Page 8 - The Jewsish Voice - August '20

Page 8, The Jewish Voice

Local Happenings from page 6

• Tuesday, September ask the rabbi
1 at 7 pm: Crescendo is
a gripping drama that
questions whether music How to Survive Uncertainty the squeeze doesn’t crush us; instead, we need to allow
can build bridges between the challenge to bring out that deep soul energy to carry
young people of different By Rabbi Leib Ezagui through the challenges.
religions and hated nationalities. Question: As the We normally can’t consciously or voluntarily exert
Each film costs $15 per household and the film link will be virus spread keeps getting those powers because it usually requires a unique situation
available for viewing 48 hours after start time. For a complete worse and we are facing a where our core beliefs are at stake and calls for a huge
schedule and ticket information, please visit www.PBJFF.org second wave, I feel myself amount of faith.
or call 561-509-0117. drowning in what seems to We can do the impossible because, at the core, our soul
be a never-ending sense of is a part of G-d. That spark is nicely packaged and hidden
Alone but Together insecurity. What can I do behind our character and psychological limitations. If we
in the face of uncertainty
can only get to the core, all the outside challenges will just
at Temple Beth David to pull myself out of this melt away.
bubble? We call this mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), to reveal
We are living through unprecedented times. Who Answer: When the the internal bond between G-d and the soul.
would have thought that we would be asked to stay in first lockdown was just starting, I saw a couple jogging Mesirus nefesh originates in the essence of the soul;
our homes during the dog days of summer? down the road with heavy feet in the dead heat of the day. unlike the revealed powers of the soul that express
And yet, surprisingly, technology has brought the They were puffing along and desperately trying to keep themselves on a day-to-day basis, mesirus nefesh
Temple Beth David family together in ways never pushing. transcends the soul’s external packaging and limitations.
imagined. Through the magic of Zoom, they have been It reminded me of a story in the early 2000s when two The level of energy that comes through being “crushed”
able to gather together — not in the synagogue, but in guys went hiking in the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. unpacks the soul.
their homes. What was supposed to be a fairly simple hike turned into The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that we are living in times
Synagogue committees have planned creative ways a deadly situation when a boulder detached from the rock where the soul is constantly pushing its limits, making it
to connect with the Temple Beth David family. Cantor wall and pinned one of the hikers against the floor, pushing possible for us to reach the adrenaline all the time.
Danielle Bensimhon helps begin the day with a daily him toward the cliff. With a shot of adrenaline, his brain These challenges are our call to action. Do a good deed,
meditation. Rabbi Paul Arberman, Cantor Bensimhon, fired every single fiber in his body and unleashed all the do another good deed, and just when you thought you did
and the learned lay leadership lead daily minyans as well power in his muscles. He was able to lift the 1,200-pound enough, do a little more — because we have the ability
as Friday night and Saturday morning Shabbat services. rock, one-and-half times the bench-press record, and free to self-sacrifice our personal and physical limitations all
Online classes stimulate the minds of congregants. himself from the boulder. the time. When we override the fuze capacitor of the soul,
Temple Beth David’s Adult Education Committee has So why is it that you can struggle to get in your daily we release that deadly charge of faith and perseverance to
brought additional online learning and teaching through jog, but when push comes to shove you can exert an make real change in our lives and the world around us.
connections with Rabbi Debra Eisenman, the Jewish immense amount of power? We have the ability to tap in to this well of faith and
Theological Seminary, and the United Synagogue for Our body has far more resources than you can imagine. spiritual euphoria where nothing can get in our way. We
Conservative Judaism. The body is a power bank storing superhuman strength. can dedicate ourselves to our personal spiritual growth
In some ways, this initial inconvenience has provided The combination of brainpower and strength is stored in without getting distracted by relatively minor physical
more opportunities to engage with others and learn about the fibers of our muscles — and when an emergency calls distractions. But we’ve got to be willing to have mesirus
so many aspects of Judaism. The JTS connection has for it, adrenaline allows us to tap in to that superhuman nefesh to “kill” all the negative instincts and negative
enabled participants to gain insights from some of the power that would otherwise go to waste. As much as we feelings.
most learned professors and Talmud scholars, including consciously try to exert our mental focus and strength, When we go about our day we must think, “I have
Dr. David E. Fishman, Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky, Dr. Barbara we may find it difficult to generate the same amount of a soul and that soul is a part of G-d, the things I cannot
Mann, Dr. Benjamin D. Sommer, and Dr. Jack Wertheimer, energy. control don’t matter. All that matters is that I am ready, I
as well as JTS Kollot online lectures with Rabbi Matt Our body emulates our soul; just like our body, our soul am willing, and I am able to squeeze myself to the core
Berkowitz, Rabbi Eliezer B. Diamond, Chancellor and mental capacity only operate at minimum capacity. in order to produce a better me and a better world around
Emeritus Dr. Arnold M. Eisen, Dr. David C. Kraemer, In crunch time we have the ability to unleash a deadly myself.”
Dr. Marjorie Lehman, and Dr. Burton L. Visotzky. charge of faith and mental focus to carry through the Rabbi Leib serves as youth director for Chabad House
In cooperation with the Jewish Lives Summer at Park challenges. Our survival depends on the spiritual stamina Lubavitch of Palm Beach and runs the Jewish School of the
Avenue Synagogue, members have been able to learn that’s locked deep in our soul. Arts kid’s program, (561) 624-7004. The advice offered in
about the incredible lives of such Jewish luminaries When you crush an olive, a little juice comes out. When this column is for informational purposes only and is not
as Harvey Milk, Hank Greenberg, and Harry Houdini. you grind the olive up and rip it apart, you finally get to intended as a substitute for professional advice. To ask the
And the Social Engagement Committee has planned fun the oil. When times get tough we need to make sure that rabbi a question, email rabbi@chabadpalmbeach.org.
activities, including Trivia Night and cooking classes,
with new ideas in the works.
Sometimes we are guided down a path we might never
have taken. To paraphrase the words of renowned poet
Robert Frost, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has
made all the difference.” May our community continue
to be safe, to engage with each other and learn, and may
we continue to connect with each other. Remember, there
is always room in this world for caring and kindness. We
may be alone, but Temple Beth David is all together!

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