I Miss This—A Blessing
Author | |
Date Added | |
Automatically create summary | |
Summary |
I Miss This—A Blessing
Parshat B'ha'alothka, 5780
Saturday, June 13, 2020
פרשת בהעלתך, תש״פ
Parshat B'ha'alotkha, 5780
by Rabbi Sydni
Saturday, June 13th, 2020
I Miss This - A Blessing
I miss this moment in the service…
Va-y'hi binsoa ha-aron, vayomer Moshe...
And the bittersweet moment after the Torah reading, when as we put the Torah away we mumble…
Uvnuho yomar, shuvah Adonai riv'vot alfei Yisrael.
That beginning moment works as a moment of power in numbers. We are enough of a community that we can take out this Torah and bask in its wisdom. And at the end of the service, we’ve had our fill; we’ve felt the comfort of hearing the words of our tradition and knowing they are ours.
Based on commentary from rabbis of old, along with my own reading of Numbers 10:35-36 , I’d like to share a reflection and a blessing for this community.
Va-y'hi binsoa ha-aron
And when the ark travels…
When the ark opens, we know what to do. We stand with respect. We kiss with love.
We go through the motions not just for motions’ sake but because that ark represents our identity.
The Torah inside is the Torah of our ancestors, the Torah we stand by, the Torah of those who will come after us.
Vayomer Moshe, kumah Adonai v'yafutzu oyvekha v'yanusu m'sanekha mipanekha!
And Moses says, “Rise up, Adonai, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee from before you!”
When we hold the Torah, we feel physical prowess, weight, the ability to do anything at all.
The Torah is our sword and our shield against those who fling insults and violence against us, against all we know to be true
As the Torah is read, we settle back in our seats and learn how to defend and attack and share our truth, share our confidence in who we are, what we believe.
We tap into Torah, we see our image in the face of the Almighty. We become almighty.
Uvnuho yomar, shuvah Adonai riv'vot alfei Yisrael.
And when it rested, he said: Return, Adonai, unto the families of the thousands of Israel
The Torah travels back to the ark
Children rush into the room to say goodbye
To prove that in just a few years, they’ll carry the weight
Shuvah - return
We return to the outside world more knowing than before
Shuvah - rest
We sit back in our seats conscious of the support of our God, our community, our traditions
God rests among us, sighing with relief at the love and honor we carry
May we return to this room when the time is right, wielding the Torah we’ve learned while absent from this room.
May we return to surprise and delight at that chorus, sometimes that cacophony of voices we’ve missed so dearly
May we take this time to rest from this space and discover the Torah present elsewhere.
May we hold onto those discoveries to share with our רבבות, our congregational family, in time to come.
Tue, October 8 2024
6 Tishrei 5785
Rabbi's Sermons
Bereshit - Genesis
- Parshat Bereshit: Oct. 26, 2019, October 1, 2021, October 2, 2021
- Parshat Noah: Nov. 2, 2019, October 8, 2021, Oct. 29, 2022
- Parshat Lekh-L'kha: Nov. 9, 2019, Oct. 31, 2020, Oct. 31, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 15, 2021
- Parshat Vayeira: Nov. 16, 2019, Nov. 7, 2020, Nov. 7, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 22, 2021, Oct. 23, 2021
- Parshat Hayei Sara: Nov. 14, 2020, Oct. 30, 2021
- Parshat Toldot: Nov. 30, 2019, Nov. 21, 2020, Nov. 6, 2021
- Parshat Vayeitzei: Nov. 28, 2020, Nov. 13, 2021
- Parshat Vayishlah: Dec. 14, 2019 , Dec. 5, 2020, November 20, 2021
- Parshat Vayeisheiv: Dec. 12, 2020, Nov. 27, 2021
- Parshat Miketz: Dec. 4, 2021
- Parshat Vayigash: Jan. 4, 2020, Dec. 26, 2020, Dec. 11, 2021
- Parshat Vay'hi: Jan. 11, 2020, Jan. 2, 2021
Shemot-Exodus
- Parshat Sh'mot: Jan. 18, 2020, Jan. 18, 2020 - Part 2, Jan. 9, 2021
- Parshat Va'eira: Jan. 25, 2021
- Parshat Bo: Feb. 1, 2020, Jan. 23, 2021
- Parshat B'shalah: Jan. 30, 2021, Jan. 15, 2022, Feb. 3, 2023, Feb.4, 2023
- Parshat Yitro: Feb. 15, 2020, Feb. 6, 2021, Feb. 6, 2021, Feb. 21, 2022, Feb. 22, 2022
- Parshat Mishpatim: Feb. 22, 2020, Feb. 18, 2023
- Parshat T'rumah: Feb. 29, 2020, Feb. 29, 2020 - Part 2, Feb. 20, 2021, Feb. 4, 2022, Feb. 5, 2022, Feb. 25, 2023
- Parshat T'tzaveh: March 7, 2020, Feb. 27, 2021, Feb. 12, 2022, Feb. 11, 2022
- Parshat Ki Tisa: March 14, 2020, March 6, 2021, February 19, 2022
- Parshot Vayak'heil-P'kudei: March 21, 2020, March 13, 2021, February 26, 2022, March 18, 2023
Vayikra-Leviticus
- Parshat Vayikra: March 20, 2021, March 11, 2022, March 24, 2023, March 25, 2023
- Parshat Tzav: April 4, 2020, March 27, 2021, March 19, 2022
- Parshat Sh'mini: April 18, 2020
- Parshot Tazria-Metzora: April 25, 2020, April 17, 2021, April 2, 2022, April 20, 2024
- Parshot Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: May 2, 2020, April 24, 2021, May 7, 2022, May 3, 2024, May 10, 2024
- Emor: May 9, 2020, May 1, 2021, May 13, 2022, May 14, 2022, May 6, 2023
- Parshot B'har-B'hukotai: May 8, 2019, May 16, 2020, May 7, 2021, May 21, 2022, May 28, 2022, May 24, 2024, May 31, 2024
Bamidbar-Numbers
- Parshat Bamidbar: May 15, 2021, May 20, 2023, June 7, 2024
- Parshat Nasso: June 6, 2020, June 6, 2020 - Part 2, May 22, 2021, June 10, 2022, June 2, 2023, June 14, 2024
- Parshat B'ha'alotcha: June 13, 2020, June 13, 2020 - Part 2, June 9, 2023, June 10, 2023, June 21, 2024
- Parshat Sh'lach: June 20, 2020, June 20, 2020 - Part 2, June 5, 2021, June 28, 2024
- Parshat Korah: June 27, 2020, July 18, 2020, July 24, 2023, July 5, 2024
- Parshot Chukat-Balak: June 26, 2021, July 12, 2024, July 19, 2024
- Parshat Pinchas: July 11, 2020, July 11, 2020 - Part 2, July 2, 2021, July 3, 2021, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2022, July 26, 2024
- Parshot Matot-Masei: July 18, 2020, July 18, 2020 - Part 2, July 10, 2021, July 30, 2022, August 2, 2024
D'varim-Deuteronomy
- Parshat D'varim: July 25, 2020, July 25, 2020 - Part 2, July 17, 2021, August 6, 2022, August 9, 2024
- Parshat Va'et'hanan: Aug. 1, 2020, July 24, 2021, August 12, 2022, August 13, 2022, Aug. 16, 2024
- Parshat Eikev: Aug. 8, 2020, July 31, 2021, August 19, 2022, August 20, 2022
- Parshat Re'eh: August 7, 2021, August 30, 2024
- Parshat Shoftim: September 7, 2019, Aug. 22, 2020, August 14, 2021, August 14, 2021 - Part 2, September 3, 2022, September 6, 2024
- Parshat Ki Teitzei: Aug. 29, 2020, August 20, 2021, September 13, 2024
- Parshat Ki Tavo: Sept. 5, 2020, Sept. 5, 2020 - Part 2, August 28, 2021, Sept. 17, 2022, Sept. 20, 2024
- Parshot Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Sept. 11, 2021, September 24, 2022, Sept. 27,2024
- Parshat Ha'Azinu: Sept. 26, 2020, October 4, 2024
- Parshat Haberakhah
Rosh HaShanah: Sept. 19, 2020, Sept. 19, 2020 - Part 2, Sept. 19, 2020 - Part 3, Sept. 20, 2020, Sept. 7, 2021, Sept. 8, 2021, Sept. 9, 2021, Sept. 26, 2022
Yom Kippur: Sept. 28, 2020, Sept. 16, 2021, October 5, 2022
Sukkot: Oct. 3, 2020 , Sept. 20, 2021
Passover: April 3, 2021, April 23, 2022, April 7, 2023, April 12, 2023 April 27, 2024
Rosh Hodesh: April 22, 2023
Friday Night
Kol Nidre Service : 6:20pm |
Candle Lighting : 6:28pm |
: 7:30pm |
Shabbat Day
Yom Kippur : 9:00am |
: 1:30pm |
Evening Service : 5:00pm |
Havdalah : 7:35pm |
Upcoming Programs & Events
Oct 11 Kol Nidre Service Friday, Oct 11 6:20pm |
Oct 12 Yom Kippur Shabbat, Oct 12 9:00am |
Oct 12 Evening Service Shabbat, Oct 12 5:00pm |
Oct 13 Sukkot Preperation-setup. Decorating starts at 11 Sunday, Oct 13 10:00am |
Oct 16 Erev Sukkot Service Wednesday, Oct 16 7:00pm |
Candle Lighting
Friday, Oct 11, 6:28pm |
Havdalah
Motzei Shabbat, Oct 12, 7:35pm |
Erev Yom Kippur
Friday, Oct 11 |