Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

How we act before, during, and after sacred events in our lives tells us a lot about our emotions, values, and priorities.

Take, for example, the experience of a lifecycle moment, be it a baby naming, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or a wedding. Take, for example, a Jewish holiday, be it Rosh Hashanah,  Chanukah, or Passover. In many cases, there is an exciting build up prior to the event, the actualization during the event, and perhaps a let down, sense of relief, where do I go from here? or now what? after the event.

In this week's Torah portion - text, commentary, and legend tell us many things about Noah before, during, and after the flood. Before the flood, how righteous was he? Commentaries suggest many ideas. During the flood, was Noah faithful, optimistic, caring? Responses abound. After the flood, do we regard Noah as the new progenitor of the earth or a depressed drunkard?

Each of us can begin to assess our own traits by analyzing how we conducted ourselves before the pandemic; how we are living during the pandemic; and how we hope to prioritize our values after the pandemic has ended.

While the forty day period, the days and weeks before and during the Ten Days of Repentance, was known as "Cheshbon Nefesh," a time for conducting a spiritual self-audit, perhaps the days and weeks after the High Holy days will teach us more about who we are.

Rabbi Howard Morrison