Dear Temple Sinai Members and Friends,
Every moment of our lives is filled with choices. When we wake up in the morning, we decide what we are going to do that day. Some men even decide whether they will shave that day or not. Then there are the decisions involved with getting dressed. Some of us have major choices to make as to what we are to have for breakfast, while others will simply avoid any choices and just eat the same thing as he or she habitually does every day of the year. We might decide on a given day to go to work a different way. If a person is retired, which many of you are, the choices for the day verge on the infinite. They include deciding whether to even get up out of bed or not. The choices to be made might involve which Netflix or Prime show to watch during the morning activities or later that night. Another choice is whether that day is the day to work on those bills sitting on the desk in the study or calling the “boys” or the “girls” to see if anyone is available for a round of golf or a walk around Wakodahatchee.
Then, of course, there are much more serious choices that are placed before us in our lives. There are the choices when younger as to which school to go to, or none. These are the choices involved with profession or job offers that come to us. Then there are the choices as to whom to marry and sometimes when it’s time for a divorce. Decisions must be made about where to live. There are always the choices as to who should be your Rabbi and which congregation you shall join. There are the numerous medical decisions to be made throughout your lives and the choices that doctors lay out before us. Eventually, all of us need to make decisions as to where to get buried.
Our Torah portion this week, Re’eh, speaks directly to the choices that lay before us throughout our lives, particularly as they affect our relationship with God. As it says in Deuteronomy chapter 11:
“See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of your God Adonai that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of your God Adonai, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced.”
Just as there are many paths in our lives that we can choose to take from the minute we are born, well maybe not that young, to the time we die, there are also many paths we can take regarding God in our lives. You see, God has set up existence in such a way that we can even reject God. The choice is yours.
This coming Shabbat, the blessing for the New Month of Elul will be offered. This holiest of months then begins on Sunday. Elul is interpreted by the rabbis as an acronym for the beautiful words from the book of Song of Songs, words that are engraved on many of your rings, “Ani L’dodi, v’dodi Li – I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” Does this belief in God’s presence in your life describe the spiritual life that you live?
The Kotzker Rebbe was once asked by his students, “Where does God live?” and the Rebbe answered, “God lives where we let God in.” As we are now approaching Elul and the 30 days before the New Year, I ask those of you who have chosen to not open the door to letting God into your life, to begin to open the door a little. If you need any help at all in doing this, please know I will be glad to meet with you.
At each of the Shabbat services during these forthcoming weeks, we will hear the stirring sound of the Shofar. Its clarity is to awaken us to many things in life including the choices that a New Year places before each of us. Make the choices by which you choose life so that, as we will read in the Torah on the Holy Days, so that you might live.
L’Hayiim! To Life!
Shabbat Shalom and a Blessed Elul
Your Rabbi Steven
Please note the class I will be teaching on Thursday September 4th at 3 pm on Understanding and Appreciating the High Holy Day Prayer Book. Also, on Tuesday night September 16th we will welcome Alex Kor as he shares the stories of his mother, Eva, and what she went through as one of Mengele’s Twins. Of course, please intend to start the year off right by attending our Selichot event on Saturday night September 13th.
Unfortunately, I have had to postpone the Shabbat morning open discussion about Israel to a future date. Don’t worry… the problems will still be with Israel!
Your Rabbi Steve