We mourn the loss of Hillel Yaffe Ariel, brutally murdered while asleep in her bed. Hatred, violence, and murder of children do nothing to further the cause of peace or coexistence. Indeed often hardens the heart making the future for two people even more difficult.
Let us take this time to grieve for this innocent child and refuse to let anger and hatred consume us.
May her memory be a blessing.
Welcome Shabbat with this upbeat song, Psalm 29:1, from the incomparable Neshama Carlebach.
Shabbat Shalom
Nava Tehilah’s beautiful Oseh Shalom.
May we all find perfect peace this Shabbat and someday always.
This week we lost Glenn Frey, a remarkable artist and musician. This song from the Eagles’ album Long Road Out of Eden is a lovely tribute and a guiding thought for us this Shabbat. Glenn reminds us that we leave the world to our children. What shall we leave behind as our legacy?
Shabbat Shalom~
Rabbi Tarfon taught: “It is not your responsibility to finish the work [of perfecting the world], but you are not free to desist from it either” (Pirkei Avot 2:16).
The Executive Orders signed by President Obama is such an example of Rabbi Tarfon’s teaching. We cannot eliminate all acts of gun violence, but we must do what we can to advance the cause. Regardless of one’s stance on the Second Amendment or the effectiveness of these Executive Orders, we cannot turn a blind eye to the horrifying levels of violence and death that occur in our country. These limited executive actions seek to better enforce existing laws. The idea that criminals and emotionally disturbed people will find it harder to gain access to weapons of death is a good one.
I wish we could do more, but that is not a reason to do nothing. Progress comes in small steps, an incremental march toward what should be from what is. We measure a great civilization not by its great monuments but by its ability to protect the weak within its society. The victims of mass shootings, the victims of urban gun violence, the victims of suicide are all testimony to how much more we have to do to protect ourselves and lift everyone to a better place.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” says the Chinese philosopher Laozi (Tao Te Ching). We have a long way to go before the work is complete, but at least we are started on the path.
Evoking the beauty of the Shabbat bride entering the room, my mind recalls those wondrous moments watching brides come down the aisle to the chuppah. Please take a few moments to enjoy this beautiful rendition of Lecha Dodi. Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom.
“Man and woman were created in the Divine image. Male and female God created them.” Each year we reread the story of creation. We return to our story of origin as a signal that Rosh Hashanah is all about returning to our truest selves — or as we say in Hebrew, tshuvah.
Source: A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Gender Equality | Rabbi Joshua Stanton
As some worry aloud about letting Syrians into Europe, Lisa Goldman wonders: do we have a blind spot when it comes to certain kinds of refugees?
Source: How Jewish Skepticism on Refugees Boils Down to Double Standards – Opinion – Forward.com
Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom
