Page 31 - Jewish News_Oct2021

COMMENTARY October 2021 31A

“Mar Heshvan,” the bitter
The Jewish year 5782
month of Heshvan cludes children, teens, adults, working The seventh day of creation, in which minute chores on late Friday afternoon

also applies to the sixth millennium. As
G-d rested, represents the seventh mil-
professionals and retirees as well. In
From addition, it feels as if we never catch lennium in which G-d, through Moshi- we are in the Jewish year of 5782, we
ach, will eradicate all human hate,
a break because the causes of stress
are in the last quarter period, meaning
the show up continually, in that as soon as jealousy, wars and ailments, and bring we are just before Shabbat compared
we move away from one stressor, an-
to the sixth day of creation. Thus, we
the entire universe to a state of rest
Bimah other surfaces. and tranquility. In other words, at that realize the anxiety and restlessness we
are experiencing today are part of the
stage, we will enjoy “heaven on earth.”
For a Jewish person who follows
Jewish tradition and studies Torah, (It is the main reason we yearn and beg plan in how G-d created it.
there is an explanation for this phe- so much for the arrival of Moshiach.) The best way to mitigate all the
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz nomenon and a solution. The Torah is Anyone who has lived in a Jew- stress is by following Jewish tradi-
Chabad of Sarasota our “go to” for all dilemmas, challeng- ish household can testify that the most tion in celebrating Shabbat, lighting
hectic period of the week is Friday af-
Shabbat candles 18 minutes before
es and issues we face, never more so
t feels as if everyone is universally than now when life events affect the ternoon. At 18 minutes before Shabbat sunset, reciting the Kiddush and join-
agitated these days. It is almost im- entire universe. begins, everyone is busy preparing the ing together as a family for a Shabbat
Ipossible to carry on a conversation The following is based on a pub- last items before the onset of the Shab- meal. Also, one rule that I try to follow
for more than a few minutes before we lic address carried by the Lubavitcher bat. is accepting the Shabbat earlier than
run into hot-button issues – BLM, pol- Rebbe, who is my teacher and mentor: It is astonishing that no matter the usual time, thus ensuring that the
itics, vaccinations, to name just a few. We have just celebrated Rosh Ha- what time Shabbat begins, there is nev- time before Shabbat is as tranquil and
It is astonishing to compare our shanah, which marks the anniversa- er enough time to prepare. Everyone stress-free as possible.
lives today to the lifestyle we enjoyed ry of creation. This year we celebrate is rushing and racing to finish and be And finally, setting aside a small
just 10 short years ago. Our lives today 5782 years since the creation of the ready for Shabbat. This phenomenon amount of time each day to study Torah
are much more hectic, agitated, con- universe. is universal to all Jews, all across the allows us to see life and all the chal-
fused and riddled with such constant We study in the Torah that G-d cre- globe, and happens at every Shabbat, lenges we face in the proper perspec-
disruption that the idea of “living a ated the world in six days, and on the whether Shabbat enters at 5:15 p.m. tive. It allows us to see what’s essential
normal life” almost seems like wishful seventh day, he rested. Kabbalah adds or 8:30 p.m., depending on the time of and refocus our mental resources on
thinking. that the world’s existence is divided year. greater positivity. This perspective will
The problem plagues everyone, into 6,000 years, with each millennium This idea of catching our breath help diminish agitation and stress from
not just a segment of society. It in- corresponding to each day of creation. and rushing to get ready with last- our daily lives.

Letter to the Editor YOU BELONG

s we’ve been informed that enlightenment through these organi- WHERE
up to 84% of our Jewish com- zations have replaced our need to also
Amunity is not affiliated with a affiliate with our temples and syna-
temple or synagogue, we wonder if it gogues.
is because we have replaced our inter- Quite frankly, at the rate of non-af-
est and concerns for Jewish affiliation filiation affecting our religious houses,
and membership in temples and syna- I fear we are going to lose many more
gogues with something else. of them. We at Temple Beth Israel
White supremacist
Our Jewish-supported philanthrop- are stable because we have upped our Whit e supremacist
ic and secular organizations do exem- game, following the age-old advice groups
groups are the single
plary, in fact spectacular, work for (undoubtedly by some Jewish entre-
our Jewish local and national needs, preneur), “If you can’t beat ’em, buy most dangerous
as well as for non-Jewish communi- them,” or at least “join them.” We did
domestic extremist
COMMENTARY BRIEFS ties. Many organizations also benefit that. Our new Ed Center brings to our domestic e xtremist
beautiful building throngs of people,
Israel’s needs. We deeply support all
threat to the nation.
many Jewish. We won’t press or even
these organizations. We see a substan-
chanted, “Jews will not replace us,” tial number of us involved in them and promote the issue, but we hope they – “Homeland Threat Assessment,”
they were explaining away real anxi- their highly worthwhile goals. might like being with us and eventually
eties by misdirecting them onto a ne- That leaves me to ponder if we are join as members of the temple as well DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OCTOBER 2020
farious Jewish power. To European replacing our need to support religious as being members of our non-denomi-
conservatives of the 19 century, Jews houses of worship with these equally national Ed Center.
th
were communist agitators. But in the important more secular organizations. We all know as has already been
Soviet sphere in the 20 century, they Are we neglecting the various places of said, as we get more educated, ques-
th
quickly became the regime’s favorite worship that for over several thousands tionably more rational, more financial-
target, depicted as a capitalist van- of years inculcated us with this desire ly secure, thinking that we are more
guard. to do good? Long before Socrates, Pla- physically secure, even in light of ris-
Antisemitism isn’t simply a dislike to and Aristotle were concerned with ing antisemitism, we find our houses of
of Jews. It involves the role Jews are justice, truth, virtue, reason and mor- worship, if not irrelevant, at least un-
forced to play in the political imagina- als, Jews had been grappling with the important. Charlottesville, VA; August 2017
tions of non-Jews as the incarnation of same issues. Moses brought us laws How do we persuade our modern, Photo by Mykal McEldowney
and explanation for their deepest fears and rules before the Greeks pondered enlightened Jewish minions to find us What are we doing about it?
and most vexing social ills. It is not the the same issues. relevant? We keep trying. Let’s keep
idea that Israel is doing wrong, but the I think our motivations to do good the discussion going. What are the EDUCATION.
idea that Israel is what is wrong with and our ongoing quest to promote vir- views of others?
the world. It is the political device that tue, truth, justice, care for others, the – Stuart Sinai, President Temple Beth The Robert and Esther Heller Community Relations Committee takes
brought Adolf Hitler to tell the Reich- arts, music, education and cultural Israel, Longboat Key a firm stand against antisemitism. We use community resources and influence to
stag in January 1939 that if a world war combat a rise in antisemitism and anti-Zionist sentiments, which often result in
was coming, it was the Jews who will What do you think? aggressive acts and rhetoric against Jews. Through education, advocacy, and building
have started it. No other people and no relationships with the greater community and law enforcement, together we can
other country serves a similar role as The Jewish News wants to know!
the go-to culprit for malaises they can’t combat hatred, bigotry, and harassment of Jews and other minorities.
possibly have caused. (Haviv Rettig Send an email to jewishnews18@gmail.com. For more information, visit JFEDSRQ.ORG/hellercrc
Gur, Times of Israel)
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