Tetzaveh
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
Ki Tissa
February 25, 2024 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk
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