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Dear CBO Family,
Beginnings are some of the most glorious moments as a human, coming as they do, fraught with both anxiety and anticipation, excitement and a tinge of fear. It's the tossing and turning the night before the first day of school, dreaming of pristine white ruled notebooks and the possibilities of a new homeroom; combined with the fear as we grow older that we won't know who we are or what we are doing in the change that comes to get us in every new beginning.
The Jewish new year of 5783 began three short weeks ago, but as we raced from one holiday to the next, there was little time to look over our new surroundings and settle into the unique dynamics and quirks of this year that is now here. As the holiday of Simchat Torah ended this past Tuesday evening, I was reminded of the custom to emphatically declare after making Havdalah from the final festival, the words that the Torah uses to describe Jacob moving on, shifting his destiny to a new place and space after tumultuous family events and several encounters with the Divine:
"And Jacob went on his way"
"V'yaakov halach l'darko"
(Or, in contemporary terms... "and Jack hit the road"...)
(Interestingly, it's also a custom to add the blessing, "a gezunte vinter", "a healthy winter", as we recognize that once the holiday season is over, it may be a while before we gather again in this way.)
But this is a moment of beginnings, not simply the end of the holiday season. The idea isn't that Jacob said goodbye to his family and the angelic visions he saw en route, and that was the end. It's that he moved on, to a new beginning. And as we say goodbye to seeing one another multiple times weekly at shul, singing and eating and sharing together, this isn't simple the end of the holiday season - it's the beginning of a new chapter, the year 5783, and all of the potential it brings, like that pristine back to school stationery.
As we embark on a new cycle of reading the Torah from Bereshit - the beginning, actually - and for our particular community, the beginning of the new triennial three year cycle, we have in front of us a chance to start putting into practice the inspiration we received and the communal joy we shared over these holiday months. This year, the first in a new shemitah cycle, is one of Hakhel - of gathering, of connecting, of being in community.
The work of the High Holidays was never just about clearing the slate of last year's regrets - it's about manifesting and moving forward into the New Year we want to create. And so, now that we have in front of us the time to sit down and do our emails and catch up on errands and tackle those to do lists, hitting the road just as Jacob did, what are the things we can begin putting into place to make sure that new year happens?
How can we begin creating those gatherings, that energy of Hakhel, in our very own homes and community? Who can we call, who can we invite, what can we co-create, what can we support, to make those gatherings happen after so many years without?
In our Parsha, we witness the creation of humanity, and with it, the very first fragmentation. The first earthling, Adam, made of both male and female, is separated by the ribs into two separate beings that seek to unite in that original oneness all their lives. The first born children, Cain and Abel, are also the first to exemplify the dark side of human relationship, as their sibling rivalry turns deadly. It is up to us, the million-and-nth descendants of these first human beings, to make up for the rifts in humanity and come together with community, connection and collaboration.
May we be blessed with a Hakhel year of joyful gathering and connection, just as we have been blessed this past month. May we embark on this new Torah reading cycle with curiosity, openness, and a desire to live and internalize the messages of our ancient past, for good.
Blessings and Good Shabbos
Reb Rishe
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