Join Rabbi Carp for a Zoom Renewal Shabbat Service on 9/12.
Shalom Chaverim,
Fall is in the air. And some days that is exactly how my soul feels- like I am in a free fall. With Teshuvah, returning, as the recurring theme of the New Year; this years invitation to return is truly an act of strength and faith. What am I being asked to return to? Or perhaps I have items in my life that I must return to others? Perhaps some of those items are physical, and perhaps others are spiritual burdens that I took on, although they never really belonged to me from the start. This year, more than ever I am standing in the moment. I want to take the next step and I find myself questioning the value of almost every action. At first I find myself annoyed by this constant questioning, and then I realize the value of the answers. This year more than ever I am taking care of myself first! I find that exhilarating and the energy of that exhilaration feeds me. I am accomplishing so much and that is because I am focusing on me, which then gives me the energy to focus on my family, which directs me to reach out to neighbors and beyond.
Our portion this week begins with the words "You are all standing this day before HaVaYa, before the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, and every one the tribe... so you may make a covenant, an oath."
We have to start with ourselves before reaching out to others. If I am finding the world to be on edge and angry, I have learned that first I need to look inward. Because our social life is so very different- to say the least- I find that it takes more effort on my part to hear others, and therefore it is harder to be heard.
This weeks double parshah, Netzavim and Vayelech, invites us to reconnect with ourselves and with the world around us. At a class I was taking online this week we talked about community and I was reminded of the the ways in which we are taught to give Tzedakah. We are taught to be sure to take care of yourself and your household needs, then we are taught to reach out to our spiritual community, our schul, and from there we can give to our neighbors and then we can give to those outside of our community.
I bring up Tzedakah, not just in terms of cash gifts, but also as a reminder of the rabbinic suggestions on how to make a community strong. We start with self, and spread out to family, neighbors and then the world. With this formula we all come out strong.
I look forward to spending Shabbat with you.