Rabbi Lynn Greenhough

As Pesach approaches one of the more than 4 questions we must wrestle with is how are we cleaning our inner chometz (otherwise known as shmutz) as well as cleaning the chometz from our homes? Washing down baseboards, and vacuuming out the stove drawer provides ample opportunity to think about what I have left undone, what corners I have not yet) examined.

There is much to think about every year and, Mah Nishtana, this year brings its own questions, joys and sadnesses. Perhaps thinking about the symbolism that matzah frames for us – a symbol of our oppression, living in Mitzrayim, and a symbol of freedom, that food that nourished us as we left Mitzrayim – will help us revisit where we have been and where we hope to head towards this coming year.

Wishing everyone much happiness and strength as we prepare ourselves for Pesach.

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

Today I read a notice announcing Pesach and Seder was three weeks away. How can this be, I thought, there is so much to do to get ready!! As always, we find ourselves catching up with our calendar, our Jewish calendars and our secular calendars sometimes colliding with differing demands.

I started to rearrange and tidy my study weeks ago, but now the serious cleaning begins, as I tackle the chametz, working my way into the kitchen those days before Pesach. If anyone wants to talk about details regarding preparing for Pesach, please get in touch with me. This is also just a reminder that you can be in touch about any question you may have. We had a discussion this past Shabbat service regarding the Megillah Esther, a question that emerged after the reading. I am more than happy to meet with you, as I and my schedule can allow.

Wishing everyone happiness and strength as we prepare ourselves for Pesach.

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

I have had the honour of officiating at a number of funerals in these past weeks. In town, up-Island, on Salt Spring Island, the need has been unusual in number. But the emotional need is always present. I am always so grateful for our tradition that consistently provides a bulwark of support through ritual and presence to grieving families.

This week there is another funeral – a notice will be going out once we have established day and time. It is a tremendous mitzvah for us to attend, Nihum avelim, to comfort the mourners, and help make a minyan so we can recite El Malei and the Mourners Kaddish.

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

The first day of Spring is approaching this week. However, in our Jewish calendar we don’t switch from the winter prayer inclusion in the Amidah to the summer inclusion, until the first day of Pesach. There are all manner of inclusions and exclusions found in the fine print in our siddurim. As in life it is important to recognize the importance of these fine print notations!

As we open the Book of Vayikra, of Leviticus, this week, we also notice a variation in the calligraphy in our Torah that is also replicated in our Chumash. In the very first word Vayikra, the final aleph is very small, hanging at the end of the word. Our Rabbis, of course attuned as they are to these variants in the calligraphy, noted that the root of this word is to call. God wanted to call to Moshe specifically and purposefully. Later in Torah the same word is used when God calls to Balaam – minus the tiny aleph. Why the difference?

The Rabbis teach us that this tiny letter is an indication of God’s specific love for Moshe and for the humility Moshe demonstrated throughout his life. Initially Moshe wanted to use the same spelling as when God summoned Balaam, but as a sign of love and affection, God instructed Moshe to dangle the aleph at the end of this word. Similar but different. The aleph then almost becomes a separate word, teaches the Baal HaTurim, a word eleph means to teach as did Moshe Rabbeinu, with humbleness.

We can make ourselves then, into the small print of life, those seemingly minor notations, which can provide insights into how we can share our love for Torah and all it contains, drinking in the Mayim Chayim of life.

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

Last week we read Vayakhel – whose title holds the framework for who we are as Jews, choosing to assemble as Jews – we build a kehal, a kehillah, a community.

We don’t just assemble, we take care of each other; we provide comfort and we share joys. Eilu devarim, one of our opening prayers during Shacharit, morning prayers, lists a number of ways we care for each other, in ways large and small, everyday and special occasions. We are the keepers of our traditions, and even as we assemble and sing and recite Kaddish, we look around the room, and feel gratitude that we are not alone.

Pekudei, our parashah this week is a continuation of previous parshiot, and also a conclusion of the Book of Shemot. Hazak, Hazak, v’nit’hazake, we recite when completing one of our Books. Be strong, be strong, may we all be strengthened. The final paragraph of Pekudei outlines how God’s presence filled the Mishkan, and how the journeys of the people of Israel were predicated on that Presence. When the cloud rested over the Mishkan, they would stay in place, when it lifted, they would continue to travel.

How do we feel that Presence within the Mishkan of our hearts today? How do we feel able to move forward – or rest in place? Do we feel that Presence guiding us as we make the smallest and largest of contributions to each other, to our kehillah?

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

Everyone is welcome to join us for Torah learning on Wednesdays. It helps to have read the parashah, but you are certainly all welcome – come when you can, leave when you have to leave. We have a core group of regulars, but anyone who wants to join our lively discussions is welcome.

I have noticed over my time at Kolot Mayim, that there are a number of congregants who don’t yet have their own tallitot. I am more than happy to meet with you to discuss how you could buy or make your own tallit. It is very customary, even in Reform shuls these days, to put on a tallit if you are present on a Saturday morning for services and Torah reading. I can help you learn the blessing of putting on a tallit, and also help you with learning the berachot, the blessings said before and after the Torah is read. Please call me, and we will set up a time together.

Our minhag, our custom for Shabbat and for an Aliyah is to have your head covered and be wearing a tallit. Let’s talk.

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

Parashat Ki Tissa is a doozy!  It is long and it is packed. We have instructions about a census, further instructions about the Mishkan, we meet the chief artisan, Bezalel, renewed instructions about keeping Shabbat, Moses receives the Two Tablets from God, The Goden Calf, God’s anger, Moses pleading for the people, Moses descends from Sinai – sees the people dancing around the Golden Calf and he gets so angry he smashes the tablets, he returns to ask God what to do with these people, Moses pleads to see God, limits are set as to what Moses can actually see, God then tells Moses to carve two replacement tablets, God reveals God’s Thirteen Attributes, God issues further commands and renews the covenant, and then we read, finally about the radiance of Moses’ face – radiant from proximity with God.More

Many members from Kolot Mayim joined with other Jews and Christian allies in a peaceful rally on the grounds of the Legislature. “A breath of fresh air,” many noted. It is important to remember that we do have allies in communities beyond our own, especially with rising degrees of hatred directed at our own Jewish communities. We need to take heart from the very stalwart friendships that surround us all. These friendships offer light to us all.

Tetzaveh opens with a command to make a ner tamid – a light that will illuminate us for all time. An eternal decree for all generations – to bring light into the world. This is a command that we can hear in many ways – but we can certainly hear it with hope in our hearts today. We have a ner tamid on our Aron haKodesh, but we can also light ourselves from within. In prayer, in song, in learning, in sharing a meal – all these aspects of Jewish life bring light.

What can you do, what can I do, this week to illuminate the world?

With love,
Rabbi Lynn

You may have noticed that Aaron and I will be sponsoring our oneg this coming Friday evening. Mishpatim is a very special parashah for us both, but particularly for me, as it is my conversion parashah. Interestingly, Mishpatim is also the first parashah where we learn many of the ‘civil’ mitzvot after standing at Sinai. We learn what we are to do and what we are not to do as Jews.More