Eikev - If (you follow) Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25
Can we see God as a Process; a Force that is present in each and every moment, both within us and beyond. Think of the Holy Blessed One like our breath, constantly sustaining and changing us whether we pay attention or not, both a part of us and apart from us, connecting us to the magnificence of all creation.
Rabbi Richard Levy, God rest his soul said :
If we can hear the words from Sinai
then love will flow from us
and we shall serve all that is holy
with all our intellect and all our passion
and all our life.
If we can serve all that is holy,
we shall be doing all that human can
to help the rains to flow,
the grasses to be green…
Associate Rabbi, at Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood California, Rabbi Max Chaiken says;
“We can hear the words from Sinai” and apply their principles as we live our lives in the pursuit of holiness. His poem reminds us that there are consequences to our actions and urges us to consider how they impact the world around us.
So God is a Life-Force, the Source of All Being, then loving Him with all our heart and soul demands that we act and live in ways that honor All Creation. Our actions may not literally cause rain to fall or crops to grow, but they can and do impact the natural world around us and our fellow human beings, for better and for worse.
Our lives, our existence, our connectedness to All Being ask only that we revere all life. We do not have to believe that God directly punishes in order for us to take responsibility for our actions as we walk through life, doing so in ways that demonstrate love, service, and protection of all creation.
You can join us tonight at 7:30 pm at the JCC or you may join us on Zoom as follows:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Services
Time: Aug 7, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4979030958?pwd=YXJPT2FGVTdzVVV2bVQ3c1ZnS1lMZz09
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
Regards,
Eileen Hochstadt
President, JCC
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