It has been quite a week. Meeting new members, hearing of a young boy needing emergency surgery and then put on life support, another boy needing surgery, a dear friends daughter died, another friend’s mother died, I met with two young couples getting married this summer, some people needed an ear as they contemplated life changes. And, as you do, our members have stepped up with food, and most importantly with compassion and offers of help. Thank you all.
This week as we open up the Book of Vayikra, we notice one of those anomalies in Torah that fascinate us. The aleph katan, the little aleph.
The word aleph means “to teach” implying we should all allow ourselves to be humble in our learning, throughout our lives. The greatest teacher in our midst, Moshe Rabbeinu, was known to be the most humble of men that ever lived. Any of us that have taken on learning as adults know how challenging – and humbling – it is to learn new and difficult material. Wrapping our tongues around new sounds, learning to lead prayers in Hebrew, struggling with new concepts is humbling to the core. Perhaps this is why Judaism demands we always be learning, always challenging ourselves; we should know to be humble in the face of all there is to learn and know. May this little aleph sustain us all as we help each other learn and grow in our wonderful Kolot Mayim community, no matter what challenges we face.
With great love,
Rabbi Lynn
Vayikra
March 6, 2022 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk
It has been quite a week. Meeting new members, hearing of a young boy needing emergency surgery and then put on life support, another boy needing surgery, a dear friends daughter died, another friend’s mother died, I met with two young couples getting married this summer, some people needed an ear as they contemplated life changes. And, as you do, our members have stepped up with food, and most importantly with compassion and offers of help. Thank you all.
This week as we open up the Book of Vayikra, we notice one of those anomalies in Torah that fascinate us. The aleph katan, the little aleph.
The word aleph means “to teach” implying we should all allow ourselves to be humble in our learning, throughout our lives. The greatest teacher in our midst, Moshe Rabbeinu, was known to be the most humble of men that ever lived. Any of us that have taken on learning as adults know how challenging – and humbling – it is to learn new and difficult material. Wrapping our tongues around new sounds, learning to lead prayers in Hebrew, struggling with new concepts is humbling to the core. Perhaps this is why Judaism demands we always be learning, always challenging ourselves; we should know to be humble in the face of all there is to learn and know. May this little aleph sustain us all as we help each other learn and grow in our wonderful Kolot Mayim community, no matter what challenges we face.
With great love,
Rabbi Lynn