From the Rabbi's Desk - Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma

Help Wanted!

Friday, January 29, 2016 - 9:01 AM

So what’s the buzz this week? I, and thousands of my fellow Chabad colleagues around the globe, are attempting to fill the dynamic rolls that our wives play. Devorah is away at the International conference of Chabad Rebbetzins, leaving me alone with the kids, the house, the laundry, homework, and the list goes on and on.

Complaining? Not at all! There is this deep sense of appreciation for how she manages to juggle everything so effortlessly. Keeping the family nourished and cared for, the house in order (no small feat with the little ones), and at the same time, playing a major and active roll in the community.

Will I survive? Probably. Will I get to spend lots of quality time with my boys? Oh yeah. I might even succeed in keeping them happy and fed. Will I manage to get any meaningful work done on the side? Not a chance. And this is just for a couple of days.

Just this Sunday, Devorah ran our first Jewish Women’s Circle (Check out the pictures below, and save the date for the next one - Wednesday, April 6th), and next week she'll be preparing a beautiful Kiddush spread for First Fridays.

The Jewish woman sets the tone for the education and values in the home, and is the one who holds it all together. Join me this week in paying tribute to the heroes in our lives; Be it your wife, mom, or Bubby.

While Devorah is in New York, she will be visiting and praying at the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, an auspicious and holy place. If you would like her to pray on your behalf or on behalf of a family member who could use a blessing, please email her at [email protected]. Please include your Jewish name and your mother’s Jewish name, as it is customary to include them in the prayer.

Tune in live for the Banquet concluding the women’s conference. 2,500 women, heroes in their families, heroes to their communities, each one unique, yet all of them with a common goal. This Sunday, at 2:30pm. www.JewishPetaluma.com/Kinus

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Dovid Bush

Birthday of the Trees

Friday, January 22, 2016 - 9:00 AM

As Devorah is busy preparing for what will no doubt be a beautiful evening for the women this Sunday (sorry guys - it's a Girls Night Out), I stopped for a moment to reflect on what it is that we are celebrating.

Tu B’shvat - the Jewish Birthday of the trees. Any Mitzvah connected to the age of a tree, is determined by whether the tree was planted before or after this day.

Yet although it is of course vital that we are mindful of the environment, and take care of the beautiful world in which we live, there must be something deeper, giving cause to celebrate. There must be a reason why it is a day dedicated to trees, though there are many beautiful parts of nature, such as mountains, rivers and more.

It says in the Torah that “Man is compared to the tree of the field”. As people, we grow. As people we are not own existence, rather just as a tree bears fruit, we are able to do good deeds, to effect others, positively impacting the world.

This relates to why we invest so much effort into education and raising children to be upstanding and compassionate citizens, and engaged members in the Jewish community.

If a grown tree gets a nick or scratch, it hardly has an effect on the overall health of the tree. However if a young sapling is scratched, the entire tree can grow crooked. In our lives, as a child is in his or her formative years, the slightest influences can really make a difference.

Let’s think about how we can grow, and how we can foster a healthier experience for our children. Whether it’s a a good word to someone who is down, an act of kindness, a taste of Shabbat, or joining “Kids in the Kitchen”.

With wishes for a Happy Birthday Trees! May it be a year of growth for us all!

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Dovid Bush

Powerball or Power Prank?

Friday, January 15, 2016 - 9:00 AM

This week, the hype across the country seemed to revolve around the Powerball, having risen to astronomical levels of historic proportion. Some rushed out to their nearest convenience store to try their luck (sometimes we need to make a vessel to receive the blessings), while others were of the opinion that, with odds of 1 in 292 million, one would be better off buying a coffee.

A captivating feel good story hit the headlines yesterday, about a Jewish philanthropist from LA named Shlomo Rechnitz who owns a chain of nursing homes in CA. He had purchased 18,000 Powerball tickets for all of his employees and residents earlier this week.

News spread across the media that one of the nurses in the Pomona facility, had in fact been one of the three winners. She had received a call from her son while at work, which set off celebrations throughout the nursing home.

Mere hours later, it turned out to be a prank that her son had played. The woman had not in fact become an insta-millionaire.

In the news and on social media, some shared outrage at the son for putting his mom through this. Others chose to focus on the feel-good story that wasn't, or how it turned into a sour story for the philanthropist.

This all misses the point. The part that we should focus on is that someone cared. Someone gave 18,000 people a chance to hope, a chance to dream. And regardless of the outcome, it's inspirational. (The same man who bought a hot meal for 400 US soldiers in an Ireland airport, because he thought they deserved better).

We choose how to view what goes on around us, and find the positive in everything and everyone. This is a fundamental principle the Lubavitcher Rebbe lived by and taught, stressing the impact of every good deed, no matter how isolated. This Wednesday we commemorate his appointment as Rebbe in 1951 - more info here. Join us for a special dinner Wednesday evening at 6:30pm, where we will discuss and celebrate the occasion.

Let's make sure we are experiencing life through a lens of positivity, and let's remember that to make a difference in someone's life - to bring joy, hope or a smile - it can be accomplished through something as small as a Powerball ticket.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Dovid Bush

A Message from El Niño

Friday, January 8, 2016 - 9:00 AM

As the El Niño storm system pummels the California coast, turning our hills green and bringing waves up to 15 feet tall, things seem a bit topsy-turvy. Temperatures lower than the East Coast, mudslides and flooding.

Though I'm not a meteorologist, a quick google search lets me know that this is all caused by warmer than average waters in the Pacific.

As always, we can look for meaning in the Torah portion of the week. This week we read about the Jews in Egypt and the 10 plagues. Egypt is not just a thing of the past, but we each experience our own enslavements and limitations that hold us back from growth and advancement in our own lives. Let's take a look at the first two plagues and see how they were the original El Niño - the mix of hot and cold.

Blood - Water is cool; representing being cold and indifferent towards holiness which is associated with warmth, life and vitality. The "why should I care", the "so what" attitude. Blood is warmth, life coursing through our veins. In this plague (which is meant to be a healing process), the cold and indifferent Nile River is transformed into blood - excitement and involvement in holiness.

Frogs - Within the Animal Kingdom, some animals may bring to mind passion and enthusiasm, while others are more

chilled. The frog falls into this latter category. The frogs were notable in that they were jumping everywhere, they even jumped into the Egyptian ovens. Excitement in the wrong areas needs to be cooled off.

The message is to take a look at our interests and passions and make sure that they are aligned with our values. Sometimes we may need to add a dose of "blood" (excitement) to something that we just aren't feeling, while at other times, we may need to bring in the "frogs" to cool off an "Egyptian oven".

Get involved tonight (6pm) with the good kind of Warmth - Hot Matzah Ball soup, and an uplifting and lively Shabbat service.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Dovid Bush