Greetings friends
I hope your week is going well, that you had a great Pi-Day, survived the Ides of March, and are getting ready for St. Patty’s Day and the Spring Equinox. Don’t forget we are only a week away from Purim, when we read the book of Esther and examine the masks that either show who we are or who we want to be.
The equinox this week marks the beginning of a cycle. As the celestial year ends, it brings new beginnings in the great circle of life and time and often points to things that still need to be addressed and cleaned up. And boy, do we have a lot of “clean up on aisle 5” to do.
The Spring Equinox marks the Persian New Year’s now-ruz, and the Spring Equinox held a special place in the Talmud. It is about the Triumph of Life – its renewal. It is for you to bring the new into your life, so bring in the newness of love, peace, and goodwill.
And let us continue to pray for the release of the hostages stolen from their homes back in October and forgotten to the world. We have become too preoccupied with calling for regime change for our one true friend in a region of hate. How sad and disappointing. We still point fingers at others, accuse them of tampering, and then do the same thing. This brings division. It does not bring unity.
No matter what anyone says, the world is simply better when we connect and unify rather than divide. So let us go back to the 1960s, when we pretended we had love, not hate. Even though we are so often pulled in different directions, where we can and do get stuck, we can change that; we can overcome whatever we need to. That is one of the great things about faith, my friends.
We are reading about a generation that is unique in all the annals of mankind because these people saw G0d and the miracles of his glory every day for 40 years. They were active participants in the accompaniment of divinity.
Most of us would be happy with one day, never mind 40 years – because then, like them – we would know and not need faith.
But remember, their faith was faith that, and ours is faith in. They are not the same.
I do not have to mention to anyone what is going on in the world today — where we have 18th-century colonialism and empire-making, occurring with 20th-century war methods in a 21st-century period where the age of reason and enlightenment, initiated in the late 17th century, has become an age of counter-enlightenment. And so I worry for the future of man, our belief and desire for freedom, and especially for today's youth. Instead of coming closer, we are being divided, segregated, and tribalized. We should be more like brothers than ever before.
I remember Dostoevsky said, “Until you have become really, in actual fact, a brother to everyone, brotherhood will not come to pass.” It has not come to pass and is about to pass us by.
This week, the final set-up is complete. Exodus 40:1 - And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “On the day of the first month, on the first of the month, you shall set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. And you shall set the Ark of the Testimony there and have the pavilion cover over the ark. And it was: in the first month, in the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was set up.
So here we are, the first day of the year, in the second year since the exodus – the people were ready to move forward. The cloud descends that contains the Glory of the Lord. It will act as the guide, directing the movement of the people. But before they leave, we will spend another year at the foot of the mountain of G0d as we say goodbye to Exodus and get ready for the book of Leviticus — the book of ritual instruction for the priests.
After the rush of forces in Exodus, the coming book of Leviticus is a rather tranquil book. Following the mighty acts of G0d in Exodus, Leviticus is the words of G0d. There is very little narrative—it is a book of instruction, not for the people, but for the new ruling class – the priests.
Consistent with this is the absence of movement. Unlike Genesis and Exodus, the entire book of Leviticus is set in one place: at the foot of Mount Sinai. In Exodus, the universe—the land, waters, and sky—is in disarray. Following that, Leviticus is concerned with orderliness and arrangement.
Leviticus pictures the beginning of the solidification—the formation of an identity—of a people through law, ritual, morals, and ethics – all united, each impacting the other.
Enjoy this week’s reading, and keep practicing forgiveness, kindness, and acceptance, and use this time to continue to forgive those you need to forgive. 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- click here to watch the Rabbi David Gellman Show in the 2024 cycle.
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Thank you all for allowing me into your homes, into your electronic devices, into your hearts – as you are all with me in mine.
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, and 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 just want to say “hi,” please send me an email. I love hearing from you.
Remember, anytime you do not want to receive these anymore, please send me an email so I can remove you. I truly appreciate your sharing your sacred time with me.
Enjoy and celebrate your life and the lives of others, and in doing, be safe, my friends, be happy, and may you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace, love, and miracles, and make sure you also celebrate your unique individuality and incredible awesomeness.
Continue celebrating love; continue celebrating freedom; send renewal and goodwill out to everyone in the world . It is an energy that cannot be stopped. 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.
Blessings
RD
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