Dear Kol Rinah Family,
Shabbat Shalom and good morning! We have a lot of wonderful things coming up at Kol Rinah, and I am excited to share them with you and get ready for Shabbat together.
Tonight, Kol HaNefesh service, a Contemplative, A Capella Kabbalat Shabbat experience led by Rabbi Noah Arnow beginning upstairs in the chapel at 6:00 pm. Candle lighting is at 4:41pm.
Tomorrow morning, services will be at 9:00 am in the lower auditorium. Rabbi Arnow will be leading Torah Talk at 10:10 am. We will also be having Tot Shabbat in the Sara Myers Community Room and Junior Torah Talk in the Auditorium, both starting at 10:45 am.
During our service on Shabbat morning, we are honored to welcome Rabbi Jessica Shafrin who will be giving a sermon to mark her completion of the Daf Yomi cycle. As many of you may have heard, thousands of people around the world engage in a process of learning one double-sided page of Talmud every day until they complete the entire collection, which takes about seven and a half years! We are excited to hear from Rabbi Jessica Shafrin and to honor her accomplishments.
Mincha Saturday afternoon will be at 3:40 pm and Shabbat ends at 5:45 pm.
As our new home at Maryland Avenue draws closer to completion, we encourage you to schedule a tour and check out the new building. Tours are typically conducted on weekdays and Sundays in the mid-afternoon (2:00-3:00 pm). Please email nancy@kolrinahstl.org to schedule your tour.
Finally, starting January 21, we have the opportunity to vote in the World Zionist Congress Elections. Here’s a little more information: Vote in the World Zionist Congress Election - Beginning in January, you, along with millions of other American Jews, will have the opportunity to Vote for Your Voice in Israel. From January 21 through March 11, 2020, American Jews can vote online in the election for the 38th World Zionist Congress and impact the Jewish future in Israel and around the world. Click HERE to learn more.
And now, for a little Torah...
One focal point in Parashat Vayechi is the death of Jacob/Israel and the "blessings" he gives to his sons. Many of these sound less like words of encouragement and more like tirades against their personalities. Often, people will read through the words Jacob shares with his sons and are shocked by the bluntness of some of his statements.
Several commentators, however, note that Jacob seems to be casting each of the sons most dominant characteristic in a negative light. It is as if he is reminding each child that their greatest strengths, when not properly utilized, can become crippling weaknesses. For each of his children, Jacob, with his dying breaths, warned them to be temperate in their actions and behaviors and to always hear his voice in their heads pushing them to be their best selves, to avoid habit and thoughtless actions, and to make an honest effort to be their best selves in the world.
All of us have natural personality traits that we tend toward, and none of them are inherently good or bad. Being bold and courageous is laudable, until it compels you to rush in head-first without thinking about the consequences. Likewise, being cautious can keep you safe and help you make good choices, but taken to an extreme, it can paralyze you and prevent you from fully engaging in your life. Much like Jacob's children, however, I hope we can each have the voice of someone we love, or our own inner voice, reminding us to be our best selves in the world each and every day.
Shabbat shalom and see you in shul,
Rabbi Scott Shafrin
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