Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Shabbat Nitzaveem
Torah: Deuteronomy 29:9 – 30:20 Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10 - 63:9
“To Life”
Dear Friends,
In a few days, our congregation’s ‘annual convention’ the High Holidays will begin. We will gather for prayer, reflection, and repentance. We will also gather to build community, renew relationships, and participate in the life of our congregation. This is exactly what Moses is telling the Children of Israel to do in this week’s Torah portion. As we approach the end of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is preparing the Israelites to unite as one community and follow the Jewish tradition. He encourages them to enter into a covenant with God and follow God’s ways. He tells them not to worship idols, only the one God of all time and space. He tells them that understanding and following the ways of the Torah are not too difficult and not foreign. The Torah is within our hearts, minds, and souls. Finally Moses tells the Children of Israel to ‘Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.’ We Jews celebrate life. That’s why we toast on a glass of drink with the expression, “L’chayim – to life.”
As we enter the High Holidays, take to heart Moses charge. Let’s continue to build our holy Shir Hadash family as a place of prayer, reflection, repentance, community, relationship, and participation – a place of covenant, Torah, and life!
Dawn joins me in sending you and your families our fondest wishes for a Shanah Tovah – a good year, a healthy year, a happy year, a prosperous year and a year of life!
Shabbat Shalom,
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