Greetings friends
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is past, and it passed with little to no fanfare. The hostages of October 7 are still languishing like Joseph in the caves of Hamas, and no one, sadly, seems too bothered. Let us continue to pray for their safety, their health, and their freedom.
We have had a few new years, and there are more coming with the Chinese New Year and with the beginning of spring, but another one that is not talked about too often is tu b’shvat – the 15th of the month of sh’vat that we are in now, which is the new year of the trees.
Trees improve our air quality – they are the lungs of the earth; they improve water quality and reduce erosion; they temper climate in their ability to serve as air conditioning; they conserve energy – cooling in summer and not preventing heat in winter; and they are a natural ecosystem providing shelter and food for birds and animals. The next time you see a tree – thank it for all it does.
And, of course, we are coming up quickly on the holiday of love – Valentine’s Day, so celebrate love; there is no greater power in creation.
This week is a special week for our Torah reading – we witness the great reunion of Moses with his family, and while we do not get to hear anything said between him and his wife or sons, his father-in-law Jethro will suggest a system of judges to help Moses. A system which stood in place for a thousand years, but the special part of this reading is when we are in the third month of the exodus, and we have gathered at the mountain of G0d, and he, himself, will descend in fire and thunder and speak to the assembled crowd.
It is the great epiphany – the ten words - ‘Aseret haDibro; the decalogue; the great epiphany when 600,000 people stood on a mountain as witnesses to G0d giving the ten rules on how to live life; how to honor creation; our roots; our time and all humanity, given to each man, woman, and child, alone. The tense spoken in, and only here, is the second person singular – words spoken to each individual.
The ten are divided into three sections – relating to G0d and the universe, our roots, how to treat the other sojourners we share the planet with
They are easy rules to follow and once they were the entire prayer service and all that was recited daily. Do that, and you will change how you live your life.
No other god - just like light or sound emanates from a single source and vibrates and expands - there is a point at the root of everything - the one - he who causes being - was the point from which everything emanated.
No image – this goes beyond mere recognition - we cannot make an image of something that is beyond our ability to imagine.
No lying oaths - We say do not take the name of the lord in vain, and we think it has to do with swearing - no - it has to do with making an oath in the name of G0d - We even went so far as to incorporate the annulment of such vows from what has become the most sacred day of the year.
Remember the sabbath - sabbath means stop, cease - take time to stop – it is the only act that comes closest to allow for imitatio dei.
Honor mother and father - the roots of where you come from; the energy of male and female; intellect and emotion - the two elements needed for creation.
No murder – and the King John translation is wrong – it is not kill - murder contains intention, killing may not. And this is not just about physical acts – we often murder the spirit of people.
No adultery - This strikes at the emotional commitments we make.
No stealing – it can be as simple as an apple from the grocery store or time at work for personal business.
No lying – lies create a momentum of their own and lay at the root of loshen hora – evil speech.
And last is No coveting – when we covet, we long for what someone else has, and this breeds jealousy and envy and diminishes our own worth. Do not diminish yourself.
Not a hard list to consider each day to help guide your actions in life.
Keep practicing forgiveness and use this time to continue to forgive those you need to forgive and ask forgiveness from those you need to seek forgiveness from and give thanks and celebrate your freedom and joy; do not succumb to fear – and please feel free to share this audio and video with any you think might enjoy it, and of course, enjoy all of our past audio and video episodes which are available on our YouTube channel. This episode will be posted on our channel -
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Be well, be happy, be healthy, be free, be kind, be forgiving, be compassionate, be independent of mind and deed, be mindful of your intentions and be good to yourself. Continue to celebrate freedom of choice in your life, do not give in to the fear that is so prevalent, and enjoy the peace that comes from acceptance – as always - if you have any questions or suggestions or want to say “hi,” please send me an email. I love hearing from you.
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Enjoy and celebrate your life and the lives of others, and in doing so, be happy, take care of your wants and needs, and may you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace and love and miracles, and make sure you also celebrate your unique individuality and your incredible awesomeness.
And remember – your world is what you make it. Just wish upon a star and continue to be a miracle in someone’s life and light the light of love. May the year continue to bring all your hopes, dreams, and wishes to fruition.
Blessings
RD
