Category: Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shalom

We still believe that there is a better place, a promised land, and the way there is through the wilderness.  There is no way for us to get from here to there, except by joining hands, marching together. (Mishkan Tefillah, adapted)

If you can, be at the rally in New York this Sunday to express solidarity as a first step toward achieving the values that are at the center of Judaism and America.  Together as the Jewish community of the United States with all others of goodwill, we will overcome forces of hatred and bigotry.  There is much work to be done and miles to go before we sleep.  Together we can get there.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Shabbat Shalom

 

Chag Urim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

What are you dedicated to?

Hanukah is a special time.

For most of us, we only get part of the story behind Hanukah.  It is a mix of celebrating a victory over oppression, particular identity over assimilation, an opportunity to celebrate the Sukkot holiday that had been earlier denied.  And of course, let’s not forget Hanukah is the miracle of light when the purified oil miraculously lasted eight days until the new holy oil was available.

And with all of this part of the Hanukah story, we relegate it to “minor” status and often criticize those who make a big deal of the holiday as though it was something truly important- like Shavuot for example.  I come down on the side that embracing Judaism is a good thing- whether it is done for a major or minor holiday seems less important.  It is up to us to find meaning and to infuse our traditions and rituals with the things that help all of us resonate with them.

Mordecai Kaplan is quoted in Siddur Lev Shalem from his work, Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion, that the Jewish Religion imbued our rituals with such “universal, ethical, and spiritual significance that the issue involved was felt to be not only the saving of the Jewish people but the saving of all that made life worth living.”  Kaplan was referencing the historical challenges of the various conquerors in our history.  But the Al Hanissim prayer acknowledges a certain timelessness;  The prayer ends “Bayamim hahem, uvazman hazeh,” “in those days and in THIS time.”

This year we are on the other side of the Winter Solstice.  In other words, the darkest days are behind us and every day brings increasing light.  We can only hope that this is true in all ways to interpret this.  But it is up to us to determine what is important and worth fighting for.  At the time of celebrating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple, to what is it that we are prepared to rededicate ourselves?

Chag Urim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

 

 

 

Shabbat Shalom

Welcoming Shabbat with a beautiful rendition of Shir HaMa’alot, Psalm 126,* by Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble, featuring Deborah Sacks Mintz.

Shabbat Shalom

Psalm 126

A pilgrim song. When God restored the exiles to Zion it seemed like a dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with joyful song. Then they said among the nations: “God has done great things for them.” Yes, God is doing great things for us, and we are joyful. Restore our fortunes, O God, as streams revive the desert. Then those who have sown in tears shall reap in joy. Those who go forth weeping, carrying bags of seeds, shall come home with shouts of joy, bearing their sheaves.

Remembering Pittsburgh- Stronger than Hate

The tragic murder of 11 people one year ago in Pittsburgh is a harsh reminder that hatred is real and we are not always in control of events.  Things often happen to us.   As painful, hurtful, or even devastating as something can be, how we react is in our control.  What is the life-lesson that we learn and how do we actively embrace that life lesson going forward?

Do we react cynically or with an open, albeit wounded, heart?  Can we forgive? Will this event haunt us holding us back, or compel us to move onward? What is the vision of the future we see that is shaped by what happened, what is the world we want to see, and how will we get there?

I struggle with an anger and pain that could be overwhelming, especially as one of the Rabbis initially deploying to Pittsburgh with the Red Cross in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.  Our Jewish tradition helps me re-center myself.  Here I can embrace the timeless values that understand the human condition and provide a framework for a just society where we all might live in peace, based on the idea that we should treat our neighbors as ourselves.   But it is a hard climb up to that mountaintop.

This is the challenge of Pittsburgh.  Our hearts ache for those lost as a result of violent Anti-Semitism.  We take solace in the love of our neighbors and find strength standing shoulder to shoulder with other people of goodwill to continue to strive for the kind of just society we want America to be.

Our tradition is one of deeds.  Our response to this tragedy needs to be more than a feeling.  There are many ways to respond through civic involvement and community activism.  Judaism requires that we belong to a community committed to promoting our values be it a synagogue, philanthropy, or civil rights group.  The important thing is that you are compelled to respond with actions to live the values of our tradition and to build a better world.   What will you do?

Zichronam Livracha and Shabbat Shalom.

What are you grateful for?

A friend and rabbi introduced me to this question at the Friday night Shabbat dinner table.  She asked everyone there to share the highlight of their week, that thing, person, or event for which they were most grateful.

We have since embraced this beautiful tradition at our Shabbat Table.  It gives us a chance to welcome Shabbat with gratitude and a fuller heart at the end of what is often a very tumultuous week.

Each day the news seems overwhelmed with negative stories about how we are in decline as a culture, a nation, a world.  War, famine, climate change; we are, to quote Barry McGuire, on the eve of destruction. But the world is filled with beautiful things.  Good people acting with love and selfless generosity.  The beauty and majesty of our planet. And many other things that often get overlooked by the current crisis or calamity.  We need to find space to appreciate the good so we can help it to spread.

As we enter Shabbat, take a moment to embrace that special thing that happened this week worthy of gratitude.    Welcome Shabbat with something special.

What are you grateful for?

Shabbat Shalom