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Hello Parents,
Please join us on Thursday at 5:00pm to share in our final day - celebrating students and faculty on this incredible year together! Yes...there will be ice cream for everyone!
🎉🐬
This week's Parashat: B'midbar
https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/torah-commentary/bmidbar-tweens
This Shabbat we begin reading the book of B'midbar, i.e., in the wilderness. The book is called "Numbers" in English because it begins with a census of all the Israelites in the camp,...God gives us the Torah in the wilderness.
Having made the exodus from Egypt on the way to the land of Promise, it is on the trek that the seminal event in Jewish history transpires.
The desert was not a simple,...the Children of Israel endure the hardships of a demanding, unforgiving physical environment that proved even more daunting from a spiritual perspective.
In a sense, our trials and travails make us stronger. Contemporary commentator Rabbi Harvey Fields suggests that, "this desert experience later becomes a model for Jewish behavior. During times of persecution Jews would look back upon their wanderings across the hostile Sinai desert."
How can we learn about ourselves from nature? This Torah portion is offering a lens of inquiry for each of us: What can we learn from the wilderness? How do you approach a challenge?
Most of my moments of awe come from nature, whether walking in the woods, looking at an amazing landscape or being in my garden digging in the dirt. One vivid memory from my Outward Bound experience as a teenager transpired while rock climbing. Feeling terrified from the height and physical challenge, I froze in the middle of the climb. My choice was to continue up, or fall to the ground. As I looked at my surroundings, I noticed incredible beauty and decided to place my attention on that. Slowly, with support, I managed to breathe calmly and climb. That was my lesson: I could run from fear or challenges, or choose to do something different. This continues to serve me as an adult.
Consider a conversation with your children:
'What can we learn from nature?" Nature can be cruel and dangerous...AND stunningly awe-inspiring. When facing a challenge, what is happening around you that offers a different perspective so you can continue to climb?
I'd love to hear your stories!
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