Messages from our Rabbi

Dear Congregants,

At the end of a painful week of horrifying devastation in Los Angeles, we can find inspiration and comfort in the words of our Torah. This week’s parasha, Vayechi, is the final portion of the book of Genesis. Jacob, our ancestor, is ill and approaching the end of his life. He asks to see his son Joseph with his sons, Menasheh and Ephraim. Jacob then meets with each of his sons.  

It is indeed this verse that is part of the traditional parental blessing on Friday nights: “May God bless you and make you like Ephraim and Menasheh (Genesis 48:20).” In every encounter, Jacob shares words of blessing which can be understood as the first Ethical Will. Jacob imparts his values and aspirations for their future. 

An Ethical Will can be written any time and there is not one format to do so. Write a few thoughts this Shabbat. Values you’d like to share with your loved ones. Write an addendum next month, next year, at a simcha, anytime. We often associate a Will with objects to be distributed. An Ethical Will is a spiritual legacy, and does not need to be divided. It can be one message shared or blessings written specifically to a loved one. 

Rabbi Tali Adler notes Jacob’s blessings indicate that there is not only one blessing for him to share. He has enough blessings for every child. This is a stark contrast to what Jacob experienced as a child when he and his mother Rebecca manipulated his father Isaac to give him a blessing instead of Esau. We are each capable of giving and receiving blessings. We are all worthy of blessings.

How do we find blessings in dark times? This has been a devastating week in Los Angeles and we all have a connection to someone —a friend, a relative, a colleague. We see the best of humanity when we reach out to others to extend kindness, to offer compassion, to help however we can. 
 

You may be helping a loved one in LA  directly. Here are a couple of organizations recommended by colleagues in Los Angeles:

Wildfire Crisis Relief Jewish Federation Los Angeles

Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation

A Prayer for Victims of the Los Angeles Fires by Rabbi Naomi Levy

God, our Rock and our Comfort

Hear our prayer. 

Our hearts break for all those

Who have lost their homes in this deadly blaze.

The victims are in shock.

Life as they knew it, 

All their treasured possessions, 

Beloved heirlooms,

Touchstones for so many cherished memories 

Were swept away in an instant.

Their sense of place and home

Their safety and stability have been shaken.

Help us, God, to anchor them,

To shelter, support and steady them with love

As the numbness wears off, 

The enormity of the loss sets in

And the work before them begins.

Be with them, God,

Be their strength and their comfort,

Shield them from despair,

Let them know You are near. 

Fill them with the courage they will need to begin again,

Bless the firefighters and first responders, God,

And watch over them 

As they put their own lives at risk

To protect our beloved city.

Work through us, God,

Transform our helplessness into action,

Inspire us with the determination 

And the perseverance we will need 

To bring devastated neighborhoods back to life.

Fill us all with the vision of the new days that lie ahead,

A dream of our city restored.

Let Jeremiah’s prophecy of hope enter every heart and soul:

“The city shall be rebuilt upon its ruins!”

So may it be, 

And let us say, Amen.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Dantowitz