Greeting Shabbat as the evening comes, we sing a series of Psalms as part of Kabbalat Shabbat. Mikolot Mayim Rabim is a verse from Psalm written by the extraordinary Hazzan Jessi Roemer and performed by the also extraordinary Hazzan Harold Messinger.
Be swept up in the beauty of the sound and the images as we wish Shabbat Shalom to all.
I was sitting with someone recently. He is a Muslim and active in the causes of his people. I am a Jew and active in the causes of my people. We are part of a dialogue group that builds bridges and develops relationships with people we usually do not get to know. But we are engaged, and through this process, a friendship has ensued.
The war in the Middle East is deeply painful for us both. We both know people we deeply care about who are direct victims of this war.
My friend recently celebrated the birth of his child. Mom and baby are doing well. He is so excited to be a father. Like most fathers, he wants to provide for his family and nurture his child with love and a bright future filled with opportunities. I recently celebrated the birth of a grandchild. We are overjoyed to have a new addition to our family and cannot wait for the next opportunity to shower our love. But in this beautiful moment was something chilling; it was an epiphany of sorts. How different would this be if we did not all live here.
If the war between our people never ends, what would become of our children? With the birth certificate, effectively, a death warrant would have been issued as well. Whether warriors or innocent victims, they would be the fodder for hostilities between two warring nations; we bring them into a killing machine. Birth should represent hope- the idea that there is a future and tomorrow promises something good. We do not have children so that they may be offered up, sacrificed on an altar of hate.
My friend and I shudder at this, as do many other mothers and fathers here and there. Birth is a miracle, and peace is no less. It is time to find a path forward together.
Our God and God of our ancestors, with hope and humility we approach Election Day, the day on which We the People will choose the individuals who will govern our nation, our states, and our communities.
You have abundantly blessed the United States of America with freedom, security, prosperity, and the right to democratic self-government. You made it possible for the founders of our country to fulfill the command of Your Torah, to “proclaim liberty throughout the land, and unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
Daily we pray to You to restore our leaders as in former times. On this Election Day, help us to remember that in America we are responsible for choosing our own leaders, and that the survival of our democracy, and the well-being of generations of Americans to come, depend upon the care we take in those choices.
Daily we pray to You for knowledge, discernment and wisdom. On this Election Day grant us those blessings in full, so that we may consider our choices with knowledge and vote with discernment and wisdom, with the best interests of our country and our communities in mind.
Daily we pray to You to subdue the arrogant in our time. On Election Day, and every day, help us to subdue the arrogance within ourselves. Open our hearts and minds to consider the opinions of our fellow citizens, as we call upon them to consider ours.
Strengthen our will to fulfill our duties to our country and to one another. To exercise our precious right to vote. And to do all we can to ensure that every legal vote is counted, regardless of the candidate or party for whom it is cast.
May it be Your will that our decisions this Election Day preserve this country as a wellspring of liberty and a beacon of tolerance and democracy for the entire world.
And let us say Amen.
Naomi Shemer is the poet who created Al Kol Eleh, All These Things, a bittersweet and timely song. As Yonina shares her music, let us continue to pray for the hostages to come home and for peace.
We are about to begin the holiday of Sukkot. From My Jewish Learning, this is an overview of the holiday:
Beginning five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot is named after the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which Jews are supposed to dwell during this week-long celebration. According to rabbinic tradition, these flimsy sukkot represent the huts where the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. The festival of Sukkot is one of the three great pilgrimage festivals (chaggim or regalim) of the Jewish year.
Here is the link to the full article: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/sukkot-101/
By using the Sukkah, we glimpse the experience of our vulnerability.
And this moment of vulnerability requires us to think of those held captive. We pray for and demand the release of the hostages.
We are told to eat at least one meal in the Sukkah. On a lovely fall evening, you can see the stars through the Skach, covering the top. But on cold or rainy evenings, it is another entirely different experience, and we certainly get the message of being vulnerable! (By the way, our great sage, Maimonides, suggests strongly that when it’s rainy, go inside!)
One of the interesting aspects of “dwelling in the Sukkah” is the ritual of inviting the Ushpizin. These are our revered forebears with whom we’d love to talk and glean some of their wisdom. It started with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and King David. It is extended to include the great matriarchs Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. And it is a chance to broaden the guest list even further. I have invited loved ones, particularly my great-grandfather. Who is on your guest list?
October 7 marks the solemn first anniversary.
These are the individuals we have lost. If you are blessed not to need to attend Yizkor services for lost loved ones this year, show up to share a moment of remembrance for these souls.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/those-we-have-lost/
Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Return, is the Shabbat between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur.
Nesshama Carelbach’s beautiful rendition of her father’s song is a wonderful way to welcome us to this special time.
Close your eyes and become a part of this meditative experience.
G’mar chatima tova, May you have a good seal- May it be a year of health and blessing.
During Elul, we include Psalm 27 in our prayers. Line 4 is most familiar, performed by the incomparable Chava Mirel and translated by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat:
Only one thing do I ask of You, Yah:
Just this alone do I seek, I want to be at home with you, Yah,
All the days of my life.
I want to delight in seeing You.
Seeing You when I come to visit You in Your temple.
Shabbat Shalom
As we prepare to enter Shabbat, I pray for the Peace of Jerusalem,
A place and time where we can live together, honoring the humanity in all of us.
Thank you Cantor Rachel Brook for this moving rendition of our prayer.
Shabbat Shalom
