So, what's the latest?
Well, aside from two awesome Purim events coming up (did you hear that Lou Seal will be at Purim in the Stadium?), I'm home alone this weekend.
It's really not so simple. Fielding breakfast cereal requests, sorting mountains of laundry, and trying to clean up messes faster than they happen, is not for the faint of heart. Not to mention bedtime routines, keeping the kids entertained, and handling any clashes that may erupt. So far, so good. Or at least that's what I told Devorah :-)
Devorah is spending the weekend with 2,500 women, all leaders of their Chabad Centers in communities around the globe. Dotting the map like beacons of light, each one illuminating their surroundings.
Bangkok to Siberia, Miami to Petaluma. These amazing women get together annually to re-Jew-venate, to share, schmooze and laugh. To inspire and to be inspired to do what they can back home, creating an environment where every man, woman or child feels comfortable to connect Jewishly in whatever capacity he or she chooses.
Ladies and Gentlemen. What is the origin of this expression? Or "ladies first"? It's in this week's Torah portion, the story of Mount Sinai, the giving of the Torah and the formal birth of the Jewish nation.
Hashem tells Moshe "So shall you say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel”. The Talmud explains that “the house of Jacob” refers to the women, the central figure of the Jewish home, and “sons of Israel” refers to the men. The women go first.
To infuse the home with Jewish values, to transmit the message of our traditions with beauty, grace, and permanence, it's the women who have the ability to accomplish this. And the same is true for our community.
So, while it may not be a walk in the park this weekend, and the house may have descended into a temporary state of chaos, it is so worth it. So that next week Devorah will be back here in her leadership role, as captain of the ship, fresh with new ideas, plans and visions for our family and community, expertly guiding our vessel through the waves of life.
Devorah, I got this. (I think... Wish me luck!)
Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Dovid Bush
ב"ה