Last night I noticed a very small crescent moon and I realized that the new Hebrew month had begun. Welcome to Adar! But unlike most years, our Hebrew year of 5776 which began on Rosh Hashanah is actually a leap year (sheer-coincidence and no connection to 2016) and has an additional 29 days. Whether you reckon time in 2016 and you gain an extra day or 5776 and you gain an additional four weeks; we are blessed with extra time this year! What shall we do with this bonus? After all, it seems that we are constantly running out of time. This year we have more!
Will we visit someone in the hospital a bit more frequently, become a bit more active in a charitable organization, perhaps attend a Torah on tap class at the Alchemy Tavern? Opportunities abound. I hope that all of us seek to find and to bring meaningful tasks and meritorious deeds into our two Leap years.
This week’s Torah reading, Termuah, describes the beginning of the first Jewish fundraising effort. Ancient Israelites were to contribute gifts of gold, silver and beautiful fabrics in order to construct the Tabernacle. The first phrase in this Torah reading reads as follows: Let every person contribute something from his or her own heart.
It was up to the individual to share of his own possessions so that the community might have a beautiful and inspirational worship site. Each individual chose to add meaning to his community by sharing of his or her own wealth. So too, may we all choose to add meaning to our community, not only by the contributions that we make but also by how we spend our time.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Steve Silberman
Please join me at theAlchemy Tavern on South Joachim Street on Wednesday, February 17th from 5:30 PM- 7:00 PM. Bring your IPad or phone with the free app. (Pocket Torah), buy a beer, study and schmooze.
On Thursday, February 18th at 7:00PM, What does Judaism say about the Messiah? On February 18, I will be addressing the Trialogue and explaining the Jewish perspective of Messiah. Christian & Muslim perspectives will also be shared. Feel free to enjoy some refreshments.
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