Plymouth Rock. Turkey. Pumpkin Pie. Thanksgiving. Routine calls. Familiar, comfortable, expected. The sun rises in the east. My home awaits my return at day's end. Oxygen is inhaled mindlessly. 2020 jolts us. Anticipation is entitlement. The obvious is questioned. A new paradigm. Appreciation for the things we took for granted. Prayer and hope for the future. The ability to find happiness and contentment when not all is how we'd like. It's an age-old Jewish concept. Jacob on the run from his murderous brother Esau. Sleeping on a mountaintop without access to wifi, memory foam pillow replaced with rocks to protect against wild animals. A pretty hostile and lonely environment. It's at this point that Jacob envisions a ladder reaching heavenward with angels descending to shelter him. Upon awakening, the message is clear. In the darkest moments, Hashem's angels are right there, holding his hand. He emerges thankful and indebted. The reality is no different, however, his perception has undergone a cosmic shift. Modeh Ani. We begin each day thanking Hashem, not for all of the trinkets and accouterments we've collected, but for returning our soul to us giving us another day. Setting a tone of gratefulness for every blessing in our lives. (The Hebrew word Todah, thank you, is etymologically connected to the word Hoda'ah, acknowledgment. Thankfulness is a result of a humility that allows us to acknowledge our blessings and from whence they originate.) It is no wonder that these words - Hodu La'Hashem - Thank you, Hashem, have become the marching song in the Jewish community to welcome those returning home from a covid hospitalization. My friend, Yudi Dukes, returned home yesterday after 241 days(!) of every challenge imaginable, to his wife and children. One can only imagine the gratitude of walking through his front door. Tonight, when we sing Shalom Aleichem - breath. Inhale the presence of the Shabbos angels (and the aroma of Devorah's pumpkin Challah, which I am also grateful for!). Feel the divine unwavering support. Recognize that while it may be 2020, the reality hasn't changed. Hashem has been there for us throughout, and like in Jacob's dream, has demonstrated that He will continue to do the same until V'shavti B'Shalom - I return home in peace. Todah! I am grateful for each and every one of you for being yet another blessing in my life.
From the Rabbi's Desk
Thankfulness
The world’s longest Zoom meeting
The world’s longest Zoom meeting just concluded in preparation of Shabbat!
It all started last weekend, as Shabbat ended in New Zealand as part
of this year’s virtual international conference of Chabad Shluchim. Originally, it was supposed to travel around the world once with Rabbis from each time zone leading the online program. It was so inspiring, that fully spontaneously it continued its rotation around the globe for the entire week.
It lasted over 130 hours. As there are thousands of Chabad rabbis around the world and in every time zone, there was always someone sharing an inspiring Torah thought, a motivational story, or a word of encouragement. At times, it would max out on the 1,000 person limit. In two words: non-stop inspiration. The cliche if life gives you lemons, turn it into lemonade, certainly rang true. Unable to convene in-person, this turned out to be more beautiful than imagined or anticipated. Sometimes, life is straightforward. More often, it is filled with twists and turns and rollercoaster-like experiences. The blessing that Jacob receives from Isaac begins "And may G-d give you..". Why the word and at the opening of the sentence? What was given before? And if one receives a divine (and thus limitless) gift, what would be left to receive? The answer is that there are two different gifts, because there are two kinds of experiences. The obvious, straightforward, simple type, when things are just working out and moving forward. And the challenging, unanticipated, curveball type. Where one needs to be flexible, adapt, and tackle whatever life throws at them. The blessing "And may G-d give you.." insinuates that there was the obvious gift, when the sun shines upon you, and everything is rosy. But it doesn't end there. Even when there are storm clouds, and you feel like a ship tossing about the waves of life, Hashem sends his blessing then as well. And those blessings are the most powerful. May we all experience tremendous revealed blessings! In this spirit, we are happy to announce that yes, of course, Chanukah is happening, in an even grander fashion than usual, and in the safest possible manner. Please see below for the "Drive-Thru Chanukah Experience" and join us as we light up the world!
Running on Empty?
It's part of our routine. We drive, then we must stop and fill up the tank. We go about our business, and then we invariably need to take a break to eat, sleep, and rejuvenate. We use our cell phones, only for the battery to be depleted by the end of the day in need of a recharge.
Each year, the Chabad rabbis get together for a recharge. It's a weekend of seeing friends and colleagues from across the globe, sharing stories of triumphs and tribulations, brainstorming and simply catching up. It is energizing.
Of course, this year, we thought that it wouldn't be feasible. But how would we get our much-needed energy boost? This question is not just for the Rabbis missing the convention, but for all of us, having had our lives thrown for a loop since March.
So two thoughts:
Like I tell my kids at dinnertime. If the menu isn't offering your first choice, this might just be the opportunity to expand your horizons, to find other delicious sources of nutrition. Sure, we love concerts, amusement parks, baseball games, and more, but we might just find new things that we can love just as much. This has led to incredible creativity during this time finding inventive and novel ways of interacting, studying, and enjoying. So a virtual conference is underway (pausing for the divine hours of Shabbat).
The second:
A few years ago, we would have thought that pumping fuel would be an inseparable part of our future. Now, more and more, we are seeing electric vehicles, many of them recapturing their own energy and using that to fuel them further. Tapping into its own hidden resources. This is a car. As a human, with a Soul, we certainly have hidden treasures inside, and sometimes we just have to turn inwards to uncover unconstrained potential.