Call it a Day

When we learn about the holidays in this week’s parsha, Emor, God doesn’t exclaim, “Here are my holidays!”  They aren’t called chaggim, festivals, or yom tovim, good days.  Instead, God says mo’ed, fixed times.  But God specifically adds, “You should call these fixed times “מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ” “holy convocations”.  

The Netivot Shalom (Rabbi Sholom Noach Berezovsky) asks the question: "How is it even possible that holiness could exist in This World - a world of materiality, physical desires, impurity, shells, and appetites? How can a human bring holiness upon themself in This World; look, This World and holiness are diametrical opposites."  I’m not sure what the Netivot Shalom is getting at here.  Is it that the world is so opposite to holy that he can’t imagine holiness existing?  Or is it that humans are so entrenched in non-holiness that we can’t live in holiness?  Just because something is opposite doesn’t mean that they can’t both exist.  

The Netivot Shalom answers his own question by saying that the Holy Bountiful One brought down to This World a complete system of holiness where one can independently strengthen their purpose of becoming a holy nation. In order to help humans feel a world of holiness, God brought us specific times during which we can experience holiness and since we’re doing it at the same time, we will be become one.  Rabbi Berezovsky teaches us that God understands that we need to have a specific time and space to bring ourselves to holiness, that we could use some structure.  

I hope that you find some space to bring holiness into your life this Shabbat.  It is a holy convocation.  

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Blatt

Benjamin Rubin, Grandfather of Mitchell Weiss

Irving Radin, Uncle of Deborah Greenberg

Irving J. Hellman, Uncle of Mervin Hellman

Jack Rubin, Uncle of Ileana Berger

Anne Teblum, Grandmother of Gary Teblum

Freida Fanny Abramowitz, Grandmother of Susan Dvorchik Michelle R Amsterdam, Mother of Bonnie Amsterdam-Miele

Harry Weinstein, Father of Sam Weinstein

Dorothy Bogan, Grandmother of Sheila Solomon Rudd

Fred Cobin, Father of Susan Wine

Esther Tarica, Mother of Joseph Tarica

Anne Fogel, Grandmother of Julie Pearlman

Gertrude Goodman, Great Aunt of Jamie Krischer

Yehudis Pearlman, Grandmother of Nathan Pearlman

Friday, May 24 Holy Happy Hour!

Saturday, May 25 Shabbat Services and Kiddush Luncheon

Friday, May 31 Shabbat Lite followed by a Potluck Dinner

Saturday, June 1 Shabbat Services honoring our High School Graduates!

Make a Minyan! 

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Weekly Talmud Study with Rabbi Blatt.

Thursday at 10:30am - May 23 & 30

Join our Talmud Class - an all-levels discussion of Talmud.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/624135476

Parsha Study with Rashi

Saturday at 8:30am - May 18 & 25

A weekly discussion of the Haftarah of the week.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/795031104

Meeting ID: 795 031 104