What a week of blessing we have had, with more to come. Being in a community like Kolot Mayim is very much like being in that flowing river that Charlotte Marcovitz mentioned in her d’var about her parashah: Balaam sings in a poem to the nation Israel: “How goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel, stretching out like brooks, like gardens by a river, like aloes planted by God, like cedars by water.” All these plants from aloe to cedar reach for mayim, for waters, as our souls reach with thirst for connection with the Divine and with each other.
These “waters” that sustain us can only continue to delight and refresh us with much needed sustenance – if we provide good stewardship. We have had several occasions recently to witness multi-generational love and guidance during a simcha, with grandparents celebrating alongside parents and siblings. A few tears were shed on these occasions!
A few tears do not a river make, but each tear opens a heart, an opening into life. I can remember my mother hauling buckets of water to each tiny cedar sapling as she worked to secure life for her cedar hedge until all roots were well-established. Bucket by bucket by heavy bucket she hauled water to sustain those saplings. And her labour worked; her vision of a strong and healthy hedge was rewarded; soon those roots took a strong hold and were able to reach into the earth for their source of life.
Being in a community can seem like hauling heavy buckets of water some days. And other days we feel refreshed by the waters of love and connection. So many members of Kolot Mayim ensure our buckets are carried, and our saplings are nourished. Thank you all.
This week let’s try to make a blessing on every glass of water we drink to help us remember how fragile and how necessary mayim chayim, these waters of life are to our very existence.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְ‑יָ אֱ‑לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ:
Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam shehakol nihiyah bed’varo.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be.
My car is the Victoria Jewish bookmobile – as fast as I empty it out (not fast) someone else offers me books. But where oh where has this book ended up? If you have it, the original owner would dearly love to have it back – please be in touch with me, and I will pick it up and return it.
Ki Tavo
September 11, 2022 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk Tags: ki tavo, learning •
What a week – and more to come! Sunday morning we had our first B’nei Mitzvah class of the year with four students in attendance. Welcome Noah, Yardenne, Ariel and Sarahi. I think we are all in for a wonderful year of learning.
We also started a new cycle of learning on Wednesdays at noon – we are looking at the books in our Prophets, our Nevi’im this year. Everyone is welcome of course.
Learning is the foundation of what it means to be a Jew. To engage in daily learning, to apply what we have learned into our everyday lives – this is what is meant when Torah teaches that we said at Sinai; ”We will do and we will understand.” We need to muck in.More