Shabbat Blast

From Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein

Dear CBO Families,

Our Torah portion comes to a dramatic moment when Moses, after receiving the tablets smashes them on the ground. Most of us see this as an angry move where Moses loses control, but my favorite of all the interpretations of his actions is one that says Moses saw that the Israelites would worship the tablets as a God, like they did the Golden calf, and chooses to smash them to make a point. Moses uses his intuition to read what the people were capable of understanding and where they have limitations. He is willing to smash something as holy as the tablets because the people themselves could not uphold the commandments inside of it, such as not worshipping idols.
 
There is a rabbinic teaching that says: “No decree can be made unless the majority of the community can follow it (Rambam, הלכות ממרים ה׳ב).” At this moment, Moshe knew that his people  would not be able to worship God in an abstract way. At this point, they were only capable of worshipping objects. Knowing this, he smashed the tablets, hopefully waking them up to their behavior and helping them grow intellectually and spiritually. Sometimes, we need a rude awakening to grow and learn.
 
We often get so frustrated with one another, when our partners, children, and students don’t grasp what we are explaining. The only thing we can control is our response and communication. Our timing might not be right. We could be asking for too much. Maybe our questions need reframing? In these moments it is time to listen and reflect on our actions, not speak louder.
 
David Covey, author of “7 Habit of Highly Effective People,” promotes: “Understand and then seek to be understood.” One must take a step back and listen to the person and the needs of the moment before working hard to get one’s point across.
 
Perhaps this moment captures Moses’ anger. We can also reimagine this  as a mindful act, one that is demonstrative, showing the people that you might think that objects are what makes life worth living. He shows them that even the tablets do not supercede the intangible concepts of life - such as community and human dignity.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bernstein

SERVICES
Friday, Feb. 22 - Thursday, Feb. 28

 Israel Trip 2020 with Rabbi Bernstein

We're organizing a 2020 trip to Israel and we would like to know your thoughts and ideas for this trip. We want to know what time of year works for you, and what sites and activities are important to you.

If you have friends outside of the synagogue, they are also welcome to join our trip. If you have an inkling that you might be interested in traveling to Israel with your CBO community and Rabbi Bernstein, please click here to fill out this 3 minute survey by Monday, February 25th.
 
If you would like to get more information, feel free to contact Rabbi Bernstein at Rabbi.Bernstein@cbohr.org. We will be having an in-person presentation on March 17th at 12:00 PM.  It will take place after the Purim Carnival which will be held at Temple Israel of South Merrick.

We can't wait to travel with you!

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