Rabbi's Message

This morning at Kellman Brown Academy, the first grade students celebrated their Hag HaSiddur (a ceremony in which they received their first prayerbook).  I watched with pride and tears of joy as my twins, Meyer and Gavi, along with their classmates, spoke in Hebrew, sang songs, danced, and led numerous tefillot (prayers).  One of the songs they sang focused on verse we recite during Hallel: 

הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם, לַיהוָה; וְהָאָרֶץ, נָתַן לִבְנֵי-אָדָם --- The Heavens belong to God, but the Earth He gave to human beings, (Psalm 115:16).

The verse implies that it is our responsibility to be guardians and caretakers of the Earth. Even more, I think it also offers a sense of hope. Through our care for the Earth and for one another, we strive every day to connect heaven and Earth.  We do our part by reaching out horizontally, extending our hand to others in support and love.  In doing so, we also extend our hand vertically.  We reach up and God reaches down, and we work to bring God into our lives, as we strive to better connect Heaven and Earth.

This to me seems the true purpose of the mishkan, the temporary dwelling place for God, that we read about the Israelites building in this week’s double portion of  Vayakehl-Pekudei.  By building a home for God on Earth, a home in which all of the community worked together and gave out of the goodness of their hearts to build, the Israelites created a bridge that brought Heaven to Earth and Earth to Heaven (in much the same way the KBA first graders did through their songs and prayers this morning).

Our sacred task is to reach both out and up. Now that’s an impressive lesson to learn from the Torah, let alone a group of wonderful first graders!

Reaching out to wish you a Shabbat Shalom.