The High Holy Days cycle is over for this year and we return to the beginning of a new Torah reading cycle. It is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts.
I'm so happy to immediately begin with a new cycle of Family Shabbat!!! It's back and all new. Come, dressed casual, with your baseball equipment for a Pray and Play at the Chapley Baseball Diamond (next to the shul parking lot), do a brief Shabbat Tefillah, followed by a family game of baseball, kiddush, motzi and a pizza lunch in the park.
Looking forward to seeing you there! SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PROGRAMMING INFORMATION!
Parshat Bereisheet - Fruits and Trees
According to the Torah, when HaShem was creating the world, He 'told' the Earth to grow "fruit trees that produce fruit". Instead, the Earth grew "trees that produce fruit". Why is there a difference and what does it mean?
According to Rabbi Avraham Kook, the thing that we enjoy abouts tree are their fruits, not the time that it takes to grow the trees. He teaches that HaShem wanted us to also think of the tree itself as something we should enjoy: growing the tree was supposed to be as "delicious" as eating the sweet fruit.
Rabbi Kook says that we all love to achieve our goals: learning the words to a new song, the steps to a dance, beating the next level or making the team. Sometimes it is harder for us to enjoy all the hard work it takes to achieve a goal.
This week, let's all try and appreciate the process, even if we haven't yet achieved our goals.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is a goal that you HAVE achieved? What is a goal that you have NOT yet achieved?
2. How did you feel when you accomplished your goal?
3. Why is it so important to appreciate the time before we get to our goal(s)?
Rabbi David's Answers (from last week): 1. What is one of your unique gifts that makes you amazing? "I like to smile, even when I'm sad. It sometimes even helps me feel better." 2. What is a challenge that you want to overcome this year? "I want to follow my schedule more closely." 3. How can you try to see your challenges as blessings in disguise? "I like living in the moment and being spontaneous. Even if I have a short call/meeting scheduled, I have connected more deeply to so many people by staying on for a few extra minutes just to schmooze."
For more information about what is happening at Beth Emeth go to: www.beby.org
Rabbi David, Director of Ritual and NEXTgen Community rabbidavid@beby.org
Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue 100 Elder Street Toronto, ON M3H 5G7
