Shabbat Blast

Dear Congregation Beth Ohr,

I finally understand the miracle of Chanukah because a colleague explained it to me this way:
 
“Imagine you start your day going to work with no phone charger and you only 10% battery on your phone. You’re panicking. How will I survive? How will my ________ (kids, partner, dog walker…) get in touch with me? How will I play words with friends because it’s blocked on my work computer? You have no hope, but you still use your phone and by the grace of God, your phone lasts the entire day until you get home.
 
Is it a miracle for the cellphone battery to last all day? While the example is a little tongue and cheek, the idea of a miracle stretches the imagination. It challenges the overly rational human mind to think outside of what it assumes to be possible. Rambam is notoriuous for his ambigous attitude towards miracles. He said: “A miracle cannot prove what is impossible. It only confirms what is possible.” I look at this and I contemplate the possible going against all of our preconceived notions. Miracles are the appreciation renewed for the every day and miracles are also the expansion of the mind passed what it knew to be possible into a realm of the unknown. As creatures who love certainty and knowing what to expect, miracles both tickle us and make us anxious. Much of life can be dealing with challenging reality. Attunement to miracles allows us to delight in the idea that we don’t know everything about what is possible. With that, we can approach each day as an unexplored gift.
 
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Bernstein

Kabbalat Shabbat Friday 8:00PM and Minyan, requested by Alan Fried in memory of his mother, Elaine Fried
Nosh & Drash Saturday 9:00AM