Bylined opinion and news columns published by United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.
Hanukkah reminds us of our longing for light, and the Torah portions traditionally read at this time of year reflect upon the building of the mikdash — a dwelling place for God on earth, literally, a “place for the holy,” which we often translate as “the Temple.”
Our synagogues are sometimes called a mikdash me’at, or a “miniature Temple.”
L’shana tovah tikateyvu, Happy New Year, and may you be inscribed for good in the coming year!
I’m looking forward to returning to Terre Haute to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Days of Awe, and the coming year, 5786, with the United Hebrew Congregation community!
We have entered the Hebrew month of Elul, the month during which tradition teaches us to begin hearing the call of the shofar and to prepare for the upcoming High Holy Days (the Days of Awe) of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
During this month of preparation, we can take concrete actions to prepare. And our preparation goes beyond planning a menu for Rosh Hashanah dinner and finding a good recipe for honey cake (though I encourage you to do that as well, and please share if you have a good one!). Preparation means we can begin in earnest a process called heshbon hanefesh — an accounting of our souls.
I’d like to discuss a television show that I loved watching in the mid ’90s.
No, I’m not talking about Baywatch. My favorite show was Northern Exposure.
The show is a basic fish-out-of-water tale. The main character is a Jewish New York doctor who upon completion of his medical training is set to begin a carefully planned career that would include the location of his practice, his area of expertise and even his “choice” Jewish fiance.
Starting on the second night of Passover, we began the period of the Counting of the Omer, which in Jewish tradition helps us with spiritual preparation for our next festival, Shavuot (when we celebrate Moses’s receiving the Law at Mount Sinai). This period represents the time between our liberation from slavery and our formation as a people in covenant with God. We count the Omer during the seven weeks (49 days) between Passover and Shavuot.
There are several customs associated with the Omer period. One of these is studying Pirke Avot (Portions of Our Fathers, which is a book contained in the Mishneh, part of Jewish oral tradition).