Listen and Love

Dear Friends,

In these challenging times let us listen to the call from this week’s Torah portion that brings us back to the wilderness of Sinai where we stood together at the mountain and --
 

Face within face
The Mystery spoke with us
Upon the mountain in the midst of fire.
Deut. 5:4

And from within that experience we heard this crucial command:     

Shema Yisrael, Listen
         Listen, as you wrestle with all that life brings,
         The Infinite Unfolding Mystery is our source,
         The Infinite Unfolding Mystery is One.

Ve’ahavta And you shall love.
         Return again and again to the awareness of oneness,
         All life, all creation is in relationship.
         And you must love.
         Love with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
         Teach love.
Practice love when you enter your home
And when you walk on your way.
Reach for love when you lie down and when your rise up.
         Place love upon your hands and before your eyes,
Place love upon your hearts
         So when your hearts break open in sorrow and pain
         Love will rise--
                  A refuge of strength.
                  A call to action.
                                        Deut. 6:4-9
May we be diligent in in our practice for the sake of each other and all life.

Much Blessing,
Rabbi Yael