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Although I am learning that the weather does “change” in Florida, it clearly has less of an impact here than experiencing the Fall season in the Northeast. Throughout my life, the harvest festival of Sukkot has always been accompanied by a turning of leaves and sharply cooler weather. As winter approaches, the words of Ecclesiastes resonate with the colder weather, evoking thoughts of warm fires and the poetry of Robert Frost.
Changing weather is one of our great metaphors for the passing of life. But wherever Judaism is practiced, those reflections are contained in our observance of our Sabbath liturgy and study of the biblical text. The Bible asserts in its beginning chapters that man is the crown of creation; yet, at the same time, we learn that he is not an angel, and thus subject to the laws of mortality. As we view our lives and those of our loved ones who have already departed their earthly confines, we recognize that the Lord both “giveth and taketh away.” The message we must integrate? Thank and bless God for the gift of life on a daily basis, and be humble in all our actions. The rabbis teach that we must repent one day before we die. Since this is impossible to know, the obligation is to repent every day of our lives.
It’s a good formula, dear friends. This does not mean we need to have overarching and morbid concerns about our mortality, but a healthy understanding of the limits of life leads us to appreciate every day we are granted on earth. Appreciating the gift of life will bestow blessings upon us and our families. We will be more attentive to the concerns of others, more concerned with performing good deeds in the community, more sympathetic to our loved ones in times of sadness and joy.
These are the lessons Judaism imparts. And these are the lessons available when you study, pray and perform mitzvos with your fellow congregants at Temple Israel. There are so many material concerns all of us have. Judaism recognizes this. An old expression avers: “If there is no flour, there is no Torah.” That is, we need to work and provide for our families. But we must also work on nurturing our souls. They are God’s greatest gift to humanity. The soul allows us to reach heavenwards for something more elevated in our existence, some idea of the holy. Without this soul searching, are lives can be reduced to vanity. It is the soul which “gives us assurance of our higher destiny and imparts to our fleeting days an abiding value.”
Despite the warm weather in Florida, we know that the seasons change. As a dedicated community, let us continue to care for one another and to share both life’s joys and tribulations. And may this season, and all seasons, bring all of us a renewed sense of warmth, communal dedication and good health.
B’Shalom
Rabbi Chapin
Join us for Shabbat Torah study
with Rabbi Chapin
Saturday mornings at the JCC
9:15am – 10:15am
A different way of studying Torah...
We start with Prayer and then delve into a
bit of Hebrew study
Then we immerse ourselves in Torah
with the help of James Kugel’s
How to Read the Bible