Dear TBZ community:
It is the last day of 2021, and most of us did not expect the year to end like this. No, we thought that we would be through this pandemic. We thought we would be back to normal life - a life that did not include quarantining and testing and masking. One that did not include anxiety and fear and so much uncertainty. One that did not include constantly changing plans. One that did not include a feeling of hopelessness and the constant exhaustion of not knowing. We thought it would be over.
A while ago my family planned a trip to New York City to celebrate everyone in our family being fully vaccinated. During this December vacation, we were going to spend a few days with dear friends and see a Broadway show. And then everything in NY began to change, and to shut down. Our friends recommended that we not come. Our Broadway show was cancelled. Covid was back.
Instead, and at the last minute, I pivoted and took the girls and one of their friends to a family farm and inn in New Hampshire. We spent lots of our time outside, enjoying nature and of course the cows, the ponies, the bunnies and the snow. I got to take walks, with and without kids, stay off of technology, read books and be fed delicious food with no cleaning or cooking required from me. The farm held an old-fashioned evening (except for the required masks!) of square dancing. As I watched the kids dancing and laughing, even behind masks, I realized that they had forgotten that this was not our original plan. Disappointment was gone and this plan was perfect, for them and for me. This “pivoting” of plans brought some great blessings and I felt grateful.
In this week’s parasha, Parshat Va'era, God speaks to Moses and tells him, that God will take the people out of Egypt, freeing them from slavery and making a covenant between the poeple of Israel and God. But the people of Israel were not yet ready:
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה כֵּן אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה.
But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage.
The people were not ready to hear about this possibility of redemption because their spirit was crushed - or in Hebrew- Kotzer Ruach, their Ruach, their spirit was short. They were short of breath. They couldn't breath well.
Rashi explains:
ולא שמעו אל משה. לֹא קִבְּלוּ תַנְחוּמִין.
They would not listen to Moses: they did not accept his words of comfort.
מקצר רוח. כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא מֵצֵר, רוּחוֹ וּנְשִׁימָתוֹ קְצָרָה, וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַאֲרִיךְ בִּנְשִׁימָתוֹ
Their spirits crushed, through anguish (lit. shortness) of spirit: If one is in anguish his breath comes in short gasps and he cannot draw long breaths.
At a moment of deep anguish and exhaustion, at a moment of fear and hopelessness, the people could not receive God’s comfort because they could not breathe deeply enough.
What I love the most about Rashi’s explanation is that he understands God’s message of liberation not necessarily as “good news” but as words of comfort. They could not experience God’s presence, love, and comfort in the midst of so much fear, anxiety, uncertainty and hopelessness.
Can we?
Perhaps this can be our invitation for this shabbat and for the new year of 2022. If we have learned something in the past almost two years it is that although there is so much we don’t know, we can pivot, we can change, we can be flexible. And hopefully we have learned to better accept that which we can not change and have the courage to change that which we can (and as the Serenity Prayer teaches us have the wisdom to know the difference).
Yes, it is the end of 2021 and we are still in the midst of this pandemic. And yes, more people are testing positive. Yes, our plans keep changing. But we are figuring it out as we go, and we do have this choice: we can let fear and anguish and our shortness of breath guide us or we can let God’s comfort embrace us even in the midst of this moment. We can accept this present, even when it is not what we hoped for or planned for, with gratitude, with blessing and even at times with joy.
TBZ continues to keep our physical and spiritual doors open.
Our community is here for you. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to let us know at hesed@tbzbrookline.org. If you don’t feel ready to join us in person, or if you are not feeling well, come join in through Zoom or YouTube for services as well as many of our programs.
If you want to be in community, in person, we continue to gather following our safe and strong Covid protocols. The message we have received from the doctors who advise us is that as long as we continue to follow our Covid protocols, we can be together - masked, vaccinated, distanced, windows opened, fans running. As many of us continue to advocate for learning how to live with this pandemic and for schools to be open and all necessary places for society to keep going, I believe that houses of worship are part of what society needs to keep going. Here we are – for you and with you – so we can receive God’s comfort during these times.
If you did not have a chance to read my end of year message that I sent last Sunday you can find it here. I hope that if TBZ has inspired you in any way you support TBZ in your end of year contributions. You can donate here.
May this Shabbat bring renewal and blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, and patience, and open our hearts with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing.
May we have a joyful and restful Shabbat!
Happy new Year, May 2022 be a year of blessing, of health and just an easier year for all of us.
Shabbat Shalom,
