Congregation Beth Sholom - Chevra Shas

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Phrases to Live By

I find, that very often, I am conflicted about how to sign an email. Do I write “from” or “love?” Do I sign it “take care” or “sincerely.” What is the message or tone that I am trying to convey in how I write, or say things to another person.

I realize that most often, I use the phrase “take care.” But what does this mean. Does it mean that I hope the person I am communicating with will take care of the issue at hand? Of themselves? Of their family? What do we imply with this word?

The Most Important Questions for Review

Jared has a book that we have been reading to him for a few years now, titled Where do balloons go? At the surface, this book is just about balloons. It asks, where do balloons go, when the float far away…Do they tango with airplanes or cha cha with birds, do plain balloons read balloons printed with words?

Enjoying Creation with Integrity

In Ron Wolfson’s book, the 7 Questions asked in heaven, he relays the following: Martin Gordon wrote, in the Journal of Jewish thought in 1985, The great leader of the 19th century, Samson Raphael Hirsch, surprised his disciples one day when he insisted on traveling to Switzerland. “When I stand before the Almighty” he explained, “I will be answerable to many questions. But what will I say when,…I am sure to be asked, “why didn’t you see my Alps?”

The Importance of Change

Dave was recently at a Chief’s baseball game where something happened that was really interesting. Seth Bynum was up to bat with the following scenario. There was one out and a runner was on first. Before a first pitch was even thrown to him, the runner on first tried to steal second but was picked off. Without doing anything wrong, Seth Bynum went from an envious situation to a difficult one. All of a sudden, there were 2 outs, with now runners on.