Rabbi Jonathan Shippel
Parsha of the Week
Summary
The weekend of August 26th, 2022 begins the month of Elul. This is the last month of the year in the Hebrew calendar and is a time for introspection and reflection. In the secular world, time is viewed as a line that moves forward, leaving past events behind us. For the Jewish people, time is a downward spiral, in which each turn of the spiral is another year. As each cycle or year unwinds below the previous one, meaningful dates and major events line up with all the previous years’ significant experiences and the future years’ potential. This connects the auspicious karma that is available to spiritually sensitive people, both backward and forward in time. In the practice of yarzheit, one is able to connect to the past memory of a loved one by lighting a candle for 24 hours on the date of their passing. Honouring them this way connects to the energy and meaning of that person’s life. The flame and wax of the candle are like the body and soul of the loved one. As the flame rises higher while the wax melts, it is possible to connect with the legacy of that person and their special energy they brought to the world. It is a celebration that continues their exalted journey and invites it to become integrated into one’s own life.
At the beginning of Elul, Moses pleaded for the Jewish people to receive a second chance from God after the first Two Commandments were broken. After descending from the mountain with the first two tablets, Moses found the people worshipping idols. God was frustrated with the Jewish people, but Moses prayed for God to give them a second chance. God says to Moses to come to the mountain again for 40 days and he instructs Moses to cut the second oblong tablets himself. Elul is the preparation month for receiving the second tablets, and Moses descends from the mountain on Yom Kippur, known as the day of second chance.
This week’s Torah portion is Devarim Deuteronomy Chapter 11 verse 26, in which God presents two mountains to the Jewish people – blessings and curses. God addresses this message to each individual person. The mountains of blessings and curses are presented to us as life itself today – opportunities and challenges we face through our lives. We have the choice to decide and recognize which of these we will face. The ability of discernment is an important part of Jewish life - by viewing the challenges as blessings, your life will be full of blessings, and you yourself will become a blessing.
Rabbi Jonathan Shippel
Jonathan Shippel is a graduate of Columbia University and Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Maryland. After his studies, Jonathan returned to his city of birth, Cape Town, South Africa, where he founded a vibrant congregation, learning center, and day school. Today, Rabbi Shippel is the Rosh Yeshiva of the James Striar School for Undergraduate Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University. In 2010 he founded the Beis, a dynamic learning center, congregation, and community for Jews of all backgrounds and levels of engagement in New York City.