Rabbinic Intern Jen's Message
June 2020
Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that I am writing my last bulletin article today. The time I have spent in your community has gone by too fast! Let me begin this final installment by expressing my deep gratitude for sharing your community with me over the past nine months. When I started as your rabbinic intern, I wrote that I was excited about experiencing your community’s traditions and looked forward to learning and praying together. Now that I am nearing the end of my internship, I am delighted by the many new experiences and the warm welcome and support from all of you. My only regret is not having been able to spend more time participating in the many great programs Temple Emanu-El offers. I have made wonderful memories to take with me as I continue on the journey to becoming a rabbi.
In my first bulletin article, I wrote about two texts which felt resonant with the moment. I would like to leave you with two pieces of Torah which speak to me at this moment. In reflecting on my time with you, the first text which came to mind appears a few times in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah 42:6 says, “I God, have called you in justice, and I have grasped you by your hand. I created you as a people of covenant, a light for nations.” In this verse, God calls us to live up to the covenant and to be a light for others. Throughout the academic year, friends and classmates asked me how I was managing to juggle my various responsibilities, sometimes hinting that maybe these responsibilities felt burdensome. The time I spent in your community was consistently a shining light of joy for me. You provided me the opportunity to learn and grow, and you welcomed me with full hearts. I thank you for being a light for me with your willingness to let me try new ideas in prayer and study and with your loving support.
Before I share the second piece of Torah, I want to let you know when I will be connecting with you. I hope you can join me for the following services: Kabbalat Shabbat on June 5 with Cantor Vera; Shabbat morning services on June 13; and Kabbalat Shabbat, Member Appreciation, and Board Installation on June 19 with Cantor Vera.
Since this is my last bulletin article, I am thinking about how best to say farewell, and this brings me to the second piece of Torah I want to share, though it comes from Talmud. Often when a person signs a letter or says goodbye in Hebrew, there is some confusion about whether to say “l’shalom” or “b’shalom.” I have avoided the expression in my writing to you because of this confusion. L’shalom means “to peace,” while b’shalom means “in peace.” Even in English, there does not seem to be much difference in the meaning. However, I recently learned in Tractate Mo’ed Katan that one who departs from the deceased should not say “Go to peace (l’shalom),” but rather one should say “Go in peace (b’shalom).” One who departs from the living should not say “Go in peace (b’shalom),” but rather should say “Go to peace (l’shalom).” In practice this means we say “b’shalom/in peace” at a funeral when leaving the deceased, and we say “l’shalom/to peace” when we are saying farewell to living people. The Talmud explains this practice by bringing examples of each expression in Torah. For example, Jethro says to Moses “Go to peace (l’shalom),” and Moses is successful in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. I understand the difference in the expressions to be the difference between a permanent goodbye and a temporary parting with the possibility of coming together to a more complete wholeness in the future.
As I enter my last month as your rabbinic intern, it is my hope to soak up as much of that warm light that your presence gives so that when we do finally say farewell I might take that light forward to bring peace to others wherever my path takes me. My blessing for you in this final bulletin article is that you continue to find and nurture the light in each other so that you will continue to create a kehila kedosha, a holy community, and a community of peace.
L’shalom, may we all go to a place of wholeness and peace,
Jen
It is hard to believe that I am writing my last bulletin article today. The time I have spent in your community has gone by too fast! Let me begin this final installment by expressing my deep gratitude for sharing your community with me over the past nine months. When I started as your rabbinic intern, I wrote that I was excited about experiencing your community’s traditions and looked forward to learning and praying together. Now that I am nearing the end of my internship, I am delighted by the many new experiences and the warm welcome and support from all of you. My only regret is not having been able to spend more time participating in the many great programs Temple Emanu-El offers. I have made wonderful memories to take with me as I continue on the journey to becoming a rabbi.
In my first bulletin article, I wrote about two texts which felt resonant with the moment. I would like to leave you with two pieces of Torah which speak to me at this moment. In reflecting on my time with you, the first text which came to mind appears a few times in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah 42:6 says, “I God, have called you in justice, and I have grasped you by your hand. I created you as a people of covenant, a light for nations.” In this verse, God calls us to live up to the covenant and to be a light for others. Throughout the academic year, friends and classmates asked me how I was managing to juggle my various responsibilities, sometimes hinting that maybe these responsibilities felt burdensome. The time I spent in your community was consistently a shining light of joy for me. You provided me the opportunity to learn and grow, and you welcomed me with full hearts. I thank you for being a light for me with your willingness to let me try new ideas in prayer and study and with your loving support.
Before I share the second piece of Torah, I want to let you know when I will be connecting with you. I hope you can join me for the following services: Kabbalat Shabbat on June 5 with Cantor Vera; Shabbat morning services on June 13; and Kabbalat Shabbat, Member Appreciation, and Board Installation on June 19 with Cantor Vera.
Since this is my last bulletin article, I am thinking about how best to say farewell, and this brings me to the second piece of Torah I want to share, though it comes from Talmud. Often when a person signs a letter or says goodbye in Hebrew, there is some confusion about whether to say “l’shalom” or “b’shalom.” I have avoided the expression in my writing to you because of this confusion. L’shalom means “to peace,” while b’shalom means “in peace.” Even in English, there does not seem to be much difference in the meaning. However, I recently learned in Tractate Mo’ed Katan that one who departs from the deceased should not say “Go to peace (l’shalom),” but rather one should say “Go in peace (b’shalom).” One who departs from the living should not say “Go in peace (b’shalom),” but rather should say “Go to peace (l’shalom).” In practice this means we say “b’shalom/in peace” at a funeral when leaving the deceased, and we say “l’shalom/to peace” when we are saying farewell to living people. The Talmud explains this practice by bringing examples of each expression in Torah. For example, Jethro says to Moses “Go to peace (l’shalom),” and Moses is successful in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. I understand the difference in the expressions to be the difference between a permanent goodbye and a temporary parting with the possibility of coming together to a more complete wholeness in the future.
As I enter my last month as your rabbinic intern, it is my hope to soak up as much of that warm light that your presence gives so that when we do finally say farewell I might take that light forward to bring peace to others wherever my path takes me. My blessing for you in this final bulletin article is that you continue to find and nurture the light in each other so that you will continue to create a kehila kedosha, a holy community, and a community of peace.
L’shalom, may we all go to a place of wholeness and peace,
Jen
Rabbinic Intern Jen's Divrei Torah
Parashat B’ha’alot’cha, June 13, 2020
Shavuot 1 (Ruth), May 29, 2020
Parashat B'midbar, May 23, 2020
Parashat B'har-B'chukkotai, May 15, 2020
Parashat Emor, May 9, 2020
Parashat Acharei Mot-K'doshim, May 2, 2020
Parashat Tazria-Metzora, April 25, 2020
Parashat Sh'mini, April 18, 2020
Chol Hamo'eid Pesach, April 11, 2020
Shabbat HaGadol, April 4, 2020
Parashat Vayikra, March 28, 2020
Parashat B’ha’alot’cha, June 13, 2020
Shavuot 1 (Ruth), May 29, 2020
Parashat B'midbar, May 23, 2020
Parashat B'har-B'chukkotai, May 15, 2020
Parashat Emor, May 9, 2020
Parashat Acharei Mot-K'doshim, May 2, 2020
Parashat Tazria-Metzora, April 25, 2020
Parashat Sh'mini, April 18, 2020
Chol Hamo'eid Pesach, April 11, 2020
Shabbat HaGadol, April 4, 2020
Parashat Vayikra, March 28, 2020