Rabbinic Intern Jen's Message
March/April 2020
Dear Friends,
March and April—to me, these months mean spring! On the Jewish calendar, we have entered the month of Adar, when we are told to be happy simply because it is Adar. Why would our tradition command us to feel happy when happiness cannot be turned on and off like a switch?
Rashi, the 11th and 12th century rabbi who wrote comprehensive commentary on the Torah and the Babylonian Talmud, explains that we should increase our happiness because Adar is a time of miracles. He was referring to the miracles of Purim and Pesach, when God saved the Jewish people from annihilation. The idea of being happy on account of miracles continues to have merit in our time. Before we can be happy about miracles, we need to find some miracles. Some people have told me that anything that might have been considered a miracle can be explained by science. Just because we understand how something happens does not lessen its miraculousness. We know spring will come after winter, and we can explain how it will come based on the earth’s tilt and relative position to the sun. Nevertheless, when I see the first signs of spring—buds on trees, crocuses, perhaps a robin—I feel wonder at those signs, and I am amazed by the intricacies involved in the changing of the seasons. Spring’s return feels miraculous to me, despite my knowing that it is “merely” the earth’s movement causing the season to change. When we enter Adar, we are so very close to entering spring. Most of winter, and usually the most intense part of it, has passed. The anticipation of spring makes increasing my happiness easier.
My happiness will be increased additionally over the next two months by continuing to spend Shabbat with the Temple Emanu-El community and by participating in religious school activities. In January, I had the great pleasure of sharing the bimah with the 5th and 6th grade students. They led a beautiful and thoughtful service. Their teachers guided and coached them through the preparations for the service. Every time I visit the religious school, I am struck by the nurturing and affection shared between teachers and students. I admire the religious school teachers and staff both for their hard work and for the loving educational environment they have created. For that reason, I am grateful to have the chance to co-lead a Faculty Appreciation Service with Cantor Vera and the 7th grade students on March 13.
Here are the dates in March and April when I will be at Temple Emanu-El.
March and April—to me, these months mean spring! On the Jewish calendar, we have entered the month of Adar, when we are told to be happy simply because it is Adar. Why would our tradition command us to feel happy when happiness cannot be turned on and off like a switch?
Rashi, the 11th and 12th century rabbi who wrote comprehensive commentary on the Torah and the Babylonian Talmud, explains that we should increase our happiness because Adar is a time of miracles. He was referring to the miracles of Purim and Pesach, when God saved the Jewish people from annihilation. The idea of being happy on account of miracles continues to have merit in our time. Before we can be happy about miracles, we need to find some miracles. Some people have told me that anything that might have been considered a miracle can be explained by science. Just because we understand how something happens does not lessen its miraculousness. We know spring will come after winter, and we can explain how it will come based on the earth’s tilt and relative position to the sun. Nevertheless, when I see the first signs of spring—buds on trees, crocuses, perhaps a robin—I feel wonder at those signs, and I am amazed by the intricacies involved in the changing of the seasons. Spring’s return feels miraculous to me, despite my knowing that it is “merely” the earth’s movement causing the season to change. When we enter Adar, we are so very close to entering spring. Most of winter, and usually the most intense part of it, has passed. The anticipation of spring makes increasing my happiness easier.
My happiness will be increased additionally over the next two months by continuing to spend Shabbat with the Temple Emanu-El community and by participating in religious school activities. In January, I had the great pleasure of sharing the bimah with the 5th and 6th grade students. They led a beautiful and thoughtful service. Their teachers guided and coached them through the preparations for the service. Every time I visit the religious school, I am struck by the nurturing and affection shared between teachers and students. I admire the religious school teachers and staff both for their hard work and for the loving educational environment they have created. For that reason, I am grateful to have the chance to co-lead a Faculty Appreciation Service with Cantor Vera and the 7th grade students on March 13.
Here are the dates in March and April when I will be at Temple Emanu-El.
|
March 7
March 13 March 22 April 4 April 5 April 17 |
Shabbat morning service, using Mishkan T'filah
Faculty Appreciation Service (grade 7 participates) Religious School Shabbat morning service, using Mishkan T'filah Religious School Yom HaSho'ah service |
As we enter Adar and approach spring, may we be a source of happiness for others, find joy in the nurturing and affection from those dear to us, and become aware of everyday and seasonal miracles to increase our happiness.
Bivracha, with blessings,
Jen
Bivracha, with blessings,
Jen