Parshat Chayei Sarah - Welcome to the Journey

This past Shabbos, we read the portion of Chayei Sarah. It begins with the death of Sarah, our first matriarch.

I've always found the first sentence of this parsha a fascinating way to start,
"Sarah's lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years..."

According to Rashi, one of our major Torah commentators, explains that each mention of years refers to different portions of her life - which totally makes sense. We can easily subdivide our lives into parts, when we were kids, before marriage, before having kids, after having kids, after the kids move out... etc. you get the idea.

What we can learn from the Torah making a point to break down her life is to take note that every part of our life is significant.  It's not just the destination, but also the journey. Each portion of our lives is a piece of the puzzle that is us.

Every portion of our life in significant. Every choice we make builds on itself - even and especially those choices we make as children and young adults. Those choices and their consequences create the people we become as adults. Did we take candy without paying for it? Did we sneak a peek on an exam or fudge a little while telling a story? Did we help a friend when they needed us? Did we clean up our toys without being asked? What seem like small choices as children becomes ingrained in our character as adults.

Take a moment to enjoy the journey - discover yourself. Appreciate the daily choices and options that present themselves to you - remember these seemingly insignificant choices (obviously not all choices - Coke vs. Pepsi, not of ultimate significance) help build the person you are and who you want to be at the end of it all.

Take the time to appreciate the moment as it presents itself. Enjoy the portion of your life that you're in. If you're raising kids - enjoy the craziness of it all. "Growing kids" is the hardest thing I have ever done and will do -- but I absolutely love the insanity of it all. The jumping off the couches, coffee table, chairs - ok, off of anything horizontal...  it's fantastic to think that these are human beings that are ultimately going to change the world for the better, and I have a hand in that.

Have a great week everyone!
Love the life you're in.

The Shabbat Project

The Shabbat Project is a fantastic idea. In this crazy world, we need a little bit of unity and where better to find it than in G-d's hidden gem given to the Jewish People. Shabbat, a little bit of sanity in a turbulent world. Jews around the world are going to unplug and just "be" with our friends, family and even just ourselves - quite a feat in a 24/7 go, go, go mindset.

Enjoy the time off everyone.
Shabbat Shalom.

The Shabbos Project  #KeepingItTogether

You don’t need to be religious to observe the Shabbat Project
This weekend, Jews in some 460 cities all over the world have signed up to turn off their phones and tune in to the Jewish day of rest

Cuteness Abounds

I never quite got the hang of the hand motions for Dovid, Melech Yisroel (David, King of Israel) when I was a kid. Yesterday, the idea popped into my head that YouTube probably had it - I was right, here it is. I've learned it now and my daughter R (3.5 yrs) is into learning it too. Y (2 yrs) is trying his best to join in. Cuteness abounds.

Yizkor Thoughts

This was the first year (unfortunately) that I said the Yizkor prayer for my mother. I said it at home, there was no way I was getting to the synagogue. I remember all the years that those of us who hadn't lost anyone would file out of the sanctuary and hang out in the lobby. A few minutes later someone would pop out and let us know that it was time to come back.

I always thought it must have been a big-time prayer - long and difficult to read. It wasn't. It was two paragraphs long. Truthfully, I was surprised.

It's interesting to me that so many people who aren't regular shul goers come to the synagogue special just to say those two paragraphs. I think that it must be about a need for connection to those we've lost. Even those who only come to shul every so often, I think, make a statement of belief when they come for Yizkor - speaking directly to G-d, asking the Almighty to watch out for their relatives.

I'm not saying that they should be limiting their time in shul to only when they can say Yizkor. In fact, I think they are losing out on building a relationship with G-d and with their community - but I do think that I have to re-evaluate what I used to think about those who do that.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy New Year!
Time to get ready for Sukkot! Happy Sukkah building!

Yom Kippur Resources

Wishing everyone a Gmar Chatima Tova - a healthy and happy year ahead.

Aish.com

Chabad.org

And a fantastic article for those of us stay-at-home moms who won't be anywhere near the synagogue.

JewishMom.com

Hoping all the Jewish People have a meaningful and easy fast.

A Quick Overview of the High Holidays

Good day everyone!

I've started a new book, Toward a Meaningful Life, and I wanted to share a piece giving a fantastic overview of the Holidays we find ourselves in the midst of --

On Rosh Hashana, we learn that we have the power to still the trembling world and assist in the birth of a new one. The tremors of the old world are the birth pangs of the new. It is within our power to help bring about that rebirth, by taking steps to renew our own spiritual lives (xiii) 

The message of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is that renewal is possible even after loss and destruction.... Rebirth can be more powerful than the initial birth. The first revelation of the Law on Mount Sinai took forty days, but Moses spent twice as long to persuade G-d to yield to his entreaties and replace the broken tablets. The effort required to rebuild after destruction is much greater than the work of building in the first place. But the rebuilt structure, when it is finally completed, is stronger than the original and can never again be destroyed...Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the year because it is the day when life's essential element, Hope, was born. The message of Yom Kippur is unequivocal: even after great loss, we can repair, rebuild and regenerate... Yom Kippur makes clear how we can achieve these things: by connecting to G-d, to immortality (xiv-xv). 

The festival of joy, Sukkot (Tabernacles), follows in the wake of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with a vital lesson of its own for today's difficult circumstances. Joy is an external sign of the soul's innate celebration of life. Awareness of our indispensable purpose, that we are connected to our Divine mission, is cause for celebration. Conversely, if we are cut off from this awareness - that is, if we feel that our lives lack purpose and direction - we are prey to feelings of insecurity, fear, uncertainty, and despondency... The joy of Sukkot is an extension of the hope born on Yom Kippur. Joy cannot be experienced to the fullest until we have encountered loss and begun to recover, as happens on Yom Kippur. With hope regained, after our broken spirits have revived and we have started to rebuild after loss, we celebrate (xvi).

This is only the beginning of the book. I'm looking forward to reading and learning more!

Happy New Year 5775!

How time flies. We're back at the beginning - Shana Tova to all! Happy New Year!

It's the beginning of the Jewish New Year! A celebration completely different than the secular one, we spend the day thinking about G-d as our King.

For me, Rosh HaShana and the upcoming holidays are a bit tough to get my head around. I am blessed with three small people, 3.5 years, 2 years and 3 months old. Getting in the mood and to synagogue is more than a small challenge (more like a bad joke). Happily, I found someone in my building who blew the shofar for me.

I'm revisiting the idea of learning something Jewish for 5 minutes a day. For anyone who thinks that 5 minutes is no big deal should come visit my home. I'm hoping to find that 5 minutes block - rather, I think it may have to be broken up into parts.

I'll share with you a series of books that I enjoy. There are at least six books in the series so far, each focusing on different parts of the Torah. I just finished Let Me Join Your Nation by Yosef Deutsch. (Took me three months, trust me, it's not a long book). It's a novelization of the Book of Ruth. Using commentaries and midrashim, he weaves a coherent narrative, fleshing out the story. What I like about it is that he includes footnotes, so if you were so inclined, you could actually check out the details. I feel like you are learning by reading a book without working too hard.

The next book I'm going to be working through is one I've read before, but it's been about six years since I've cracked it open. It's called, Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It's got a universal message, so anyone from any faith should get something out of it - but obviously geared toward Jews. I don't remember much from the last time I read it, but I do remember enjoying it. I am excited to give it another read (as slow and painful as that may be).

So again, I'm going to try to write a weekly dvar Torah, and hopefully I won't peter out like I did last time. Try, try again!

A healthy and happy Shana Tova to all!