This will be my last Oasis Song until I return from sabbatical. It got me thinking. There are many ways to say bon voyage to someone about to depart on a journey: Godspeed, have a good trip, an easy flight, happy landing, hasta la vista, and so on.
How can you separate real information from fake? Parshat Mishpatim reminds us that the mitzvah of lightening someone's load isn’t just about a physical burden. Our job is to lift up the truth, and by doing so, lessen everyone’s burden just a little bit.
Earlier this week, a parent contacted me. The person’s children wanted to know if it was still safe to go to synagogue. It’s heartbreaking and understandable that people would be worried after last week’s hostage situation at Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Watching events unfold in real-time brought up many different emotions. Horror, outrage, fear, sadness, or even numb resignation. Few of us felt all these emotions, but most of us experienced at least one.
Is it worth swearing or promising if there’s a chance you can’t keep that promise? Parshat Yitro, among its many famous lessons, teaches that there is only one person responsible for making the changes we want to see in ourselves.
As I see it, there are two primary types of inclusion. One is a basic requirement of a democracy and is fundamental to the national identity. The other form of inclusion furthers a specific mission. Both types of inclusion can be valuable, but since they have different goals, it is important to distinguish between the two.
Staying cool in the face of any situation is made that much harder when things are out of your control, and there's nothing you can really do to change it. When we’re too emotionally charged, sometimes taking a breath and trusting in the process gets you across the gaping sea and onto safe, dry land much faster.
I want to notify you that I will be taking a sabbatical from February through April. We all know that this pandemic has made it difficult to make plans or travel arrangements, and for quite a long time, it was unclear to me how I could take a break or what options would even be available during this “new normal.” At the encouragement of our capable lay leadership, we mutually decided to break up my sabbatical over two years. This decision has led to a quick turn around in scheduling.
