Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

The second book of the Torah, called "Exodus" in English, is literally called "Shmot- Names" in Hebrew. The opening verse reads as follows: "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt." The text identifies Jacob and his twelve sons and goes on to state that there were seventy in total from Jacob's multi-generational family.

Rashi, quoting from earlier Midrashim, asks the obvious question. Towards the end of Sefer Bereishit, the book of Genesis, we are given a detailed genealogy of the seventy members of Jacob's household. So why is the list repeated in short form at the outset of Sefer Shmot, the book of Exodus?

The ancient commentary suggests, "Even though God counted them by name in their lifetime, God counted them again after their deaths to make known His love for them."

This interpretation is the very first Rashi comment found to begin the second book of the Torah. We can understand it on many levels.

We love our beloved not only during their lifetimes, but we continue to love them in memoriam after they have passed on. It is no wonder that our tradition provides boundaries of bereavement from the day of death to the day of burial, the Shiva, the Shloshim, the year for a parent, the Yahezeit, the Yizkor, etc.

As we begin a new book of Torah, we continue to love the texts and lessons that have passed on from the previous book, just as we come to learn and love the texts and lessons that are to come.

Now that we have entered the secular year of 2021, many of us are glad to be rid of 2020, a year that will be remembered for Covid-19. Still, we should recall with love the blessings of the past year, which include our health, our family, our shelter, our food, our ability to stay connected with family and friends, and much more. Now, with continued challenges in 2021, we must continue to discover love and blessing in the days, weeks, and months to come.

As God has loved our people in their present and in their past, may we find ways to love those people and things dear to us in our present and past as well.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison