jews we pray for and anticipate every day - the Redemption of Moshiach. As you are aware, we Jewish people recite blessings of thanksgiving for each and every kindness that we receive. We thank G-d for the food we eat, for the fragrances that we smell, for the scenery that we see and of course for the special gifts that G-d grants each of us individually...   The Keys to Happiness - Part Two    Friendship on its own is not enough. You also have to have meaning - a sense that in some way you will leave the world a better place than when you arrived, that in some manner, your life matters. That there is some unique gift that you, and only you, can give the world.   The Keys to Happiness - Part One    We are all different, and our differences are what make us special, but there is one thing that we all have in common - and that is the desire to lead a happy life. Indeed true happiness in this world is considered the prerequisite of all blessings - and its absence deserving of curse - so today I would like to give you the keys to happiness.   Daylight Savings & Candle-lighting    Everyone knows that there are many don'ts associated with Shabbat: Don't write, Don't cut paper, Don't use electricity… Fewer people are aware that there are also two very important dos.   Children - Gifts not Possessions    It's not difficult to understand why for us Jews children are absolutely everything.   Welcoming Guests    Thank you to our community!   What you Were, You are No Longer    With the upcoming wedding of our daughter, I have had reason to think about the meaning of a wedding.   Four Facets of Yom Kippur    Aspects to consider during the Ten Days of Repentance.   Preparing for the Days of Awe    Every year, men and women are drawn to shule on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, souls wishing to be inspired on these holiest days of the Jewish calendar. Often, however, they come away disappointed, voicing a litany of complaints about the quality of the service. While not understating the need for the synagogue to provide an inspiring service, it must be pointed out that it takes more than this to make the High Holy Days meaningful in any real sense.   Simchat Yom Tov Appeal    Each year at this time I ask you to contribute to our Simchat Yom Tov fund and each year you surpass my expectations. I trust that, as always, I can count on you for the generosity and warmheartedness that has become a hallmark of our Kehilla   The True Way to Give Tzeddokoh    The Talmud in Tractate Brochos explains that the verse “Pada B’sholom” (Psalm 55) refers to “one who works in Torah, charity and communal prayers.” The key word here is “work,” it doesn’t say “study Torah,” but one who "works in Torah".   Ease the Pain    Tisha B'Av 5765: I know that there are different views regarding the week’s events, and even different names for it - I would call it expulsion, others disengagement. As Jews do, we will continue to argue strongly and forcefully the pros and cons of our respective positions.   What they Say    Hamas leader speaks on the pullout from Gaza   Stop the Incitement    This painful time for Am Yisrael is reminiscent of the period before and after the Rabin assassination, but much worse. There was incitement then, and there is incitement now. There was delegitimatization then, and there is delegitimatization now. And the harsh words threaten to destroy the very fabric of our Holy Nation.   An Overwhelming Majority    An Overwhelming Majority By Laura BenDavid. A first hand account of prayer service at the Kotel as part of disengagement activity.   On Gaza, Spain and Tisha B'Av    According to a law passed in the Knesset, it will be illegal for any Israeli citizen to live in Gaza as of midnight August 14th 2005. August 14th is the Tenth of Av. What is the significance of this date?   Questions & Answers on Moshiach!    The following is an article which was published in 1992 in Australia, the US, the UK and Argentinia (in Spanish translation.) It is a brief introduction to the subject of Moshiach. As we are now in the period of mourning known as the Three Weeks, during which we long for the coming of Moshiach, it is appropriate that we gain some understanding of the place of this belief in Judaism.   A Tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe