Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Arnow 8/14/2020
Dear Kol Rinah Family,
Where, when and how have you encountered God's presence this week?
Your instinctive response might be, "Uhhhh..." Mine too.
But I think I can do better this week. (And you probably could too.)
I just finished teaching Torah Talk, our weekly class on the Torah portion, and we looked at some non-literal interpretations of a verse (Dt. 12:5) telling the Israelites (depending on the translation) to seek out the place where God dwells.
Maybe that means the place where the Temple will be built (i.e.Jerusalem/the Temple Mount), or Shiloh, where the precursor to the first Temple was built in the book of Joshua.
One thoughtful suggestion (from Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin aka Oznaim LaTorah, who lived in Eastern Europe and then Israel from 1881-1966) is that Shiloh was the place where Abraham pitched his tent after God first spoke to him, and that's where Abraham first taught "Torah," that is to say, taught about the oneness of God. And so the Israelites, upon returning from Egypt and the wilderness, are to seek out perhaps the first place that their ancestor worshipped God--a kind of spiritual, familial, historic pilgrimage and return to roots.
We each have pilgrimages we could make to important places in our or our family's history--an old home or former place of business, a vacation spot, a cemetery. Where might you go, if you could?
A chasidic rebbe, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter of Ger, known as the Sefat Emet, suggests that we should seek God's dwelling place on three axes or dimensions--in space, time and soul. Seeking God's dwelling place in space could mean, again, Jerusalem, or a maybe a synagogue building. But what does it mean to seek God's dwelling place in space when the physical spaces where we find God are closed, as they are now?
Seeking God's dwelling place in time could be Shabbat--but what does it mean to find God in Shabbat if we can't celebrate and observe Shabbat in the ways that we had before, communally, in shul?
And seeking God's dwelling place in our soul? That, I think, is related to this chasidic/kabbalistic/mystical notion that we have a divine spark in our innermost self/soul, if only we can see it, remember it and nurture it.
I found God's dwelling place on Zoom today, studying Torah with some of you. Join us next week. Maybe God will too.
Shabbat (God's dwelling place in time) begins tonight with candle lighting at 7:38pm and ends Saturday night at 8:36pm. We'll have mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat tonight at 6pm. (All the links are at the bottom of the email.)
Sunday at 11:30am, Dr. Wendy Love Anderson will teach on the advances and disadvantages of charitable giving done from a distance.
Beginning next Friday night (8/21), the Kol Rinah Brotherhood will be hosting a pre-Kabbalat Shabbat L'Chaim at 5:30pm in the same Zoom room (same link) as mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat. Join us for conversation and connection. BYOB.
Finally, an important note from JFS:
JFS is here for you! Did you know…?
- JFS can help you with your rent and mortgage payments, and utility, medicine and medical bills. Call Pat at 314-513-1678 or 314-993-1000 for confidential assistance.
- JFS delivers free, healthy and nutritious foods to your door at no cost to you. We provide fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as canned prepared foods for your convenience. Call Lori at 314-812-9300 or 314-993-1000 for more information.
- JFS has a variety of qualified counselors who are available to talk about anything that is on your mind. If we can’t provide what you are looking for, we know who can. Call Rochelle at 314-993-1000 for more information.
- JFS follows strict confidentiality guidelines. Whether you are calling about financial assistance, food support, counseling or community referrals, your conversation stays between you and the person you speak with at JFS. For your health and safety during the COVID pandemic, we utilize the telephone and Zoom for Healthcare for all conversations.
Shabbat shalom and see you on Zoom,
Rabbi Noah Arnow
Where, when and how have you encountered God's presence this week?
Your instinctive response might be, "Uhhhh..." Mine too.
But I think I can do better this week. (And you probably could too.)
I just finished teaching Torah Talk, our weekly class on the Torah portion, and we looked at some non-literal interpretations of a verse (Dt. 12:5) telling the Israelites (depending on the translation) to seek out the place where God dwells.
Maybe that means the place where the Temple will be built (i.e.Jerusalem/the Temple Mount), or Shiloh, where the precursor to the first Temple was built in the book of Joshua.
One thoughtful suggestion (from Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin aka Oznaim LaTorah, who lived in Eastern Europe and then Israel from 1881-1966) is that Shiloh was the place where Abraham pitched his tent after God first spoke to him, and that's where Abraham first taught "Torah," that is to say, taught about the oneness of God. And so the Israelites, upon returning from Egypt and the wilderness, are to seek out perhaps the first place that their ancestor worshipped God--a kind of spiritual, familial, historic pilgrimage and return to roots.
We each have pilgrimages we could make to important places in our or our family's history--an old home or former place of business, a vacation spot, a cemetery. Where might you go, if you could?
A chasidic rebbe, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter of Ger, known as the Sefat Emet, suggests that we should seek God's dwelling place on three axes or dimensions--in space, time and soul. Seeking God's dwelling place in space could mean, again, Jerusalem, or a maybe a synagogue building. But what does it mean to seek God's dwelling place in space when the physical spaces where we find God are closed, as they are now?
Seeking God's dwelling place in time could be Shabbat--but what does it mean to find God in Shabbat if we can't celebrate and observe Shabbat in the ways that we had before, communally, in shul?
And seeking God's dwelling place in our soul? That, I think, is related to this chasidic/kabbalistic/mystical notion that we have a divine spark in our innermost self/soul, if only we can see it, remember it and nurture it.
I found God's dwelling place on Zoom today, studying Torah with some of you. Join us next week. Maybe God will too.
Shabbat (God's dwelling place in time) begins tonight with candle lighting at 7:38pm and ends Saturday night at 8:36pm. We'll have mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat tonight at 6pm. (All the links are at the bottom of the email.)
Sunday at 11:30am, Dr. Wendy Love Anderson will teach on the advances and disadvantages of charitable giving done from a distance.
Beginning next Friday night (8/21), the Kol Rinah Brotherhood will be hosting a pre-Kabbalat Shabbat L'Chaim at 5:30pm in the same Zoom room (same link) as mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat. Join us for conversation and connection. BYOB.
Finally, an important note from JFS:
JFS is here for you! Did you know…?
- JFS can help you with your rent and mortgage payments, and utility, medicine and medical bills. Call Pat at 314-513-1678 or 314-993-1000 for confidential assistance.
- JFS delivers free, healthy and nutritious foods to your door at no cost to you. We provide fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as canned prepared foods for your convenience. Call Lori at 314-812-9300 or 314-993-1000 for more information.
- JFS has a variety of qualified counselors who are available to talk about anything that is on your mind. If we can’t provide what you are looking for, we know who can. Call Rochelle at 314-993-1000 for more information.
- JFS follows strict confidentiality guidelines. Whether you are calling about financial assistance, food support, counseling or community referrals, your conversation stays between you and the person you speak with at JFS. For your health and safety during the COVID pandemic, we utilize the telephone and Zoom for Healthcare for all conversations.
Shabbat shalom and see you on Zoom,
Rabbi Noah Arnow
Sat, April 20 2024
12 Nisan 5784
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Sat, April 20 2024 12 Nisan 5784