B'reishit 5782 - No Hiding From God
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Saturday, October 2, 2021
We’ve all been there. We’ve gossiped about someone behind their back or walked past a lost dog without pausing to find the owner. When we are behind closed doors or when no one else is present, we often don’t feel the weight of our actions, or even our negligence. But intellectually, we know that that gossip is bound to make it back to its subject and to hurt them and their family. We know that a child may be missing a vital source of love and comfort. Even when no other people are present, we cannot hide from our actions. God is always present, and we cannot hide from God.
In Parashat B’reishit, humanity learns about that impossibility. Adam and Eve attempt to hide from God in a tree, and Cain attempts to hide his murdered brother Abel from God. Neither Adam and Eve nor Cain are successful; God knows Adam and Eve are in the tree, and God knows that Cain has killed his brother. So too, God knows what we’ve been up to; all of our actions, even those performed secretly or behind closed doors, bear consequences.
Time and time again, in this space, we have spoken about Judaism extending beyond these walls. When we leave this synagogue, we are still just as obligated to not to eat crawfish and not to work on Shabbat; we are even still just as obligated not to speak ill of our peers, even the annoying ones! What would it mean, then, for us to take the lessons of Adam, Eve, and Cain into heart and recognize that God is always present, whether we like it or not?
The thought of God’s everlasting presence may seem like too much pressure at times, but that presence can also offer comfort and inspiration. When we perform mitzvot that no one else will see, we can still know that we will be acknowledged for our act of good, whether in the consequences that play out for ourselves or someone else. An anonymous donation will contribute just as much as a donation made in a specific name. A mezuzah placed on your upstairs bedroom door will remind you just as much of the presence of God as the mezuzah placed on your front door. And lighting a Shabbat or Havdalah candle, even when you’re home alone, marks time just as well as lighting with a group. When we practice alone, we give ourselves space to experiment with mitzvot with which we are not yet comfortable or to remind ourselves of attention to God outside of the distractions of the rest of the world.
Sometimes, however, that notion that God is watching is not enough to remind us to act. When we know we will err if not for another human presence, we can call on those we love to be present in our times of need. We can remind those we love of our efforts not to order that ham and cheese sandwich, not to speak ill of that coworker, or to avoid purchasing foods wrapped in plastic. So too, we can ask a friend or a partner to practice the good together - to the homeless in a neighborhood that might otherwise feel uncomfortable or to pray together daily over Zoom. We know that when a tree falls in the woods and no person is present to hear, it still makes a sound, it still affects its surrounding ecosystem, and it still garners the attention of God.
Psalm 121 both terrifies and comforts, with its words:
הִנֵּה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל: ה׳ יִשׁמוֹר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד–עוֹלָם:
Behold - God will not slumber nor sleep - the Guardian of Israel! Adonai will guard your coming and your going from now until forever. As a personal God, God gives us the tools to choose the good at every moment, encouraging and comforting us when necessary, but also, providing us with pangs of guilt when necessary. As our universal Creator, God has established a world in which every single one of our actions has consequences, whether or not those actions are seen or heard by anyone else. Each step we take affects the steps we will take tomorrow and the next day, and ultimately, affects the people whom we will encounter on those days. From our time in this synagogue space, in Jewish study, and out in the world, we know how and why to pursue the good. May the constant interplay of comfort and pressure we receive from God’s watchful eye inspire us to follow our better instincts, and when that’s not enough, may we know whom to call for support and healthy rebuke. Shabbat Shalom.
Thu, December 5 2024
4 Kislev 5785
Rabbi's Sermons
Bereshit - Genesis
- Parshat Bereshit: Oct. 26, 2019, October 1, 2021, October 2, 2021, October 25, 2024
- Parshat Noah: Nov. 2, 2019, October 8, 2021, Oct. 29, 2022, Nov. 1, 2024
- Parshat Lekh-L'kha: Nov. 9, 2019, Oct. 31, 2020, Oct. 31, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 15, 2021, Nov. 8, 2024
- Parshat Vayeira: Nov. 16, 2019, Nov. 7, 2020, Nov. 7, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 22, 2021, Oct. 23, 2021, Nov.15, 2024
- Parshat Hayei Sara: Nov. 14, 2020, Oct. 30, 2021, Nov. 22, 2024
- 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, Oct 2, 2024
Yom Kippur: Sept. 28, 2020, Sept. 16, 2021, October 5, 2022
Sukkot: Oct. 3, 2020 , Sept. 20, 2021, Oct. 16,2024, Oct. 18, 2024
Passover: April 3, 2021, April 23, 2022, April 7, 2023, April 12, 2023 April 27, 2024
Rosh Hodesh: April 22, 2023
Friday Night
Candle Lighting : 4:51pm |
: 7:30pm |
Shabbat Day
: 10:00am |
: 1:30pm |
Havdalah : 5:59pm |
Board Games : 6:00pm |
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This week's Torah portion is Parshat Vayetzei
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