While this time of year often promises ‘a new you’, Rabbi Samantha Natov reminds us that Judaism teaches us to embrace every part of ourselves. Jacob’s blessing to his grandsons Ephraim and Menashe on his deathbed was that they be themselves — a blessing we repeat every Shabbat when we bless our children. “In this new year, rather than search for a ‘new us,’ may we live with authenticity and honesty,” she says.
In this week’s parashah, years after selling his brother Joseph into slavery, Judah offers up his own freedom in exchange for his younger brother Benjamin’s. “Whether it’s because of a desire to rectify his earlier actions or simply out of respect for his father, the most important thing is that Judah acts differently,” says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. “In many ways, Judaism is a religion of deed over creed. As we enter the new year, may our actions express our values, even if we aren’t ‘feeling it’ in the moment…”
Rabbi Samantha Natov explores a classic rabbinic debate: “What’s more important kindling the Hanukkah lights or making sure others see them?” The rabbis teach that the most important mitzvah is to light the candles, she says, explaining: “What matters is the effort we make — whether or not it is publicized — to bring goodness into the world.”
Recounting the story of our people’s unlikely endurance, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reminds us that “a hundred generations of the descendants of Judah Maccabee have transmitted Judaism to you” and asks that, as we light the Hanukkah candles, we make a commitment to Jewish survival for the years to come…
After the ceasefire with Lebanon, cranes have returned to the lush Hula Valley in northern Israel. “In a world more chaotic than ever, it might feel premature to speak of peace and hope,” said Rabbi Tracy Kaplowitz. “Yet, I take inspiration from the cranes— symbols of peace, resilience and strength—now wintering in Israel’s north.” Soon, she and Rabbi Ammi Hirsch will lead the Amplify Israel Rabbinic Fellows as one of the first groups to visit Israel’s northern borders.
In this week’s parashah, Jacob dreams of angels climbing a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with God promising to return the descendants of Israel to the Land of Israel. Awaking with a jolt, Jacob is struck by the vividness of his dream. “Was it real?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Did God, in fact, communicate with Jacob and promise him everlasting security — or was it just a dream?” While rabbinic tradition cautions that dreams are only “1/60th of prophecy,” Rabbi Hirsch says, “Sometimes, dreams do create reality…”
