Dear Friends,
As we celebrate Simchat Torah, we are blessed to have the opportunity to complete the reading of the Torah and begin the cycle of reading the Torah again. What a wonderful concept…learning is never completed and there are always new insights which we can obtain through our ongoing commitment to Torah learning. I am always inspired by the end of the final section of the Torah which concludes with the word “Yisrael” or Israel from the book of Deuteronomy and the first word of the beginning of the Torah from the book of Genesis which is “B’raysheet” which is usually translated as “in the beginning.” The last letter of Yisrael and the first letter of B’raysheet spell the Hebrew word, “lev” which means heart. I believe that it takes a lot of heart to be Jewish and to commit to a life where Jewish learning is an important priority and I also think that among the most important aspects of being Jewish is to have a heart.
We have completed a very intense Holiday season that encourages us to forgive others, seek forgiveness, and turn to our best selves and begin again. This process is not easy and requires a great deal of effort. When we complete the reading of the Torah(or any of the five books of Moses which are found in the Torah), we say “hazak, hazak, v’nithazeik” which translates as “may we be strong and strengthen each other.” I believe that a measure of our strength is our commitment to helping each other to be stronger and face whatever challenges life presents us by being there to care for and support the members of our community. In this new year, I look forward to many opportunities for us to come together and strengthen, not only each other, but the members of our community who are less fortunate than we are. One of the teachings of the Ethics of our Ancestors(Pirke Avot) says that the world stands on three things, Torah, worship, and deeds of loving-kindness. May 5771 be a year in which we all turn our hearts to study, prayer, and making a difference through the deeds we perform.
B’shalom,
Rabbi Bruce Aft