Dear Friends,  The traditional blessing for the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is: Chatima Tova [May you be sealed for the Good] in the New Year.
We paused on Rosh HaShana to take a look at where we are, where we have been, and where we would like to go in the coming year. Last Shabbat, we read the weekly Torah portion of Nitzavim which represented the blessings of being able to take a break, to stand still, and to evaluate. This Shabbat, we read the weekly Torah portion of VaYelech [And he, Moses, went…] reminding us that after the pause, after the period of calm and introspection, it behooves us to get going, to move on!
This week, in our physical world, we have seen the literal calm before the storm, as we prepared for Hurricane Florence. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is impacted by the storm. In our spiritual lives, our calm precedes the actions we will take to make our world, and the world around us, a better place for all. After the calm and after the storm, we have the opportunity to reach out to one another and to help one another in the process of recovery.
While it is true that after a physical calm we may experience a physical storm, it is just as true that after a spiritual calm, we may be readier to spring into action to come to the aid of those who are in need.
May we do what we can to help and may our good deeds lead to greater peace, greater blessing, and greater joy in our world.
Shabbat Shalom and Chatima Tova!
Rabbi Gilah Dror
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