We can’t always win. And sometimes we make mistakes. And sometimes we get caught and punished. And sometimes it feels unfair. And sometimes it is just a bad day. But it still hurts. Like many of you, Leslie and I watched the Super Bowl with hopeful anticipation. As one quarter rolled into the next, the excitement gave way to loss and sadness.
It is hard to believe that it’s been a year since COVID-19 emerged. In the past 12 months our lives have dramatically shifted as we embraced life during a pandemic. The question we ask ourselves is what now? There is still so much confusion and unknown, with constant changes and upheavals coming our way. Where do we go from here?
I first discovered the writing of Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, who passed away this week at age 90, as a beginning rabbinical student. His spiritual and Hasidic writings gave emotional lift to my classes on Jewish law.
Next week’s haftorah (reading from Prophets), “Shabbat Shekalim”, contains the following verses: (2 Kings 11:19-20; translation from Artscroll)
It begins — “It was when Pharaoh sent out the nation” — with the most momentous event — namely the Jewish peoples’ miraculous crossing the Sea of Reeds — and forever having their noxious slave masters gone, resulting in perhaps the most beautiful of Jewish prayers, the Az Yashir.
Toward the beginning of my favorite documentary, “Baseball” by Ken Burns, the narrator intones the following: “Baseball follows the seasons; it begins each year with the fond expectancy of springtime; and it ends with the hard facts of autumn.”
In this week’s Torah portion of “Bo,” G-d commands Moses “Come To Pharaoh...”
Eliana, my 4-year-old daughter, just returned to in-person preschool. On Monday, she was excited to be dropped off outside with her mask and backpack on, walking into school with no parents. On Tuesday, she talked about finishing a project she started on Monday. But on Wednesday, while still snuggling in bed, she asked, “do I have to go to school?” Shocked at the question because Eliana loves school, I answered, “yes.” Then she continued, “do I have to wear a mask?”
As The Chronicle was about to arrive in mailboxes last week, supporters of President Trump were storming the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s win in last year’s presidential election. As the aftereffects of the deadly Jan. 6 riot continued into this week, The Chronicle revisited some of the immediate responses from the local Jewish Community. The statements have been edited for length.
Back when I began my rabbinate, I used a paper calendar. There was something special about opening it up at the beginning of the year. It was blank. Nothing was written. Anything was possible.
