They aren’t super neat or well-edited, but I have some thoughts to share about Elul and this week’s Torah portion.
When I came out of the bathroom today at one of the medical clinics I’ve been frequenting, that was the picture hanging on the wall in front of me. It isn’t a mistake. It isn’t incidental. It is right outside the gender neutral bathrooms in a medical clinic. That photo on that wall in that place is someone’s fierce pursuit of justice. And kol hakavod. I’m here for it.
Here we are now at the end of the book of Genesis. No celebration. No miracle.
Joseph grows old, speaks to his brothers, and dies.
Our last image in Genesis is not creation or freedom or return.
It is a coffin in Egypt.
(Sounds depressing, right? Maybe give it a chance.)
The covenant isn’t between God and Moses, it includes all of us.
Words and Torah aren’t only Moses’s legacy, they are also our legacy.
Merchav Shabbat meets online the 1st and 3rd Saturday 9:30am Central.
We’re saving a seat for you! Please send me a message if you are interested.
In Merchav Shabbat, our online Shabbat morning services on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays, we've been learning to chant trope for almost a whole year now. What that looks and sounds like is 9, 10, 11, and 12 year olds chanting Torah for us many weeks.
Now we’ve added a summary of the Torah portion and a d'var Torah that we read together.
NEXT week in July - by the request of our 8-13 year olds, our whole Torah service will expand a bit and we'll add more discussion of the Torah portion during our time together. More Torah, More Tines!
If you are joining Merchav Shabbat on Saturday, you might want to wait to read this - unless you want a preview! If you don’t have the link, please reach out to me!
