Digging Out

This week is Purim! A celebration that dates back 2500 years to the story of Esther ad the Jewish victory over the evil Haman.

In this episode we talk about the Hebrew words, Zachor.  It means, "remember." 

There are two major events where G-D acutely dials in with exact precision the collective conscience of remembrance: Israel's exodus from Egypt, and Israel's encounter with Amalek. 

The book of Esther is center stage to G-D's commandment to "remember what Amalek did to you along the way." 

What can we learn from the story of Esther and upcoming holiday of Purim that we might not know or that isn't obvious in the story itself? 

Like and share, 

Hadas

In this Episode, we examine G-D's secret recipe for overcoming the bitterness of a traumatic experience, a hardship, a trial,

At the waters of Marah, Hashem instituted an eternal decree, "if you keep diligently listen to my voice, do what is right in my eyes, give ear to my commandments, and keep all my statutes, I will put none of the diseases of Egypt upon thee—I am Hashem who heals you."

What is the connection between HaShem's decree and the bitter waters of Marah, sweetened by a tree branch?

And what are secret ingredients of Hashem's decree that can be applied for our healing today?

Find out in this Episode!

Shabbat Shalom, Hadas

A Nation of Storytellers is taken from Rabbi Sack's Book "Lessons in Leadership" Ki Tavo. It explores the relationship between covenant and storytelling. Why is the United States a Nation that tells a story and Britain is not? What is the connection between Truth and Story? These questions and more are answered in a Nation of Storytellers

In this week's episode, we look at the fork in the road when we are confronted with Identity. Identity as you envision it versus identity as it really is.

This week’s Torah portion is Chaye Sarah which means, the Life of Sarah.  It speaks to us about Life, Lineage, and Legacy, but the first verse is about her death—not her life.  So, why does the Torah portion open up with —"this is the life of Sarah?" Abraham also dies at the end of this Torah portion.  In between, is the story of Eliazar the servant of Abraham, and his journey to find a wife for Isaac—Rivka (whose English name is Rebecca). 

So why the life of Sarah? Because Sarah’s life continued to live on through her son Isaac and his son Jacob that brought forth the Nation and House of Israel.  

In fact, in Isaiah 51 Sarah is mentioned—G-D speaks through the prophet Isaiah and says, "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence you are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you are digged.  Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah, that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." 

Notice that HaShem is drawing your attention to lineage and legacy—to their call, their moral integrity, and to G-D’s promise that all who are of Abraham  & Sarah shall be blessed. 

For me, This is a very special Torah portion, because both my mother and grandmother died during this Torah portion, and on the same day, Cheshvan 23, three years apart —Today is Cheshvan 23.  

When we are young lineage and legacy seem so irrelevant to the curiosities of learning, growing, and finding our way in this maze of choice, direction, and decision.  However, as the path of your life unfolds, you start to ponder and wonder about the path of those who have gone before you.  Their influence and life choices brought them to where they were or are at that moment, and you to where you are today.  

And curiosity once again strikes —this time it's personal —internally personal.  It's the fork in the road of identity.  It’s the bridge between who you envision yourself as and who you really are.  And it’s the clues and curation of history that reveals the tapestry of generations and your unique strand and image in that tapestry.

For me, my grandmother was my world.  She was beautiful, smart, incredibly organized, and talented.  She treated my grandfather like a king and knew how to entertain with grace—all of which my mother inherited.  She had answers to all my questions and taught me how to appreciate family, fun, food, and the future.  

Words cannot express the deep connection and immense love we had for each other.  Although, she shared her love with all her grandchildren equally—I knew I was her favorite.  I was her first.  

But nothing could have prepared me for August of 1989, when she joined me for Shabbat lunch in my apartment located in Broadview, Illinois.  

But before we go there—I would like to share a brief story.  In the spring of 1986, I was helping my boyfriend do administrative work at the New York Life office in Skokie, IL, the well-known Jewish hub of Chicago. 

In an adjacent office sat a beautiful Orthodox Jewish woman (I say Jewish orthodox because my boyfriend at the time was Green Orthodox), Chaya Hirshman.  One day, she called me into her office, asked me to sit and describe the art and artifacts decorating her office.  My response was, “well, I am not sure what everything is but I do know it is a lot of Jewish stuff.”  She smiled and reached across the desk to place her hand upon mine.  And with bold confidence and gentle voice she said to me, “Kim, you have a Jewish soul.” I must admit, I had no idea what that meant and it was so unexpected that the only thing that came out of my mouth was, “I do?”  While inside my thoughts were like a ping-pong machine.  “What in the world is she talking about?  What does this mean? What’s a Jewish soul? 

She then continued, Kim I would like to you come to my house for the first night of Passover—all of my family will be there (all forty-fifty of them) and you’ll get to experience what I am talking about.  And Kim—I am going to teach you what it means to be a Jew—a Jewish soul.  

And I went and she taught me.  She taught me the basics of Yiddishkite—a term used among European Jewry, the role of a Jewish woman, how to cook for Shabbat and holidays, how to keep Kosher—she was my Yiddisha Mama.  In the fall of 1988, her husband Jay Hirshman was the victim of a shooting inside his family-owned Dry Cleaning Store and, it was then, she taught me how to mourn—really mourn.  An experience that has never left me.  

Hence, by the summer of 1989—I was hosting my own Shabbat dinners, lunches, and meals for the chagim (Jewish holidays).  I was learning Hebrew, attending as many classes as I could to learn more about Jewish history and Judaism.  For me, it was all-consuming.  

And for this reason, I was so excited to have my grandmother over for Shabbat lunch.  After we sat down and said kiddish (blessing over wine and bread), I served traditional Matza Ball soup.  As my grandmother took her first bite, tears began to stream down her beautiful blue eyes—Grandma “what is it?”  “What’s wrong?”  I asked.  “Nothing,” she said.  I just want to know, “where did you get these dumplings?”  “I made them grandma”, hopping up from my chair to bring the box of Manaschevitz Matzo Ball Mix to show her.  By now the tears were almost uncontrollable.  “My grandmother used to make these every Friday night” and after she passed, I didn’t know how to make them or where to find them.”  

“I didn’t comment on the Matza balls—with tears running down my eyes I asked her, “Grandma are we Jewish?” And with great sadness, a sadness rarely expressed by my Grandma—she said, ”yes, we are Jewish.”  My mother was Jewish and her mother was Jewish.  Needless to say that lunch confirmed everything Chaya Hirshman saw regarding my soul.  

So, it is no wonder that my assimilated grandmother and mother of Jewish lineage passed on the same Hebrew day, Cheshvan 23, and during the same Torah portion—Chaya Sarah.  It is also no coincidence that four generations later, G-D would visit me through a woman named Chaya Hirshman to restore a lineage and legacy that almost perished through assimilation.  

As we enter into this Shabbat—a day of rejoicing and restoration—let us remember the life of Sarah—that continues thousands of years after her death. The Scripture says “look unto Sarah who bare you.”  All who are connected to the Covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are part of this glorious lineage and legacy.  This is G-D’s story.  

This week, we’re going to take a look at two Hebrew words, "Lek Lekah. לך לך"  They open up the Torah portion reading of Genesis 12:1-17:27—entitled, Lek Lekah.

These two Hebrew words לך לך Lek Lekah, are from the same word ילך (Yelek), but in the command form. They literally mean, "go, you go." 

Their origin, however, is from the Hebrew root word "Halak הלך" which means, "to go, to move, to walk, to lead"   "Halak הלך" also infers "to walk, as in the manner or way a person lives their life."  And, because the usage of the word "walk" is so common in our everyday lives, we rarely stop to think about the term in light of our relationship with G-D. Consider that "the voice of the LORD GOD walked in the garden",  "Enoch walked with GOD and was not", "Noach walked with GOD", and Abraham was told by GOD to "walk before Him."  So, what is G-D trying to teach us about the word "הלך walk" and its role in the relationship between man and G-D? First, direction. Walking has to do with the direction you are moving. Have you ever stopped to think that all of your extremities, from your eyes to your feet, all face forward.

Forward.

Forward is a direction.

So why did G-D create you facing forward?

Wow! As promised, I want to follow up on my last podcast Tohu vVohu (sorry it was so fast -- hope you find this week's a better speed).

Have you ever considered why G-D started creation hovering over the earth? Why He first released light into His surroundings? Why His next step was separating water from water?

In this podcast, I reveal the connection between G-D's step-by-step process of creation and the step-by-step process necessary for you and me to experience the wholeness and fulfillment of our dreams and vision.

We then talk about the concept of Shabbat, the unexpected ending to six days of creation. What is G-D really trying to reveal to us and how is it connected to restoring and repairing every conceivable aspect of our lives?

So, if you're ready to Dig Out direction for your life and Insights for your soul from this week's Hebrew word שבת Shabbat, let's get started!

Hadas 

In this first episode, (so please cut me some slack, it will get better promise), we read Bereshit (Genesis) verses 1-5.  This is the account of the creation of "a day" which includes "evening and morning."

we learn quickly that G-D creates heaven and earth amidst the bleakest and darkest of circumstances. Vs. 2 reads, "And Earth was without form and void."  It was in the state of Tohu and vVohu. But what exactly does that mean? And how can this strange insight relate to our state of being in any given season of life?

Let's hone in on two words, תוהו ובוהו (tohu and vohu).

Tohu means, "without form."  However, it also implies a state of being as a state of "confusion, emptiness, chaos." This state of being is connected to acts of "vanity and idolatry."  It also implies a place or location of dwelling, "the wilderness, a wasteland; such as a desert."  

Vohu reaches beyond Tohu into a place where there is a "void."  A place of total and utter ruin.  A vacuum where time itself stops. 

It appears that Tohu and Vohu are the opposite of "seder" which means "order."  And to take the earth out of this state of being G-D gets involved with two elements of Himself: His Spirit and His Word.  And everything changed!