Ahh Shabbat is coming. I have Shabbat dinner plans with David and Gregg (and their daughter Sasha)who are the co-editors of our book project. Which by the way, is looking like it is really shaping up! I am also packing for Atlanta and The Rainbow Center's Purim on Ponce fundraiser.
This afternoon I met with a small group of local rabbis who were welcoming one of my favorite teachers: Sheila Weinberg. Sheila is one of the faculty members of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality and has been a tremendous role model as a teacher and just as a kind soul. Two Reconstructionist congregations are hosting her as a scholar in residence in the area.
We studied two Hasidic texts. One that taught about how with each breath we are new creations. The second was a funny moment for me. It was a text written by R. Meshullam Feibush of Zhbariz. He is a Hasidic rebbe from Eastern Galicia who was a student of the Maggid of Mezrich. He taught the following:
Even if at the moment we are not able to pray with full reverence and love of God, our words of prayer can still rise up to the degree that we have fully connected ourselves to others saying, "I now take on myself to fulfill the positive commandment of 'Love your neighbor as yourself'". In that moment, we must bind ourselves with the bonds of love to the souls of all the righteous of our generation, particularly if we can imagine their faces, which will increase our capacity to make our thoughts and words one.
As I prepare for Shabbat, I am reminded of how I often ask people to envision the face of a loved one before L'chah Dodi. I wondered if it was a cheesy thing to do, but I love that there is this precedence. I also love what this text says about the importance of community in support of our worship.
Shabbat Shalom!
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