Of all the mitzvot of the Torah, our Rabbis tell us that the mitzvah of Parah Adumah is the most enigmatic. So much so, that King Solomon, the wisest of all men, said: "I thought that I was wise, but (upon seeing my inability to comprehend the mitzvah of Parah Adumah - Midrash) I realized that wisdom was far from me.

What is Parah Adumah?

If a person came into contact with a corpse, he could only be purified through being sprinkled with the ashes of a perfectly red cow. Now, while that is strange enough, what is absolutely paradoxical is that those involved in preparing the ashes became impure. Or to quote our sages: "it made pure those who were impure, and made impure those who were pure!"

As mentioned earlier, even King Solomon couldn't figure this one out!

Nevertheless, Jews, who are never prepared to take "no" for an answer, have come up with a number of insights that can be derived from the conundrum of the Parah Adumah.

Here is one:

A Jew may feel that it his duty to achieve the highest levels of purity and holiness - to become as the Buddhists would have it, an "enlightened" individual. To do this, he absents himself from "worldly" pursuits and lives a monastic life of study and prayer.

Very commendable! A holy man and a true saint!

Then he hears that another Jew has fallen to a very low level - he has, metaphorically speaking, come into contact with a corpse and is spiritually "dead". The holy Jew may think to himself, "What has this got to do with me? Although I may be able to assist the fallen Jew, there is every chance that I will in the process become tainted by my contact with him! In the process of my lifting him up, it is possible that he will pull me down. All my years of spiritual elevation will then be compromised!"

Comes the mitzvah of Parah Adumah and tells us. To save a Jew from spiritual death, you must bear the risk of falling a little even if it means becoming contaminated yourself. Holiness and "enlightenment" are not individual pursuits. G-d's interest is in the creation of "Goy Kadosh" - a holy nation. You must therefore never say, "I saved my own soul - and to heck with everyone else."  G-d loves all His children - the fallen just as much as the enlightened. Just as a parent would expect his children to look out for each other, even at some risk to themselves, so too G-d. Pursue your goals of enlightenment, by all means. But be prepared to purify others, even if it means contracting a little impurity yourself.

On behalf of the Rebbetzin and all of us at South Head, Best wishes for Good Shabbos.

Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM

Fulfilling the Fifth Commandment can often be challenging. This week we gained insight into our responsibility to honour and show reverence to our parents as well as those circumstances when this duty is somewhat curtailed. 

The Joy of Purim
Something for Everyone

---

Parents and Grandparents were not left out either! After Mincha on Friday night, everyone was invited to a Chinese buffet all cooked and presented by the Rebbetzin and her devoted volunteer assistants

Sunday night saw a capacity crowd in the Herbert Hall for a gourmet BBQ dinner & Trivia night hosted by Dane Stern and Marc & Nicci Elison. Several rounds of Jewish Trivia had people highly entertained in a  competitive spirit. 

The scrumptious meal was prepared by Bernice Charif, Gael Bachmann and Marianne Stern

Click here for Purim pics.

Finally, on Wedesday night, South Head Speakers' Forum in conjunction with Australians for a Safe Israel hosted an educational evening with Ari Briggs. Backed with a brilliant PowerPoint/Prezi presentation, Ari explained the very real threat to Israel's sovereignty within the pre-67 borders - and the steps being taken to protect it.

---

Loaves of Love
Next Thursday - March 7th

---

Join Brookie and our Youth Crew on the first Thursday of each month as we bake Challahs then deliver them to senior members of our community.  

Everyone gets to bake their own Challah to take home as well!

Contact Brookie to reserve your place - 0404 055 643 or email youth@southhead.org

 

---

Parasha Sheet
Parashat Ki Tisa

---

The Parasha in a nutshell:

* Hashem instructs Moshe to take a census of the Jewish people.

* Hashem introduces the Kiyor, the final vessel of the Mishkan, to Moshe.

* Hashem instructs Moshe to hire a young boy, Betzalel from the tribe of Yehudah, to create the vessels for the Mishkan and the clothing for the Kohanim.

* The Jewish people miscalculate the days that Moshe is on the mountain and fear Moshe to be dead, so they create the golden calf. 

* Moshe sees the Jewish people dancing around the golden calf and drops the holy Luchot (tablets) on the ground and they shatter to pieces. 

To learn about the Parasha in more detail, download our Parasha sheet! 

This week we will also be reading the Torah portion of Parashat Parah, which details the laws of the Red Heifer and the process by which an impure person was purified. 

Please share our Parasha sheet around your Shabbat table and let your family and friends explore the Parasha of the week together with you.