Rabbi's Corner

Message from the Rabbi

אֵיכָ֥ה אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טׇרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַֽשַּׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם׃
"How can I bear unaided the trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering!" (Deuteronomy 1:12)
The first word of this sentence in Hebrew is Eicha.  In English there is a book of the Torah known as Eicha, which means Lamentations. It is read on the Tisha B’av which will be observed beginning August 12th at night and going through August 13.  It commemorates the  destruction of both the first and second Temples and is considered one of the worst days in the Jewish year.  
Here, Moses recalls a time when it was too difficult to lead the Jewish people by himself.  It is interesting to note that until this moment he wasn’t leading the Jewish people by himself, he had Miriam and Aaron to help.  However, it was still too much and so he assigns judges from every tribe to assist him.  This verse, therefore, teaches two important lessons. 

1. When you become overwhelmed, you sometimes forget there are those already in your life ready to help.  You may have just lost sight of them in your emotions.  
2. When you become overwhelmed, ask for help.

This week’s Shabbat discussion will be about “The Triangulated Relationship.” 

Wednesday evenings from 8:00-9:00 September 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2024
This four-week course is for individuals of all experience levels. Throughout the course, we will learn the most commonly recited Jewish prayers and blessings. The class will be conducted using transliteration, which means the Hebrew text will be presented alongside phonetic pronunciation for ease of learning. The essential prayers and blessings we will cover include the High Holy Day blessings, Shabbat blessings, Aliyot for Torah reading, and core prayers like the Shema and V’ahavta. By the end of this course, you will be able to actively participate in Jewish rituals and ceremonies with confidence.
Registering is a must by rsvping to Rabbistein@ghcny.org so I know if we have enough interest to run this course.  Additionally, you can let me know what you are most interested in.
This course will be held on zoom. I will be providing the link when you register.