“Sh’ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad. Hear, O Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal alone.”
The Sh’ma is a simple text. It is a declaration of faith. It reminds us of our connection to the Divine. It was my late mother and father who showed us by example what it meant to have a personal relationship with God. My relationship with God sustains me and nurtures me to this day. From the time I was born, I still cannot go to sleep at night until I recite those sacred words. I write about the Sh’ma this week because the words of the Sh’ma and V’ahavta are found in this weeks Torah portion, V’etchanan, in Deuteronomy 6: 4-8 ff.
A few years ago, I was deeply moved when a friend gifted me with a beautiful silver Sh’ma necklace. She didn’t know my connection to this prayer. She didn’t realize it represented a profound link not only to God but also to my parents, both of whom died more than 15 years ago. I put that necklace on and have rarely taken it off since. It symbolizes my unwavering faith in God as well as my enduring connection to my parents.
Recently, shortly after returning from a morning walk, I looked down and saw that my beautiful Sh’ma necklace had suddenly turned completely black with tarnish. The day before, it had been a shiny silver. I noticed the change during a High Holy Day preparation session with colleagues. We were discussing “crises of faith.” In a spirit of trust and openness, we spoke about difficult topics, painful feelings, and the questions that arise for so many of us every day: the ongoing war in Israel, the difficult situation in Gaza, the alarming rise in antisemitism here in North America, and the growing challenges that confront so many people in the United States each and every day.
It felt as though my necklace was mirroring the emotions reflected in our conversation. Just then, I happened to glance out the window: the sky had blackened with the deluge of a sudden rainstorm.
Don’t each of us, at one time or another, feel that our faith has become “tarnished” or “blackened” when we encounter challenging moments in our lives? When the sky darkens, when the waters become troubled, when the burden feels too heavy to bear, don’t we sometimes struggle to feel God’s presence?
How do we restore the luster to our faith? How do we renew and refresh our relationship with the Divine so that we can feel God’s presence shining brightly in our lives once again?
Just as we must work to maintain our relationships with the people we love, so too does our relationship with God require intention, care, and effort. When we question, when we struggle, we are engaging in sacred dialogue. When we join with our community in prayer, study, social action, and celebration, we encounter God’s presence. When we reach out to those in need, of healing, of support, of companionship, we bring God’s light not only into their lives, but into our own. As Jews, we believe that we come to know God through our actions and our deeds, through connecting both with community and with our own innermost spirit, by “reaching out to others, up to God, and in toward ourselves” (Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav).
Just as I find my daily mindfulness practices restorative and reaffirming, so too does the Jewish calendar offer us built-in structures for spiritual renewal. This is true especially now, as we begin our journey toward the Days of Awe. (Shabbat, in and of itself, is the quintessential Jewish mindfulness experience).
Shabbat this week has a special name: Shabbat Nachamu - Shabbat of Consolation. The name is drawn from the opening words of the Haftarah for this Saturday morning, Isaiah 40:1–26.
“Nachamu, nachamu ami,
Comfort, oh comfort My people, says your God.”
(Isaiah 40:1)
This Haftarah speaks of comforting the Jewish people in the aftermath of their exile from the Land of Israel and the devastation they endured. It is the first of seven special consecutive Haftarot of Consolation that we read between Tisha B’Av (which took place this past weekend) and Rosh Hashanah.
The prophet Isaiah offers words of solace and hope, reminding the Israelites, and us, that God’s compassion endures, even in the face of hardship. The idea of finding comfort amidst turmoil, and a spark of light in the darkness, offers us inspiration as we navigate the complexities of our world: the heartbreak in Israel in the Middle East the rise of hatred close to home, and the private struggles we each carry.
We will have an opportunity to explore some of these issues together this coming Sunday, August 10th, 10:00 am, during our next “Kibbitz and Coffee” session: “What Keeps You Awake at Night - A Jewish Response to Critical Issues of Our Day." I hope you’ll join me as I facilitate what promises to be an engaging, thoughtful, and provocative discussion. (See Wednesday’s email or contact the TBO office for more information and to register.)
As we count down the seven weeks toward the High Holy Days, may we use this sacred time mindfully, as we turn upward toward the Divine, outward toward one another, and inward to the deepest recesses of our souls. May we discover renewed faith in the work we do together, in the friendships we share, in the trust we have built, and in God, who gives us life and strength.
In a few hours, we begin this Shabbat Nachamu, this Shabbat of Consolation. My Sh’ma necklace which is now shiny and silver once again, reminds me of faith restored and God's enduring love. This faith sustains me and gives me hope to persevere in our turbulent world.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Sharon L. Sobel
Interim Rabbi
Temple Beth Or
rabbisobel@tboraleigh.org
