This has been a challenging few days. Between the murders in Washington, DC and the fire throwing horror in Boulder, CO, so many of our community have been left with feelings that we never thought we would feel. These feelings of unrest, fear and angst were present in every class and conversation in these last few days. Indeed, we will focus on these feelings at the next Both Sides Now webinar set for Monday the 9th (info on jewishsacredaging.com and our Facebook page). SO this Shabbat we come to Nasso, a portion that is famous for the discussion on the Nazarite as well as the troublesome ritual found in chapter 5 which deals with a woman suspected of adultery.
The portion ends, however, in chapter 6 with the famous “priestly benediction”, that three line blessing asking for God’s protection, guidance and the bestowing upon us of the blessing of peace. It is a challenge to find that sense of “shalom” now. How can this speak to us? Perhaps it is a reminder to seek a sense of inner peace when all around us seems so broken and fragmented. Maybe a way to unpacking this blessing now is to focus on the idea of blessing. This focus may remind us of the passage in Pirke Avot that asks us to remember that we are not required to save the entire world, just our little part of it.
Debbie Friedman (z’l) sung about this in her “Lechi Lach” song when she sings that we can “be a blessing”. What can that mean in this world which seems so devoid of blessing? I suggest that this Shabbat we take some time to reflect on what it would mean if each of us dedicated our lives to “be” a blessing. What would that mean? How would we or could we re-examine how we live so as to model that ideal of blessing? Maybe, as some do, we can try and focus on doing one thing every day that brings blessing to someone or something else. This may sound superficial or somewhat naive, but think about it. We may not be able to combat antisemitism or being peace to Gaza, but if we dedicate ourselves to being and livign as a blessing as we interact with others, maybe we can, over time, bring about a greater sense of peace; peace within the framework of our community and relationships, and peace within our own soul.
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Richard F Address
Rabbi Richard F. Address, D.Min, is the Founder and Director of www.jewishsacredaging.com. Rabbi Address served for over three decades on staff of the Union for Reform Judaism; first as a Regional Director and then, beginning in 1997, as Founder and Director of the URJ’s Department of Jewish Family Concerns and served as a specialist and consultant for the North American Reform Movement in the areas of family related programming. Rabbi Address was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972 and began his rabbinic career in Los Angeles congregations. He also served as a part time rabbi for Beth Hillel in Carmel, NJ while regional director and, after his URJ tenure, served as senior rabbi of Congregation M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, NJ from 2011-2014.
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