In this week's Torah portion, Naso, we are privileged to read the Priestly Blessing that may be familiar to many of us.

 

May God bless you and Keep you.

May God make His face shine upon you.

May God lift His face to you and grant you peace.

 

The three lines, totaling 15 Hebrew words, seek connection with God spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The notion of God having a "face" that can "shine" upon a person or be" lifted" to that person places God in a human context that is quite interesting.

 

As I am writing I am still savoring the Shabbat/Shavuot weekend we just had and I am feeling many of the blessings that the Holy One has to give. If you were not here, I report to you that our JCC was truly alive this past holiday weekend. It was alive with people, it was alive with song, and it was alive with community. And what a blessing it all was.

 

We started with our monthly Friday Night dinner. This month we had a barbecue and the hot dogs, burgers, and baked beans were joined by salads, knishes, and an awesome chicken and rice dish. The food was excellent but, more importantly, the ruach (spirit) in the building was tangible. As I led services, from the Bimah, I felt a wonderful energy in the sanctuary.

 

My talk centered on the gift of Torah and our need to open that gift.

 

Shavuot evening it is customary to Study Torah into the morning hours. This custom is called "Tikkun Leil Shavuot".  We had 15 people studying with us. For some, it was their first time in the building. We studied family dynamics in the Torah. We looked at the people involved in the stories not as prophets, but as real people. We had some fascinating conversations.   What could be bad about people being together and learning while eating cheesecake and drinking wine? The short answer is nothing! We studied until 11:00 pm. The give and take was a holy endeavor.

 

Services for the first day of Shavuot featured a blessing given to all of the children who attended. One of our joys on Shavuot is that we have a number of families that join us from the cities of White Plains and Harrison in New York. The building was literally humming with 20 children of all ages. Four adults held up a Tallit, like a mini-chuppah, and I gave a blessing to all the children standing under it.

It was what I refer to as a "Sinai Moment", a time that one can feel the smiling presence of God. The building was full, the bimah was full, and my heart was full.

 

The blessings continued on Monday. 65 people made the pilgrimage to the JCC for Shavuot services and to be present for the special Yizkor (remembrance) Service. Again, the sanctuary had an added energy that fed into a meaningful Yizkor service. I have referred to the Yizkor service as an opportunity to spend some time with the loved ones we have lost.

 

Over the course of the long holiday weekend there was not a day when the JCC was not filled with people seeking, prayer, community, camaraderie, memory, God, and/or peace. Shavuot is called the Feast of Weeks; this year it felt more like a Feast of Blessings.

 

Indeed, God showed us kindness and granted us peace.

 

Shabbat Shalom - Rabbi Michael S. Jay