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Writer's pictureElissa Felder

"Give Thanks!"



“Give Thanks”

We live in a very confusing world.

One which is very scary and

one in which we don't know what will happen tomorrow.


This week we will read the parsha of Tzav.

In it we read about the Thanksgiving offerings to be brought to the Temple.

Essentially this offering is a combination of matzah (unleavened bread)

and regular leavened bread.

One humble and lowly (matza),

the other puffed up and haughty (chametz).


Similarly, our lives are a mixture of difficult and painful times (matza times)

juxtaposed with joyous and happy ones (chametz times).

Lows and highs.

We are challenged to hold both of these two very conflicting emotions;

pain of loss and joy of life.

Somehow, we try to be happy for life and

at the same time sad for all the losses.


We are crying for all the pain in the world and also expressing

happiness for the gifts of life and goodness both at the same time.

Our human emotions hang in a fine balance.

We fight for what we want and

then accept what is, still fighting for it to be different.


In our prayers we thank God for our souls which are in God's hands and

for God's love which never ceases.

God's ways are beyond our capacity to understand.


On Purim, we read the story of Esther, where God is actively orchestrating the drama behind the scenes, controlling the ultimate outcome.

Yet, God remains hidden throughout.

On Passover, God is revealed through all of the miracles

which we recount on Seder night.

The role and power of Gd was revealed for all to see.

One day, we are promised, at the end of days,

when the Messiah comes,

we will know no more sorrow...there will only be Purim.

There will only be joy and we will declare unequivocally that

Hashem is good and does good.


Now our world is very scary and unknown.

We feel out of control.

Our world masks God.


It is our job to thank God, be passionate about life, to feel deeply,

act compassionately and know that one day

we will say God is good and only does good.

Sad and happy! Distress and salvation!

Fear and calmness! Life and death!


May we be blessed with a Shabbat shalom,

a Shabbat of gratitude,

of recognizing the good,

of feeling the plethora of human emotions, and

of praying for clarity and strength.


May our lives and those of all humanity be only sweet very soon.

With love

Elissa


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