Thanksgiving is as genuine American apple pie. I don't think that any other nation sets aside a dedicated holiday to show such an appreciation for our life. Yet we Jews can take a little credit for influencing the creation of this holiday. It is commonly assumed that the Pilgrims modeled  their original Thanksgiving  celebration after the holiday of Succot. According to the biblical explanation, Succot was a holiday of Thanksgiving to celebrate the end of agricultural year. There were many celebratory activities, especially in Jerusalem, thanking  G-d for the spring, summer and fall crops.       

In our modern American Thanksgiving version we also express gratitude for everything in our life, for who we are and what we have. In the Jewish tradition we are actually encouraged to be in an appreciative mode every day of the year. It is our obligation to try to recite 100 blessings of thanksgiving every day, always starting with "Baruch Ata Adonai", Blessed are you Adonai.  How is that for an endless daily thanksgiving celebration! These blessings cover all aspects of our life. They range from our smallest daily needs and functions to seeing majestic views, to experiencing  new things  etc.

I believe that this year's  Thanksgiving celebration is even more significant for us. We have just gone through a painful election which has torn us into a deeply divided nation, complete with lower  emotions of hate and ill wishes. So deep is the division  that in many families, certain topics are still avoided in order to prevent quarrels.  

Appreciating what we have is a powerful way for us to begin to heal  and come together again as a nation. We as Americans and Jews have so much for which we can be thankful. Whatever our political affiliation, we are and always will be one nation. For the sake of all of us and future generations let us begin working together and start with our own family members and friends.  All of us are the guardians of liberty and freedom.

Indeed,  things are not perfect and there is much to be done socially and  economically and on the world stage in order to keep  the United state what it has always been, a Beacon of  Hope. But despite the political turmoil, our country is strong and safe and we have the freedom to evaluate our economy and social issues. And as we gather together at our Thanksgiving tables let us also remember and appreciate how many lives have been given so we may even have the privilege of enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday.

Yes, we have much to be thankful for this year. May we  continue to be blessed with much to be thankful for every day of our lives. And in doing so, may we Jewish people continue to not only share our blessings with those in need but also follow our teachings that ask us to model respect, understanding and compassion for all.     

Happy  Thanksgiving!         

Rabbi David 

More about Gratitude

First from Cantor Lee:  The first week of November this year we read the Torah portion, Noah. G-d puts a rainbow in the sky..... On Rosh Hashanah evening this year, "The Rainbow" was the title of Rabbi David's sermon/story. Enjoy! 

The Rainbow by Rabbi David   RH Eve Sermon

This year there were major changes in the  communication style between  G-D almighty and  yours truly. Some of our members correctly  pointed out to me that  sending an email to G-D  is way passe',  old fashioned and behind the times.

Heaven forbid, we should suggest  the  Creator of Time is behind the times...

Therefore all my communication with G-D from now  on is by Tweet or Instagram. Since the holidays were approaching I got myself a Tweeter account (yes, Rabbi David means to say "Tweeter" account here - his sense of humor...)and was ready to tweet that I would  like to discuss some urgent Jewish matters with the Old Mighty. I do this, as you know every year before the High Holidays. It is of course a Holiday tradition.

 Usually I am the one doing the talking, the complaining. He is listening.  I tweeted that  I would like to have our annual discussion hoping  that he would see it.

"Dear  Rabbi David"  the reply said, " you complain to me every year. But since it is your tradition to kvetch and complain at this time of the year about all the problems in the world  I will yet again honor your tradition.

 However  just like last year, this holiday season again I cannot send down my chariot that usually picks you up since it has a transmission problem. And since we don't have a heavenly Uber service yet,  all of our communication will have to be more of the earthly high tech kind.

Not good enough I thought to myself! I immediately tagged on G-D's face book page a selfi of myself being upset!

I wrote, "We must meet!  How about if I meet your  representative in some more earthly venue like a restaurant. We have some nice restaurants  here in Boca." He tweeted me back, "Agreed!! But I choose the venue.  And it will be on Mt. Sinai.  Date and time to follow."

Mt Sinai?! How in the world....will I  get to Mt. Sinai? I want to tell you that as you know, every year as the High Holy Days are approaching my beloved wife Cantor Lee gets nervous. She wonders what kind of kakamaimi  story about meeting with G-D will I tell her this year? The news  did not sit well with my beloved wife.

Cantor Lee, may she be blessed, was very upset with my new mishegaas."Are you telling me, my dear husband, the Rabbi,  that you are going to schlep half  way across  the world  to climb on  some mountain?

Why can't G-D talk to you here in Boca Raton? There are so many nice places, country clubs, beach front hotels. Why can't you use skype or face time like normal people?' 

But I insisted. "Just like old Moses," I told her, "when G-D Tells you to go, you go."

Sure enough, the complete instructions came a few days later with the date and time specified. When I reach the top of the mountain I will be greeted by a man.  His name is Angel Chaim.  He is assigned to listen to all my grievances and complaints.  

I packed some clothes and food and bought a ticket to Israel on El Al. After a long flight  I arrived in Israel in the early morning and immediately took a bus to Eilat,  the closest city to the Sinai border.

Sinai as you know is not a safe place for travelers. Several terror organizations are active there, fighting with the Egyptian government. And yet tourists are crossing the border from Eilat. 

At the border I joined a tourist group which boarded an old Egyptian bus. And that is how the actual trip to Mt. Sinai started. It is an hour's ride though the bare hot desert to get to the mountain. Nothing  but sand  and sky. The tour bus finally stopped at my destination.

"Jabel Musa" the tour guide called in Arabic. Mt. Moses. All the tourists  got off the bus to take  some selfies with the mountain in the background.

They were so excited  and felt  very special. Then the tour bus continued toward Cairo, Egypt. They promised  to pick me up on the way back from their Nile tour in three days. I hoped so. It's a long way back to Eilat from here.

I started climbing the mountain for my rendezvous.

You think Masada  is hard to climb? Let me tell you. Good old Moses must have been in amazing shape at the age of 80 something  to scale this mountain. One has to be crazy  to climb it in the middle of the day with this kind of heat.  I was wondering  what time  of the day G-D asked Moses  to climb the mountain  to get the Ten Commandments.

As I was ascending I remembered the story about Elijah the prophet who by order of G-d  went from Judea all the way to  Mt Sinai. He climbed the mountain, then stood there at the top looking for G-D. There was no thunder, no fire,  no noise,  just a calm wind that blew through the mountain top.

 That's when he finally understood  that G-D appears in the calm and quiet of his soul.

As the mid day calm desert wind blew  and the silence of the wilderness really began to stir me, I got a  glimpse of what  Elijah felt finding his G-D in all of this.

The energy around was intense. I kept climbing for hours drinking from the water  I brought with me. I reached the top as the sun was setting in the west.

What a beautiful  sight!  The desert sky turned all red as the sun began to disappear and the wind grew a little stronger, blowing against me, cooling me down. 

I was  exhausted. I lay down on the ground getting ready to sleep. Angel Chaim  will most likely not come tonight...

I slept like a rock among all rocks around me. Pre- dawn desert is just as beautiful as the sunsets. As I woke up, I sat there quietly watching the sun begin to rise in the east and felt that quiet wind blowing. What a sight!

Before  I realized  that I was hungry and thirsty I spotted  a man approaching me out of nowhere, a little strange looking with a short beard, sun glasses baseball hat, khaki shorts and a tee shirt. It read, 'In G-D  we trust. Everyone else prays.'

"Rabbi David  I presume," he said with a big smile and a healthy handshake. It is so good to finally meet you in person. "Angel Chaim,  good to see you too," I replied.  

"And how was your  trip?" I assured him that I was well and in good spirits and looking forward to our serious discussion about  this year's urgent  Jewish matters.

"Here," he said  as he unpacking his backpack, "I brought you a few pastrami on rye sandwiches, some water  and some heavenly fruits - all Glat kosher.   After all, we cannot have a serious discussion on an empty stomach." I agreed. 

After a nice breakfast it was now time for the business at hand. Angel Chaim pulled out his laptop and began diligently typing everything I was saying.

"Look, your honor, your  angelness," I started, "every year we seem to have  the same discussion. I complain about the chaos in our world, wars, terror, hatred, hunger, anti-Semitism. All I get are promises and what are supposed to be comforting words. Then, someone in heaven records my complaints,  backs them into the clouds in a file, then  files it away in the heavenly Archive. And the situation gets worse."

Angel Chaim hesitated for a minute and then  pointed at the desert. "What do you see?" he asked. 

"I see the endless desert with beautiful mountains around us."

"And what do you feel?"

"I feel serene  and calm. I feel the calm wind of the early morning  desert."

"And did you feel that way last night?" "No,"  I said, it was pitch dark. I felt a little uncomfortable lying on  the ground in an unfamiliar place."

"And what happened  when the sun rose?" he continued. "Well," I said, "with the light came the calmness.  I saw the beauty of this place and the light wind  brought peace and calm."

"And yet," Angel Chaim  insisted, "this is a desert,    a harsh environment  which can be very unsafe and frightening. " "This is true,"  I replied.

Looking at my puzzled face he continued.

"This desert is a beautiful place. I myself come here sometimes to relax and have a drink in my happy hour. The rough and hostile environment  along with its beauty have co existed here for a long time."

"So you are trying to tell me that world turmoil will always co exist with us as part of our life? And I had to come all the way here to hear this? You could have just said that to me on skype back in Boca!"

Angel Chaim smiled again. "Tell me  Rabbi,  after a long period of rain, when the sun finally emerges  from the dark clouds, what usually happens?"

"Well, when it is still drizzling and the sun comes up, we see the rainbow of course."

"Well, Rabbi,  would you please look up in the sky?" 

 I looked up towards the rising sun and the most amazing thing happened. A beautiful rainbow appeared in the east.

No rain . No drizzling. Just a large colorful rainbow!

"Do you get it now, Rabbi? You keep asking us to create miracles, to  miraculously bring peace unto the world. It is not that simple but not impossible."

I was still puzzled.   

"Miracles  only come  with Hope, Rabbi. Hope for Peace is a powerful gift,  given  to people. It helps defeat evil. It has been helping  many generations before you and generations  to come. Just as this rainbow always will be with you.... so will the Hope that comes with your  prayers for peace.

I answered, "We have been hearing this for thousands  of years.  Can you be more specific? How about some kind of time frame?"

Angel Chaim smiled, "the stronger your hope, the stronger you are. The more you cherish what you believe the faster it will come." 

The man with the strange tee shirt  who called himself  Chaim the Angel was packing his bag. "Keep the faith Rabbi," he said, "evil does not exist forever." 

The biblical story suggests that after his Mt. Sinai experience  Elijah the prophet  felt content for the first time after a long period of aggravation.

I was not sure. I just stood there staring at Chaim, the angel. He left with a promise to deliver our conversation to his boss, the Old Mighty and disappeared as suddenly as he came.

As the sun rose in the east I climbed down the mountain. Not a small task  for my sore knees and waited for the tourist bus returning from Cairo. I had plenty of time to think about my encounter with Mr.  Chaim, the Angel.

I wondered what  I could take  from this experience  to tell my congregation back in Boca  Raton.  I thought about eternal hope and steadfast belief in a better world, a peaceful world.

In the famous musical, "Fiddler on the Roof" there is an expulsion scene when the Jews of the Shtetl of Anatevka are forced out of their homes, not knowing where to go. As they were chased out of their homes, they turned to their Rabbi. "Rabbi," they said,  "wouldn't now be a very good time for the Messiah to come?"   

"Yes," replied the rabbi. We will just have to keep waiting for him somewhere else..."  to which  the Rambam one of the greatest  Jewish scholars of all time who lived in the 11th century  said the following: "I believe in the coming of the Messiah and although he is delayed I will keep waiting for him to come.."

And it occurred to me that this year will be a very good time for peace to come. And  if peace is delayed for some reason, as the Ramabam said, we will just have to continue to hope and pray for it.  

And if we need another word of encouragement...

This afternoon my cousin Mario called me to wish me Happy New Year. He pointed out that this is the Jewish year of 5777. If we add the numbers we get 26. The number 26 is also the numerical value of the sacred letters of G-D's name, the Yud Hey Vav Hey. 10 is for Yud,  Hey 5 Vav 6 Hey 5. The year 5777 is the year of G-D.

Perhaps this is a message for us that in this Year of G-D, this is the year Peace will Come. May it be so.... 

Rabbi David 

The memory comes back to me as it does each year during Sukkot. I am a child 3 or 4 years old waiting in the  Temple sanctuary to visit the sukkah.  I climb the steps with the other children but then time stops and I am alone.  I am amazed by the clusters of fruit and thick leaves that form a canopy over me!  A presence of Love embraces me,  protects me.   

It isn't until I am an adult years later that I understand who came to me under the sukkah.  She is known by many names but in Judaism we call her Shechinah, the feminine nurturing aspect of G-d.  The root of the Hebrew word Shechinah means dwelling place for She dwells inside each of us. 

I sit under the sukkah as I do each year and She comes.  I marvel at so many gifts we have been given to call her, to become aware of her Presence.  She comes each Shabbat with L'Cha Dodi,  She is under the chuppah with each bride and groom,  when we are still, quiet under the sukkah as I am now. 

The full moon shines through the sukkah roof, through its walls and once again She embraces me with her arms of Love. I pray and ask that we all feel her arms of Love embracing us. That we in turn bring her Love into our world.  

From Cantor Lee: When Marty told me of the project he wanted to organize for Shirat Shalom and the story behind it, I knew this  had to be shared!  For this Living Story is one that has been a part of  the Jewish people perhaps since the beginning. Marty's part in the story  begins in 1951 when he was just a child....

I Remember my Grandmom by Marty Hyman

The year was 1951. I was almost seven years old and although my parents could not afford to send me to an overnight camp, I was sent to live with my mom’s parents, my Grandfather Jacob and my Grandmother, Esther, for the summer in Atlantic City, New Jersey. My Grandmother Tillie on my dad’s side lived across the street. Each weekend during the summer my mom and dad would come down the shore from steamy hot Philadelphia to spend the weekend in the cool breezes of the Atlantic Ocean. 

One weekend in July, I remember when my dad’s mom, Grandmom Tillie, came across the street to visit us and she seemed very worried. She had just received the electric bill for June in the mail and was worried about how she would be able to pay the $6.50 bill. In fact, my dad had to pay the bill for her.

I felt bad seeing how worried she was about paying a bill. She was living month to month on a very small Social Security check that was so small that she struggled to buy her food, pay rent and pay all of her bills.

Yet, I still remember visiting her for Erev Shabbat dinner on the following Friday. After she prepared the table, and lit the candles, she went into the kitchen. I followed her and saw on the window sill over the kitchen sink that she had several different shaped cans. They were her collection of Tzedakah cans.

The writing on all of the cans was in Hebrew. I didn’t know how to read Hebrew at that time. So she explained that the rectangle can with blue writing on it was for the Jewish National Fund, one square one was for an Israeli orphan’s school, another was for trees for Israel and one round can was from her own Community Synagogue that was on Maryland and Pacific Avenues.

The joy that I saw on her face when she placed the few pennies that she had into the cans made me realize how rich she felt at that moment. This was a woman that was so poor she needed her son to pay a very small electric bill for her. But in that kitchen on Shabbat, I saw in my Grandmom’s face how she felt like the richest woman on earth.

Giving Tzedakah does that you know.

While the coins and bills that you may place in the can will help someone else, what it does to you, how it makes you feel so rich is also a very important result of fulfilling the mitzvot of Tzedakah.

 Marty's Tzedakah Can Project

Marty and his wife  donated 300 Tzedakah cans (yes 300! ) to Shirat Shalom and designed beautiful labels as well for each can. These will be given out during Rosh Hashanah, the plan being that each family returns a full can next year during the holidays.

Marty also included blank labels so the Hebrew School children could design their own Tzedakah cans.  We invited Marty to speak to the children and they were mesmerized by his story! Afterwards as they each designed a unique label and made the commitment to fill their Tzedakah can with coins, we told them that they too are part of this Living Story!

From Rabbi David:

Marty  and his wife, Fran,  are the embodiment of who we are as Jewish people. I recall a scene from the famous musical  "Fiddler On The Roof" when Reb Tuvia hands a piece of cheese to Perchick, the young starving student  from the city of Kiev,  and urges him to take the gift.  "Take it," he tells Perchick , it will be my honor." At first I thought this is part of the scene's humor. Then I realized there is a much serious element  to that scene.

Upon creating the Jewish nation the Torah  gave us  the secret for survival as a nation. One can see it as a theme throughout  the entire 613 commandments. It is compassion for our fellow man, to animals and to Mother Earth. The Torah as well as the entire Jewish tradition understood that a healthy society is a society which creates the kinds of social laws which take care of the weakest, the poorest elements of society as well as laws that make this world a better place even in the smallest measures.

Over the years these laws of righteousness or Tzedakah turned from merely biblical legal obligations to who we are as Jews. We became a people of Compassion with a keen sense of justice and concern for others.         

Helping others takes many forms.  It is our deepest conviction that we came to this world not only to enjoy it but  to contribute to its welfare. This is the "Tikun Olam"  we often talk about.

In fact while we do  Tzedakah willingly  because we understand its importance, the great Rabbis of the Talmud kept reminding us that any act of Tzedakah such as donating money to a good cause or helping in many other ways is our obligation,  not a choice.  In old Europe and even now  in certain Jewish circles it is a tradition that even the a person with the most limited resources has a Tzedakah box  to which he adds coins as often as he  possible can. 

Marty  was telling our Hebrew School students an amazing truth. It is the truth that Reb Tuvia  told Perchick.  Giving Tzedakah  has a profound effect on us. It makes us feel better about ourselves and about our world. It gives us hope  for better world for all of us.

Indeed, we can cure the world from all its strife and hate with the prescription the Torah gave us,  with acts of kindness.

One act of kindness at a time.

Rabbi David   

Would you like a Shirat Shalom  Tzedakah can? We would be delighted to give you one! And how blessed we will be in knowing that in helping us we are in turn helping you!

Marty Age 7  and his grandparents                                        

  

Confirmation Student Jared gluing 300 labels!

Marty with some of our Hebrew School Children

  

As the High Holiday season approaches Jews traditionally begin to review the past year including what are we proud of,  the mistakes we have made and our regrets.  During High Holy Day services we even formally look at our wrongdoings which we may term as  "sins."  

Judaism has a unique perspective regarding "sins."  It recognizes  that we humans are prone to wrongdoing,  mostly unintentionally, and sometimes with our full awareness.

 But even when "evil people" commit "evil deeds" with full intent and awareness, their deliberate intent itself is seen as an unconscious deviation from their own deep inner decency and goodness.  

Therefore the most evil person does not really sin. In fact in Hebrew we don't even have a word for "sin!" The closest word is "Chet" which means missing the mark or target.

These inner targets of goodness and righteousness are the fabric, the building blocks used by G-D to create our world.      

When a person though his actions misses his inner target,  a destructive energy is added to our world which  affects all of us. It takes away from the beauty of our world.        

Good deeds and righteous acts do the opposite. They cleanse the world from the polluted energy of evil. This "Cleansing" is the Jewish concept of "Tikun Olam" , repairing the word. Righteousness and good deeds are  wonderful cleansers to a world  full of "wrong doing."  

When  too much evil energy exists,  Gaia, Mother Earth, will even take the necessary steps to get rid of this energy.   

The Torah documents several such cases:  The story of the flood, when one righteous  person, Noah, was not enough to cleanse the negative energy that engulfed the earth.  The story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when one good person Lot, was not enough to cleanse those cities. The story of Korach  who rebelled against Moses. Korach's  energy was so  caustic  that it caused the earth to swallow him.

When we come together as a congregation  during the High Holy Days, we have the power together to cleanse ourselves and our world.

May it be so in this New Year of 5777!  

L'Shana Tova,  

Rabbi David 

 

First from Cantor Lee:   As part of the rite of passage for a Jewish teen, the Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony (usually at the age of 13),  the student is required to design a mitzvah project which entails community service.  This is such a unique and beautiful mitzvah project that can inspire all of us, I knew I had to share it! When I asked this amazing teen if I had permission to do so,  she replied, "Of course you have my permission to share my project! I would really like it to reach as many people as possible!"    

 From Gabbie:

As most of you know, I am now 14 which is a later time to be entering the world as a Bat Mitzvah but also still perfectly okay, to me, I feel unique having this experience during this time of my life while various other changes are already happening around me, such as the beginning of high school and making new friends and new memories. I really wanted my Bat Mitzvah to reflect this. A Bat Mitzvah project usually consists of a good deed that you perform in order to enlighten a difference around you.  I took this general idea and tried to make it different and unique in the same way that I am. Instead of executing one or two acts of change, I have decided to implement myself in 14 divergent ways of being so that I am able to perform many individual acts both now and in the future.

 I call my project “BE,” this is because I want to inspire people to be their greatest selves and to be whomever they want to be. So for my Bat Mitzvah project, I came up with 14 separate adjectives that I want to become during my time as a Bat Mitzvah. And adjoining each one of these adjectives, is an activity that I can perform to further mold myself into becoming this characteristic. I am now going to read through each characteristic and explain how I have or how I plan to exemplify it.

Be:

·        Active -- planning to participate in runs to support charity

·        Appreciative -- simply say thank you and express to people how much they mean to you, it’s easy

·        Artistic -- planning to support a classroom in need of art supplies by raising money through selling art work

·        Considerate of the earth -- recycle and pick up trash in the woody areas around my town

·        Courageous -- be outgoing and assist a stranger or stand up for people

·        Determined -- finish what you start, stay focused and get things done. Personal goal and mitzvah regarding school work.

·        Friendly -- always smile and be nice to others, encourage your friends both old and new or in the making, a smell gesture could change someone’s day completely

·        Generous -- leave a nice tip at restaurants and such and encourage others to do the same, and just generally remember to give back, keep a tzedakah box

·        Happy -- or “gay,” I plan to support others being happy as who they are by raising money for Orlando Foundation with bake sales

·        Helpful -- volunteer at a soup kitchen, offer your assistance without having to be asked around the house or elsewhere

·        Kind -- show small acts of kindness, left notes in books @ library, leave lucky pennies

·        Intelligent-- always strive to learn and share information with others. Helping younger students, such as brother and friends

·        Caring -- volunteered at an old folks home and socialized with the patients on Saturdays, we also played games

·        You -- be yourself among all of these things, I have personally aimed to achieve this goal and be my best self around everyone

 With these 14 separate attributes in trying to repair the world, I hope that was able to and will continue to make whatever small difference I can in this large world; I also want to encourage everyone here to do the same. You don’t have to use these adjectives but you can or you could make up your own; we can never stop improving.

Here is Gabbie, 14 years old

Gabbie's Project of putting hearts in Library Books

Read how Gabbie is continuing to BE eight years later:  https://shiratshalom.org/Rabbi-and-Cantors-Messages/13361406

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After Rabbi David and I heard Alan's story we just sat for a few moments in silence.  Finally I said to him, "Alan is going to be buried on Tu B'Av, The Holiday of Love!" We just looked at each other, knowing this wasn't a coincidence.

Not too many people have heard of  Tu B'Av,  Jewish or otherwise! It translates as the  15th day of the Hebrew month of Av. The "tu" is comprised of the letters tet and vav which together have a numerical value of 15.  Since the Hebrew calendar follows the lunar cycle,  Tu B'Av always comes during the middle of the Hebrew month which is the time of the full moon. This year the holiday was on August 19th and began the evening before at sundown. 

There is such a beautiful energy in the world during Tu B'Av that it is no wonder that is has come to be known as the  Holiday of Love! It is considered to be an auspicious time for weddings and engagements.

The Holiday of Love was also the most perfect day for Alan's funeral. For his story is about a  family  rising above the past to come together in Love to care for him. I cried when I first heard his story and cried throughout the funeral service.

Although Alan had managed to take care of himself for a few years after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, the time came when he could no longer do it alone. His two young adult daughters sought guidance from their mother, Karen, who had been divorced from Alan for 18 years.

Karen called Alan's second former wife, Neuza, and together along with the rest of the family they formed a plan to care for Alan.

"It is the most horrific disease," Karen told me, "for he would gasp for breath 24 hours a day."  Alan's suffering was more than  heartbreaking but that wasn't why I cried so much.  It was the Love from this family that couldn't help but touch my heart.

The Love of two former wives, Karen and Neuza,  coming together to provide his care. The Love of Karen's husband who  totally supported her as she cared for her ex husband. There were the hours Karen  was gone from the house, the financial resources they had to provide, the physical care that was required when for so many months Alan couldn't leave his bed.

The Love of Alan's second former wife, Neuza who came back from Brazil to remarry him and move in with him so she could take care of him during his last months. Of how his care took every last ounce from her emotionally and physically but still she persevered.   

The Love of his daughters who spent hours with their father during those last excruciating months. Of just holding his hand  when his disease would no longer allow him to speak.        

When it came time during the service for the prayer, Eil Malei Rachamin (The One Full of Compassion,) when we ask G-d to help a loved one return Home, I  asked that everyone in the packed room radiate Love from their hearts to guide Alan as he took the next step on his soul's journey. The Love was so strong within the room and from Above I shook the whole time I chanted the prayer!

I didn't meet Alan who passed away at the age of 60 but still I thank him for being a catalyst to bring so much Love into the world. For in the end, no matter how it has come, it is Love that brings healing for all us!   

During the month of Tammuz which this year is July 7th - August 4th, we are ushering in the summer's main Jewish historical event, the beginning of the cataclysmic loss of our Temple. While  Roman documents  would  never chronicle the unprecedented bloody fight and their own heavy losses, Jewish  sources  do talk about an amazing heroic stance of a few hundred Temple defenders  against  thousands of Roman soldiers.

The actual Roman blockade on the Temple mount started 5 months earlier on  the 10th day of the month of Tevet. There were five months of starvation and then heavy fighting with   the mighty Roman empire and all of its heavy blockade and wall busting equipment. The Romans  could not break into the Temple much to the chagrin of the Roman senate. Roman soldiers were brought from all over Europe to help.

Knowing that other oppressed nations around were eying this event carefully, considering it an encouragement for their own revolt, the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem became  a "must do at all cost" for Rome. 

On the 17 day of Tammuz  (commemorated on July 24th this year), after five long months of blockade and fighting, the outer wall of the temple  was compromised and thousands of Roman soldiers poured into the inner parts of the Temple attempting to burn it. Little  did they know that they would be facing  another 22 days of extremely bloody fighting against very determined and brave Jewish defenders  inside the Temple plaza before the fight would  end. Weeks later the Temple was set ablaze on the 9th day of the month of Av and the few remaining defenders, exhausted by starvation and war, perished.

Over  the generations the days between the 17th day of Tammuz and 9th of Av, Tisha B'Av) (Aug. 14th this year) were dedicated  to intense mourning. Many Jewish mourning customs are practiced including  the avoidance of certain life cycle events such as weddings. The idea was to prepare oneself for the crescendo of the 9th day of Av, the memorial day for the actual destruction of the Temple.            

 However, over the generations  and especially in modern times, the significance  of this time period  has expanded from a sense of victimhood and despair to ushering in a ray of hope for a gentler,  more peaceful world. A modern understanding of the Temple destruction implies the hope of renewal and redemption.  The  old flames of the Burning Temple forever burned  its imprint on our hearts.

Our Temple, the symbol of our highest moral standards, decency and humanity now exist inside of us. This powerful imprint gives us the ability and strength to cling to that ray of hope for a better world  no matter how tumultuous our world becomes. In fact  the more chaotic and dangerous our world becomes with much evil around the stronger our belief in peaceful times should be. This  concept  is known in traditional Judaism as " Chevlei Moshiach"  the  birthing of the messiah (also known as Messianic Age) and that is what helped our ancestors in every generation  through some very hard  times  when their own survival  was in question.   We should therefore dedicate the 22 days of mourning to spiritual renewal, getting closer to our Judaism, our values, our Creator.   

B'Shalom

Rabbi David

Like so many others,  my heart stopped when I first learned about the Orlando Shooting in a Gay nightclub on Sunday,  June 12th.  I quickly checked my inner guidance. Were both my daughter and daughter in law okay? They are often in Orlando and also perform their fire spinning program in night clubs.

Although my intuition reassured me, I still texted my daughter. Were they both alive and well?  The answer came back  "Alive and Well" along with a question about her blood type so she could donate to the blood bank.  

Relieved,  I then pondered why this happened during the holiday of Shavuot when Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  During the first night of Shavuot which began sundown on Saturday, many Jews throughout the world gather together and stay up the entire night studying Torah. The shooting began at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday morning when much Light was being released into the world from this sacred Torah study.

The next day, I had even more to ponder when  I realized that 49 people had been murdered.  With the shooter being killed there were 50 people who had died! These are the same numbers that are associated with Shavuot!

The Hebrew word "Shavuot"  actually translates as "Weeks" as there are seven weeks or 49 days of preparation beginning right after Passover for each one of us to receive the Light of the Torah on Shavuot.  

We follow a seven week program of self reflection and improvement.  Each day for 49 days we focus on a different aspect of ourselves connected to the Sefirot which are part of the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. We  basically bring to the surface hidden or darker parts of ourselves. With the release and healing of these aspects we prepare ourselves to hold an increased amount of Light from the Torah which we will receive on Shavuot, the 50th day.

But seeing these correspondences didn't give me answers I could give to my daughter  when I finally spoke to her on Tuesday. She was in the midst of grieving for her community, for her friends who lost loved ones, for the hatred that had surfaced.

I could only listen with my heart knowing that much darkness has been brought to the surface for us to all heal together.  And the only way I believe that can happen is through Love.  

During our conversation my daughter shared that she has recently been spending time each day sending Love to various people, even with those where there is friction.   It seems that as a result she has experienced many  random acts of kindness including strangers buying her coffee, giving her gift cards, even unexpected gifts.  We discussed how sending Love has changed her energy field as well as everyone she encounters.

 On Sunday  the day of the shooting, my daughter posted on her facebook page,

"So sad and confused. My heart goes out to everyone coping. But don't allow this to restore your fear. Both fear and faith are belief in the unknown. Choose wisely.

 LOVE, Not Hate."

It is only now as I write that I realize that 49 adds up to 13 which is the numerical value of "Ahavah,"  the Hebrew word for Love!

It seems Love has been the message all along....

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you! Love, Lee 

Israel Independence Day 2016 by Rabbi David Degani

On the 5th day of the month of Iyar, we will celebrate Yom Ha-atz-ma-ut,  68 years of Israel's Independence. For us as Jews, this event 68 years ago, became a powerful symbol of our everlasting existence as a unique people whose religion cannot be separated from its nationality. Israel Independence day is a reminder that our existence depends on having a land of our own and that land is specifically the land of Israel with very specific borders. This land is part of us, of who we are as Jews.

 I am reminded of an episode which happened at the beginning of the 20th century when the Zionist movement was offered  the country of Uganda in Africa as a homeland and a safe haven for European Jews, many of them who were victims of the infamous Kishinev pogrom in Russia. In a rejection letter the leader of the Zionist movement at the time explained that the land component of the Jewish religion is directly related to the land of Israel because of its specific spiritual value and its holiness to Judaism, without which Judaism cannot exist. This principal trumped even the immediate need for a safe place for thousands of Jewish Kishinev refugees.  

Other than the religious claim, there are other profound reasons for the existence of Israel as a Jewish state (Judea and Samaria included). The crime of taking away a land  from its people is not expunged due to time passed, not even 2000 years. When a nation is forcefully removed from its legitimate homeland, and as long as that nation exists, its claim to the land never gets old. The claim is always intact.   Many of us don't realize that  when the Muslims invaded the land of Israel in the 7th century the majority of the population was still Jewish. There were many thriving communities around the land  beyond the cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberius, Tzfat,  etc. Most  of the Jews  were forced to leave because of extremely heavy and unrealistic taxation imposed on the "Non believers"- a tactic  employed by Muslim occupiers over the centuries  in order to facilitate a measured but steady exodus of non believer from their own lands.   

This principle of never giving up our legitimate claim for our land has been even more profound when we the Jewish nation made it very clear to the rest of the world over the long years of exile through prayers and, in fact, through actions that we are not giving up on our sovereignty to our land.

In the last  2000 years the world  knew very well that the Jewish people never gave up on our claim for the land from which we were exiled. In medieval times the church, fearful of Jewish immigration to their homeland which intensified periodically, forbade Jews to travel on Christian boats to the land of Israel. The same was true after the expulsion from Spain in the 15th century as well as other centuries.

The Arabs, recognizing  that the land of Israel  is the land of the Jews were especially fearful that the Jews would one day return to reclaim their land. One of the major attempts to resettle millions of Jews back in Israel was a plan to create an economic infrastructure first, which would allow for rapid Jewish migration. This plan was made by Don Yosef  Nasi, a highly influential Jew in international circles, in the 15th century. The Arab nomads in Israel opposed the plan which Don Yosef had started to implement. The plan was eventually abandoned due to the extreme violent resistance of the local Moslems.

To ensure the Jews wouldn't return, the Muslims built a cemetery in Jerusalem in front of the city Gate of Mercy, Their reasoning for building it in this specific place was that when the  Jewish messiah would come to the city,  being a descendant of Jewish priests, a Cohen, he would not  be allowed to go through a cemetery and therefore would not be able to enter Jerusalem and to establish a new Jewish kingdom in Judea.    

In the 17th century an estimated eight thousands Jews, mostly young men, gathered in Turkey under the leadership of a man call Shabbetai Tzvi who promised them that they would take  the land of Israel by force through his magic. They were all slaughtered  by the Ottoman  army. Over the centuries numerous "Messiahs" gathered Jewish believers around them in a naive attempt to magically take over the land of Israel. All ended up in failure. However these constant attempts, as naive as they all were, serve as evidence throughout  the centuries that indeed, action was taken by Jews who tried to reclaim the land of Israel.   

These and others similar actions indicate that the Jewish people never gave up on their rights to their land. It was a constant battle for our legitimate land which we finally won  in 1948 with most but not all of the Jewish land in Jewish hands.

So is the term Israel Independence Day really accurate? To suggest that Israel became independent in 1948 is not only inaccurate, it also provides many Arabs with the anti- Israel propaganda they need. The term may suggest that Israel's independence as it relates to modern Israel separates itself from any Jewish evidence of independent living prior to 1948, as if there was no Jewish independent existence prior to the modern state of Israel.  

The fact  that  Jews  lived in the land of Israel  for many centuries is not in dispute in international circles. Like most other ancient nations we were chased out of our land. What bothers Israel's enemies around  the world is our return to our land recreates a prosperous powerful, independent Israel. We, according to our enemies belong in the past. We had our time on the world stage and lost our land some centuries ago. That is it. We are now just a group of people  sharing  the same religion. Jews returning back to their land is against the world's natural order of things.      

It is therefore very important for us to understand that what we celebrate in front of the entire world is the Jewish Return to independent living in our land, a restoration of previous Jewish independence in the land of Israel after centuries of both yearning to return and at times, some actual attempts to do so.   

May we be thankful for this return to our independence everyday! And with this gratitude, may it bring Peace to Israel, to us, to the world! 

B'Shalom

Rabbi David