by Rabbi Misha
I love it when I get to stay in New York, for Christmas. Not because of the Chinese food (although if you haven’t been to the Sechuan restaurants in Queens Chinatown you should go), but because of the quiet. You can finally hear the city breathe. So I offer reflections on three types of silence.
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Manu, almost four, is the world’s greatest gift receiver. Hannukah was beautiful this year in large part thanks to his joy and gratitude at whatever was in the terribly wrapped gifts he received after candle lighting. This may sound trivial, that a four-year old is happy to receive a gift. It’s not. It’s actually a complex and often difficult experience both for kids and adults.
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On Sunday we will gather to light candles and talk about sources of light. Some of you have shared photos, videos or words on these sources of light in your lives. This Hannukah I find myself lit by an unexpected source.
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This evening’s shabbat will be dedicated to the question of light. We will be joined by my friend and teacher, Ghiora Aharoni, who in his exquisite artwork, as well as in his architecture designs uses light as an element of the whole, sometimes appearing as the mind of the piece, other times its heart, and at times painting the rest of the work without calling attention to itself. One of his recent works, which now lives at the Vatican is a concealer of light.
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Pope Francis, in his beautiful Thanksgiving offering, invited us to use this moment of “stoppage,” as he called it, to dream big. He quotes Holderlin: “Where the danger is, also grows the saving power.” As we have sensed from the start, this pandemic, with its horrors and difficulties is an opportunity to rethink, re-imagine, re-see the world for what it is and what it can be.
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Certain mystical moments happened this week.
In the Niggunim chevrutah one of the singers described a moment of cognition, or awareness to a different realm, that was induced by the physical aspects of singing, the air moving through her diaphragm, the sound vibrations through her throat and out. “Did that happen to any of you,” she asked.
Listen to Morid Hageshem, a piyyut sung in the Sephardi communities as part of the rain prayer.
Read MoreWatch and listen to this beautiful piano improvisation from Jack Klebanow.
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In My Big Fat Greek Wedding you may remember the father who likes to show how everything goes back to the Greeks. My teacher, Rabbi Neiburg loves to that with the Hebrew language, showing (often unconvincingly, but always joyfully) how words in English trace back to Hebrew.
Read MoreWatch and listen to this moving acapella rendition of Adon Olam performed by special guest Judi Williams.
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My pre-election angst was ripped apart the other night when I learned about the killing of Walter Wallace Jr. by the Philadelphia police. This week’s Parasha helped me cope with the fact of the ongoing injustices, which will continue regardless of the outcome of the election.
Read MoreWatch and listen to Ya’ala, a piyyut describing the love between the dod (lover) and the ra’aya (wife).
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“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with lapis lazuli.
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children will be learned in the ways of The Presence
and great will be their peace.
In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.”
NEW YORK MAGAZINE LOOK BOOK ON THE NEW SHULS EREV ROSH HASHANAH SERVICE WITH AMAZING PORTRAITS OF THE COMMUNITY
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