Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

I had the blessing of addressing our Sinai Akiba Academy 8th grade graduates, and this is the story and message I shared:

The Torah is often compared to “a tree of life.” As we sing when we return to the Torah to the ark, “It is a tree of life for those that hold fast to it.” What is the essence of the analogy? What is a tree of life?

The Torah introduces us to the idea of not defrauding another person. Leviticus 25:17 teaches, “Do not cheat one another, but fear your God.”

The omer is not the most widely celebrated mitzvah. However, with patience, grace, and intention, the omer holds potential to be a soul-stirring experience.

Sinai Temple Religious School educator Elaine Seltzer shared the story of how her parents met:

It seems strange to think about Yom Kippur before celebrating Shavuot. However, the Torah reading compels us to think about the Yom Kippur rituals and how they apply to our lives, both during Yom Kippur and every day.

Many of us are familiar with the four children in the Haggadah. The wise, rebellious, innocent ,and voiceless children sit at the table. Adults are tasked to teach the story of our people according to each child’s learning style and ability.

The themes of Passover are smacking us in the face. In the Haggadah, we implore each Jew to see themselves as if they were the ones to personally leave Egypt. As we watch the Islamic Republic of Iran reign terror on Israel and experience direct antisemitism in our local communities, this line in the Haggadah feels as if it is being written, read, and lived in real time.

We live in a polarized world. More and more, we have reasons to turn from each other and walk on separate paths. But sometimes, miraculously, a natural event reminds us that we have more in common than we realize.

Of all the Jewish holidays, Passover requires the longest preparation. We clean our homes, kasher our kitchens, buy an obscene amount of food, and design elaborate Seder meals. There is an abundance of effort and exhaustion in the process of attaining “freedom.”