Shabbat Blast

Something incredible is about to happen to the Jewish people in our Torah portion, Yitro. One minute we stand as just a people and in a moment we will become the People of the Book. Not just a series of tribes, but a people with the Torah, which will be revealed MOMENTARILY.  This is not just a grand moment, it is also an intimate moment for everyone standing at Mt. Sinai (which is each of us). There is a line in this Torah portion that is so poetic and dazzling. We read in Exodus 20:15. “

“And all the people saw the thunder, and the lightning, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.”

Why is this verse so incredible? Because it says that the people “saw” (Ro-im) the thunder. Last I checked you can only hear, not see, thunder! This was a type of synesthesia, a confusing of senses. One sense stimulates another. I liken this to those moments when you are falling in love. The love feels like the most beautiful music playing. Food tastes more delicious. Songs resonate more. This moment represents the Jewish people falling in love with God. And you and I were standing there. We might ask ourselves when we have had those deeply moving experiences in our lives. When did they happen? Who were we with?

Every once in a while we might have a spiritual experience and we feel something so deeply it hits is in a very vulnerable place. In that moment we were so open to the experience of something bigger than ourselves that we allowed the moment to envelope us. Like any relationship, it takes work to keep that spirituality, a connection with the Divine, alive. Not every prayer experience can induce synesthesia, but we can work to maintain some low grade synesthesia on a daily basis. This is the work of Jewish living, to have joy and pleasure, and gratitude in our lives.

May you feel so much joy that you see thunder and hear lighting.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Bernstein

1. We have two services tomorrow morning:

For Bnai Mitzvah and their families (main sanctuary)

Regular service (Muraskin Room).

2. Don’t forget about Super Bowl Shabbat next Friday RSVP Here.

3. Interested in working towards a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony? Join us for an info session this Sunday morning at 11:00 AM.