Rabbi's Corner

Message from the Rabbi

Change of Plans

“If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, but the first-born is the son of the unloved one…“ (Deuteronomy 21:15)

Insert joke here about one wife being plenty.  All joking aside, the pain of living in a loveless marriage or in a home filled with conflict and tension can be unbearable. It is the reason why Judaism has always permitted the dissolution of a marriage. 

Our tradition understands that sometimes people who were once in love with each other can no longer live with each other. 

The lesson extends beyond the boundaries of marriage to life in general. Through our daily liturgy we grow to understand that we can always change our direction. We all have choices and we can change.  It is the work we do now in preparation for the high holidays that we begin to pave a new path.