From the Rabbi’s Desk

As I write this on Sunday afternoon, I am imagining hearing the shofar blown across the world. Today is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the first day of Elul, a new moon, and very special as it is also Rosh Hashanah L’Ma’sar Behemah (Hebrew: ראש השנה למעשר בהמה‎ “New Year for Tithing Animals”) or Rosh Hashanah LaBehemot (Hebrew: ראש השנה לבהמות‎ “New Year for (Domesticated) Animals”.

Rosh Chodesh Elul is one of the four New Year’s day festivals and while the Beit Ha Mikdash, the Temple stood, it was the day when shepherds would figure out which of their animals had reached maturity and could then be tithed.

Today, we begin to blow a shofar in the morning (except for Shabbat). We are calling in our awareness of this special preparation before we celebrate the New Year of Years – Rosh HaShanah. What to do if we don’t have a shofar?

There are a number of videos available that you could listen to. Here is one option:

https://www.google.com/search?q=shofar+blowing+elul&rlz=1C1RXQR_enCA1078CA1078&oq=shofar+blowing+elul&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDQxNTRqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:306227fb,vid:C4P5GqzK5zA,st:0

We had a truly joyful Kabbalat Shabbat this past Friday evening, with ruach extraordinaire as new members Jenny Pakman and Tsofit Dori played music and led the service. We are looking forward to their participation during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, along with Rabbi Lynn.

Much love,
Rabbi Lynn

This week is a week where we are commanded to Re’eh, רְאֵה‎, to See. See can mean a visual command, it can also indicate a question; do you understand? But which ‘you’ is the question.

Let’s look at the first verse: “See, I present before you today, a blessing and a curse.” This is such a thought-provoking verse, but its implications are perhaps not as clear in English as they are in Hebrew.More

I look forward to these weeks (as we steadily approach the Yomtovim) with a mixture of dread and enormous loving gratitude. Yes, I am all too aware of what an odd combination these emotions reveal.

Right on cue, a rabbi I correspond with, spoke about meeting other Rabbonim at a conference recently, and the conversation amongst them – as it is every year – was what will be the theme(s) of your drashot this year. A wryly noted obsession for us all at this time of year.More

Va’etchanan is the second parashah in Devarim – where we re-visit the Aseret Dibrot and the Shema – words to live by. I spoke last Shabbat about word – all the many words of our canon and all the words in our subsequent writings. This week we learn to listen, to make time for inner quietude, to listen from our deepest core.

Millenia before therapists were counselling active listening, God gave us this very simple six-word statement.

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד

Sh’ma Yisra’eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.
Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

How do we hear these words today? Come to shul on Friday evening. Mark Pressler is going to speak about these words that he deeply loves. Let’s listen.

I will be at work this coming week and then I am on leave for the month of July, although available in case of emergency, as needed.

This past Shabbat was extraordinary – our shul was full to the brim with friends and family as Morris Bleviss and Maurice Yacowar and Neomi Summers celebrated their 83^rd year with reading and words of Torah, and da’avening. I heard many gracious words from our guests as they expressed their pleasure at being included in our service. That morning was also a first for our hard-working Marilyn Wolovick who read from Torah for the first time. A morning of tremendous blessing.

Thank you to Janna and her friends who helped prepare for this day, in all manner of ways, and to our entire Kolot Mayim family – as Maurice pointed out, you make our group of individuals cohere into a kehillah.

 Wishing everyone well, during these coming days,
Rabbi Lynn

I can only hope and pray and take care of myself to the degree necessary, that I will be as robust and active at 83, as I am at 73. Morris, Maurice and Neomi are all examples of elders in our midst, who contribute to the liveliness that is Kolot Mayim. Kol haKavod to each of you, todah rabbah for all you give to us.

A shul exists to serve: we are there to share times of joy and times of grief, times of lonely questioning, and times of celebration, of simcha. A shul is Kohelet in action. We all know unaffiliated Jews, Jews who have chosen to not join a shul – for all manner of reasons.

I hope we see an increase of those Jews – and you – choosing to affiliate with Kolot Mayim and with other shuls, particularly during these days when our very existence is under attack. We need each other, we need to know each other.

It is time to reach out and reach in. If you know someone who has been thinking about joining a shul, I am more than happy to meet with them.

Wishing everyone well, during these eventful days,
Rabbi Lynn

Gratitude:  A word or two of gratitude for all those in the background of Kolot Mayim and our larger Jewish community. On Friday I officiated at a levayah for Mr. Ron Aron, z”l. People had come together to arrange for his grave to be prepared, Chevra Kadisha members gathered, our funeral home, Sands, juggled appointment and commitments to allow everything to happen in a timely way. People came to the levayah to ensure we had a minyan, others offered to be a pallbearer – all for a man they didn’t know. As we do. I am so grateful to all of you, as is the family. Thank you all, very much.

We now have the blessings of warmer weather, the summer green markets are full of abundant local vegetables and berries, and sharing meals outside.

The beauty and bounty of our natural surroundings is often commented upon in our Torah. This week we read again of the people Israel remembering the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic they had left behind in Egypt. Sounds like my basic shopping list!More

This has been a very busy few weeks, involving for me, unaccustomed travel. Two weddings, one in Vancouver, and two funerals in Calgary. Such is the circle of life. My apologies to those I have not seen in my usual regular schedule as three of these events have taken me out of town.

Naso is a parashah some of whose words are often repeated weekly by parents as they bless their children – or as they might have the blessing to receive from their own parents. What we more commonly may know as Birkat haKohanim, the Blessing of the Kohanim, or the Priestly Blessing s also recited on Shabbat. The text to be used for the blessing is specified in Numbers 6:22–27:

“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: In this way you shall bless the children of Israel; you shall say to them:

“May the LORD bless you, and keep you;

May the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

May the LORD lift up His face to you, and give you peace.”

With these words our Kohanim may bless us, our parents may bless us, we continue that chain of blessing.

Gratitude: I am so grateful to the volunteers of the Chevra Kadisha in Calgary for caring for the body and souls of those we have loved. To know this mitzvah is available enables us to all share a different chain of connection, one of deep trust, of kavod, honour and of love.

Wishing all long life, healthy life, a good life,
With deep love,
Rabbi Lynn

The roses are blooming, weddings are being planned, Shavuot is here! What a wonderful time of year. I am flower-sitting pots of flowers for a few weeks, and every time I walk by their colourful cheerfulness, I am warmed by their beauty. I am also grateful for Carolyn Canny entrusting them to my not-so-green thumb. By the time you read this note, Carolyn will be settled into her new home in Calgary. We are also grateful for FaceTime, which will enable us to stay in touch.More

We are making plans with members of Kolot Mayim to ensure all services and events will run smoothly in my absence during July, when I will be on holiday. Members are stepping up in all manner of ways, and I know everything will run smoothly. If needs be, I can be contacted, but otherwise we have good hands taking care of matters. I will be providing information regarding contacts later in June, if people have questions about membership, services, etc.More