Covenant & Conversation – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks with Rabbi Daniel Rose

 

Camp and Congregation

 

Our parasha speaks about the silver trumpets Moshe was commanded to make: “The Lord spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Make two trumpets of silver; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you to summon the congregation (edah) and cause the camps (machanot) to journey’” (Bamidbar 10:1-2). Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik explored the difference between the two terms used here to describe the people in his famous essay Kol Dodi Dofek. There are, says Rabbi Soloveitchik, two ways in which people become a group- a community, society, or nation.

 

The first is when they face a common enemy. They band together for mutual protection, knowing that only by so doing can they survive. Humans are not the only creatures to do this. Animals too come together in herds or flocks to defend themselves against predators. Such a group is a machaneh- a camp, a defensive formation.  An edah, congregation, is altogether different. Here people can come together because they share a vision, a goal, a set of ideals. Edah is related to the word ed, witness. Edot (as opposed to chukim and mishpatim) are the commands that testify to Jewish belief – as Shabbat testifies to creation, Pesach to the divine involvement in history, and so on.  An edah is not a defensive formation but creative one. People join to do together what none of them could achieve alone. A society built around a shared project, a vision of the common good, is not a machaneh but an edah – not a camp but a congregation.

 

These are two different ways of existing and relating to the world. A camp is brought into being by what happens to it from the outside. A congregation comes into existence by internal decision. The first is reactive, the second proactive. The first is a response to what has happened to the group in the past. The second represents what the group seeks to achieve in the future. Whereas camps exist even in the animal kingdom, congregations are uniquely human.

 

They flow from the human ability to think, speak, communicate, envision a society different from any that has existed in the past, and collaborate to bring it about.

 

Announcements |Beha’alotcha |

The Executive and Committee wish you Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Sam Thurgood is officiating over Shabbat and will be our Baal Koreh. Haftorah will be read by Theo Musikanth.

Rabbi’s Shiur on Shabbat is entitled: “It’s a Kind of Magic: Sacred Technology and the Kabbalah”

We wish a hearty Mazal Tov to Ziv and Brigitte Okun, brothers Leo and Lev and family on the birth of their son and brother. Also, Mazal Tov to aunt and uncle, Ronit and Amit Netter and cousins.

Our incoming Executive and Committee are, Chairman Shaun Borstrock, Vice Chairperson Farryn Zuckerman, Treasurer Amnon Melzer, Steven Kahn, Ross Kudo, Aviva Thurgood, Saul Stein, Owen Futeran, Alex Landau, Sarit Swisa, Lee-Ann Gelb. Ex- Officio Ivan Klitzner.

We thank our brocha ladies and our Eyes and Ears team.

Please note that Morasha welcomes sponsorships towards our Kiddush Brachot.

Upcoming Events and Activities:

Brought to you by The Academy of Jewish Thought and Learning: our new course begins next week Monday, 8 June. Jeremiah: A Call to Authenticity; a four-part series, led by Sarah Jacobson Feldman. Please register via the following link: https://www.adult-ed.academy/service-page/yirmiyahu?utm_medium=page_links

An SAZF and Israel Centre SA initiative: Partnership2Gether (P2G) Jewish Leadership Explorer Series: Georgia Edition. Applications close on 7 June 2026. Applicants will be notified of the next steps by 11 June 2026. Ready to join us? Apply now! https://tinyurl.com/Leadership-Georgia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Junie Punie” Children’s service (ages 1-6) takes place at 10h15 on Shabbat Morning.

“Dream Team Activities” Older kids and early teens activities are from 10h15 – 11h00 on Shabbat Morning

“Toddler Time” For the Tiny Tots on Shabbat at 17h30pm. Please bring your kids and have some fun!!

Morasha Wi-Fi code is “Morasha Guest”, and the password is We@rehome31

Parashat Beha’alotcha	Artscroll	Steinsaltz	Living Torah	Hirsch
Torah	774	779	702	544
Maftir	796	803	722	558
Haftarah	1182	1237	1188	892

Earliest Candle Lighting	16:41
Latest Candle Lighting	17:27
Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat	17:40
Shacharit	08:45
Latest time for morning Shema	10:14
Mincha	17:00
Shabbat Ends and Musical Havdalah	18:21

 

Day	Time	Topic	Speaker	Place
Shabbat	Morning	Shiur after Bracha: It’s a Kind of Magic: Sacred Technology and the Kabbalah	Rabbi Sam Thurgood	Shul
Shabbat	Mincha/Seuda	Vort	Rabbi Sam Thurgood	Shul
Tuesday Evening	19:15-21:00	Yeshiva Night	Eitan, Harel and Shalom	Shul
Thursday Evening	19:15-21:00	Yeshiva Night	Eitan, Harel and Shalom	Shul

 

Please be so kind as to return siddurim, chumashim and library books to our bookshelves.

Please take note: The Yahrzeit begins the evening before the date listed below

Name	Yahrzeit for	Date
Tammi Forman	Stepfather	Friday 05 June
Joan Fisher	Husband	Friday 05 June
Ari Shpigel	Mother	Friday 05 June
Sharon Mamulis	Niece	Saturday 06 June
Joan Alpert	Mother	Saturday 06 June
Elaine Shpigel	Father	Sunday 07 June
Michele Wolman	Father	Tuesday 09 June
Tilly Wolman	Husband	Tuesday 09 June
Lynda Rubin	Grandmother	Wednesday 10 June
Frooma Kroomer	Niece	Wednesday 10 June
Sarah Stern	Grandmother	Wednesday 10 June
Rosa Kolevsohn	Mother-in-law	Wednesday 10 June
Ronit Milstein	Father	Wednesday 10 June
Peta Feldman	Brother-in-law	Thursday 11 June
Karen Kallmann	Grandfather	Thursday 11 June
Renee Musikanth	Father	Thursday 11 June
Rhona Kestan	Father	Friday 12 June
Rosa Kolevsohn	Husband	Friday 12 June

Anniversaries
Ray and Debbi Wienburg	Mon 08 June
Colin and Kim Kapeluschnik	Wed 10 June
Birthdays
Belinda Levin	Friday 05 June
Stacee Mosselson	Friday 05 June
Jill Schulman	Tuesday 09 June
Ruby Gamsu	Thursday 11 June
Joan Lang	Thursday 11 June
Vivian Jaffe	Friday 12 June
Darren Smith	Friday 12 June