Dear Friends,
I hope you will join us at services this Shabbat as we celebrate the bat mitzvah of Zoe Becker Epstein. Mazal Tov to Zoe and to her entire family!
This week we read the Torah portion of HaAzinu. The Jewish value of remembering the wisdom of the ages is highlighted in our Parsha. But, remembering is not the end goal. Moses reminds us that remembering is only the first step. Understanding is our goal.
Zechor y’mot Olam; Binu Sh’not Dor va’Dor – Recall the past, understand its significance throughout the generations.
As we celebrate a bat mitzvah on this Shabbat, we celebrate the fact that our Torah is being passed on through the generations. We also celebrate the fact that real learning has taken place in preparation for this life-cycle event, enabling us to reach this moment and invest it with its full significance. Real learning is not just remembering the past. Real learning involves a continued developing our understanding of the past. In particular, it involves considering how the wisdom and traditions of the past inform our lives today.
May our Torah continue to inspire us and our learning take us to new levels of understanding even as we grow closer to Jewish life and community.
Shabbat Shalom!
