Shabbat Blast

From Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein
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Friday, November 12, 2021

Dear CBO family,

When was the last time you were truly surprised? We go out of our way to build stability and predictability in our lives. It helps us feel safe. We end up forgetting about the role of the spectacular. We forget about how important it is to experience the unexpected. We lose out on the joy of being surprised.
 
A quick look at the Torah portion reminds us of the delight of discovery:
 
וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְיְ בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
  
Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is present in this place, and I did not know it!” (Genesis 28:16)
  
After dreaming about Angels descending and ascending a ladder Jacob admits something that many of us hate doing; He realizes that he didn’t know something.
  
It is only when Jacob goes out of his comfort zone, leaves the tents that he is known for, and literally sleeps under the stars away from home where he knows no-one, does he experience the world in a completely different way and came to a deeper understanding of the universe.
  
Curiosity has to have an element of the unknown in it. But things can only be unknown if we leave some space in ourselves for not having control. Most of us don’t want to do that. For those of us that suffer from anxiety, things not going according to plan feels like failure. Jacob encourages us to see life going awry as an opportunity to learn and come to an understanding of the universe that would have been impossible if we stayed in the known.

Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Bernstein

CANDLE LIGHTING
Friday, November 12th at 4:20 PM

HAVDALAH
Saturday, November 13th at 5:21 PM

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