“Our sages teach that deceiving others deliberately is like ‘stealing people’s minds,’” says Rabbi Sam Natov. “When you lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. You take away their ability to function in the real world. Your lie forces them to relate to something that is untrue, that never happened — and that changes reality.”

“In these days of crisis, as we still reel from one massacre, another one has already taken place,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “When our fears get the best of us, we may be tempted to retreat. It takes courage to stay invested, aligned and active — and that is at the heart of what it means to be a Jew.”

“The notion of a deliberate reset is an ancient Jewish concept, radical in its time, and still radical today,” says Rabbi Sam Natov. “In a city that never sleeps, movement is often our goal. When we pause, we can gain new insights about the meaning of our lives – we make space for a spiritual awakening.”

“Have you noticed that we are all feeling a little edgy right now?” asks Rabbi Samantha Natov. “We’re tense, prickly and irritable, as if walking with elbows out wherever we go. This is why the Jewish value of community is so important — it connects us in a circle of faith, trust and ultimately: love.”

As part of the Passover Seder, we break the matzah. “There is always one bigger and one smaller side, a jagged edge with messy and crumbling pieces,” say Rabbi Samantha Natov. “Just like life: things can be fine and then, chaos, brokenness, unevenness and uncertainty all at once. The Seder forces us to recognize that, though we were redeemed, our world is still broken.”

“We are often stripping a person down to one piece of themselves — one word, one act, one meme. So many of us are too quick to judge and we do not do enough to bring people back into the fold,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “Judaism gives us a mechanism to share our lives with others: to see the fullness of the person in front of us, and for them to see us.”

“How can we celebrate while our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are fighting for survival?” asks Rabbi Samantha Natov. “This week, I saw photos of Ukrainian Jews making hamantaschen, singing and reading the Megillah. It’s nothing short of a statement of resistance. They’re saying: ‘We are still here.’”

“With the war raging in Ukraine, we are increasingly aware of how quickly things can change and how vulnerable we always are,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. We tell each other stories to cope — and to avoid repeating history. “On this Shabbat of Remembrance, we are told to both ‘remember’ and to ‘not forget.’”

“The Ukrainian people are saying ‘hineini’ — ‘here I am,’” says Rabbi Sam Natov. “People in neighboring countries are saying ‘hineini’ as they welcome refugees. Abraham, Jacob and Moses all said ‘hineini.’ And we, too, say ‘hineini’ by raising donations, joining together to rally, supporting Ukrainian businesses, and bearing witness to the experiences of the Ukrainian people.”

Just as the Olympic athletes take us away from everyday limitations, in this week’s parasha, we remember that “in their time, the priests were a source of great inspiration — yet they were just as human as anyone else,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “When you feel depleted or uninspired, remember that you have great strength within you — that the impossible is possible.”