Dear Friend,
Time is precious, passing us by even as we try desperately to slow it down and take our time. Time is a gift that we should cherish, appreciate, and use properly, for the time we have now will never be available again.
But what about the time we made mistakes, what about the time we did not know, what about the time we wasted, is that really lost with nothing to gain from it at all?
When the Torah tells us that Avrohom and Sarah were old at the birth of Yitzchak, the Torah says “Avrohom and Sarah were old, coming along in days”.
Torah commentators explain that “coming along in days” here means that all of Avrohom and Sarah's days were “perfect and complete” in their service of G-d. They did not miss out on any time and used it all for great, holy accomplishments.
However, if we know our history, (and we do) we know that Avrohom and Sarah did not always know G-d, there was a time that was steeped in idolatry before they knew the truth. There was a time of searching, discovery, trial and error until finally they understood that there is a G-d.
There is an important lesson here:
We should never look back at the time where we were wrong or made mistakes as wasted time that we can never get back.
Avrohom and Sarah were “complete in their days” despite living in error in their early years, because that time was used for the discovery of the truth. Even the mistakes they made was time used to discover and move forward.
That is why Avrohom and Sarah’s days were complete. They really did use all the time they had without ever wasting any.
We too must take on the perspective of the importance and value of time, use every moment to its fullest, by focusing every moment to something productive. And then, even the times that we are not proud of can retroactively become time that was used to learn and discover a better way.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Mendel & Elke Zaltzman
Shabbos Times
Friday, November 11
Candle Lighting: 4:23pm
Evening service: 4:30pm
Saturday, November 12 Morning service: 10:00am
Kiddush Brunch: 12:00pm Evening service: 4:25pm
Shabbos ends: 5:24pm
Kiddush Sponsored by Max and Miriam Bakalaynik
in honor of the birth and naming of their daughter
Mazal tov!!
On November 4th, over 100 teens in our community joined to celebrate Shabbat together! Right after the anti-Semitic threats to our synagogues, these teens proudly joined to celebrate our Jewish traditions together.
Joining us was Mayor Kurt Peluso as well as Jteen alumni Aron Dyadyuk addressing the teens. Huge thanks to all our teens who joined, volunteered, sponsored and helped create this special evening.
A renowned rabbi, a brilliant philosopher, was held in high regard by his driver, who listened in awe at every speech while his boss would easily answer questions about morality, ethics and philosophy.
Then one day the driver approached the rabbi and asked if he was willing to switch roles for the evening's lecture. The rabbi agreed and, for a while, the driver handled himself remarkably well. When it came time for questions from the guests, a man in the back asked, "Is the epistemological view of the universe still valid in an existentialist world?"
"That is an extremely simple question," he responded. "So simple, in fact, that even my driver could answer that, which is exactly what he will do."
WEEKLY eTORAH
s it a sin to argue with G‑d? Is it sacrilegious to question the Divine? Well, Abraham did it. Not for himself, but on behalf of the people of Sodom, whom G‑d had decided to destroy because of their wickedness. Abraham was the paragon of chesed, the personification of kindness and compassion. He grappled with the Almighty, attempting to negotiate a stay of execution for the inhabitants of the notorious cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
"Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?" he asks G‑d. "Will the judge of all the earth not do justice?" "If there are 50 righteous men, will you spare them? 45? 40... 30... 20... 10?" In the end, Abraham cannot find even a minyan of righteous men in the cities and he gives up. And then the verse reads, V'Avraham shov l'mkomo — "And Abraham went back to his place." Having failed in his valiant attempt, he acknowledges defeat and retreats to his corner.
But there is also an alternative interpretation to those last words. And Abraham went back to his place can also be understood to mean that he went back to his ways, to his custom. And what custom is that? To defend the underdog, to look out for the needy and to help those in trouble, even if they are not the most righteous of people. Abraham refused to become disillusioned in defeat. He went right back to his ways, even though this particular attempt did not meet with success.
What happens when we lose? We hurt, we sulk, and we give up. It didn't work, it's no use. It's futile, why bother? Just throw in the towel.
Not Abraham. Abraham stuck to his principles. He may have experienced a setback, but he would still champion the cause of justice. He would still speak out for those in peril. And he would still take his case to the highest authority in the universe, G‑d Almighty Himself.
Abraham teaches us not to lose faith, not to deviate from our chosen path or our sincerely held convictions. If we believe it is the right thing to do, then it is right even if there is no reward in sight. If it is right, then stick to it, no matter the outcome.
Do we believe in our principles of faith because of expediency? Are we virtuous because we believe it is the way to the good life? Are we waiting for the big payoff for our good behavior? What happens when we don't see it? Do we become frustrated, disillusioned and angry at G‑d?
Virtue is its own reward. Sleeping better at night because our conscience is clear is also part of the deal. Or, in the words of the Sages, "the reward for a mitzvah is the mitzvah."
Our founding father reminds us that a Jew's gotta do what a Jew's gotta do, regardless of the outcome. Whether we see the fruits of our labors or not, if it's the right thing to do, then carry on doing it.
May we all be true children of Abraham.
