INTERNET GENEALOGY  DEMONSTRATION          

 

Weekly Torah portion:  Vayera

Genesis 18

    Shabbat ends at 6:46 pm 

7:15am HAVDALAH & SING-A-LONG

558 DOREMUS AVENUE

HAVDALAH IS HOSTED THIS WEEK BY THE REMER FAMILY

JOIN US FOR A SHORT HAVDALAH, MUSIC, AND NOSH

SUNDAY

9:00am SUNDAY MORNING MINYAN

OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY

with a special invitation to our Hay Class students and their parents

            Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Tow

Isaac Bashevis Singer tells the story of Ole and Trufa, two leaves on a tree who care about one another.  On an autumn day, similar to today, the wind comes along and carries Ole off the tree and to the ground.  Trufa is now alone and sad, but one day the wind carries Trufa off the tree as well.  Trufa experiences an amazing sense of liberty, freedom, and redemption flying through the air and getting caught up in the amazing flow of energy that is the universe.

How do we come to terms with the movement in the world from life to death both in nature and among fellow human beings?  We have been asking and struggling with this question forever.  The falling autumn leaves give us an insight into the cycle of life and a perspective on the question.  The leaves fall from deciduous trees and the branches become bare as winter approaches.  Then, in the spring, there are new leaves and new life.  Death, then, is not the "end" in a complete way.  It is part of the cycle of life and, therefore, only one step along the path of life.  The energy contained within natural things that die can be channeled into helping new plant life to grow through composting.(I've seen the amazing results of composting in my own vegetable garden.)

Does soul-energy get translated from a beloved person who dies?  My personal belief is that if this transfer happens in plant material, then it can certainly happen among human beings whose mind and body are deeply connected to one another as we live in families and communities with long collective memories.  We feel echoes of our loved ones who have gone the way of all the earth reverberating through our minds and hearts.  We sense their impact on us, their wisdom, their guidance, and their presence.  Our names often carry a reminder of those who have gone before.  My name "Neil" takes the opening letters of my great grandmother's name "Nettie". 

As autumn waxes here in Bergen County, let's find ways to build stronger and more lasting relationships with our friends and family as we strive to share the best of ourselves, our knowledge, our experience, our humor and more with all those around us.  Passing these energies on to one another, and the next generation, will be far more powerful and lasting than even the strongest and most well-built monuments of metal and stone.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Tow