D'var Torah

Greetings, everyone! I’ve had a wonderful three months away, and it’s also great to be back, catch up and rejoin everything happening at Temple Rodef Shalom.

This week’s portion is packed. Although Moses is in the middle of his speech to the Israelites that takes the whole book of Deuteronomy, we seem to have all the main points packed into this parashah: the imperative to follow the covenant, with the rewards and threats that come with it; the Ten Commandments themselves; and even the text of the Shema, calling on us to pass this teaching down through the generations. 

Nestled between the Ten Commandments and the Shema, Moses sums up his message for us: “Walk the path that Adonai your God has commanded you,” he says. “Do not turn aside to the right or the left.”

For all of us at times, Moses’s words resonate. The paths of our lives can feel straight and narrow, full of commitments and obligations. And yet, Moses also reminds us – right there in the fourth commandment – that we must in fact take times to “turn aside.” Our tradition recognizes the need to stop, renew, and remember that walking in God’s ways means many things – family, relationships, appreciation and enjoyment, learning, as well as fulfilling our obligations.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the congregation for these last three months of extended Shabbat. This was the second half of a six-month sabbatical, split between this year and last. I spent time learning, both on my own and in partnership with others. I traveled with my family, both in California (to spend time with my parents) and in Europe (Italy, Spain and Iceland). And, I was able to focus – as a dad and not a rabbi – on the incredibly meaningful lifecycle celebration of my twin sons becoming B’nai Mitzvah in June. I’m so glad many of you could join me and my family for this!

“Turning aside,” whether on a sabbatical, a vacation, a moment for refreshment and reflection on Shabbat, or whenever we can find the time, is essential to sustaining us as we follow the paths of our lives. Our programming theme for the coming year is “Discover Shabbat!” Please visit the home page of our website to learn about how you can journey with us through this year of rediscovering Shabbat with activities, workshops and moments of gathering to help you find meaning and wholeness as you experience Shabbat in new ways. Let’s look for ways to explore this unique, wise and fulfilling commandment together.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jeff Saxe