A Meaningful Month: November 2019

One of my colleagues has reminded me of how many occasions there are this month for us to ponder seriously. The first significant day in the month from this perspective was the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Hitler actually made clear that his intention was to destroy the Jews, and the world did not respond.

Then in the US, we had Veterans Day, a day on which we are reminded of the debt we owe to the men and women all around us who have served our country and helped to keep us free as well as carrying the light of democracy and freedom to other countries.

In the Torah, we're back in Genesis, reading all the well-loved tales about our ancestors. We had the Creation, then the stories of Noah and of the Tower of Babel two weeks ago, the commandment to Abraham to leave his native land and set off for a new country that God would show him on perfect faith, and now this week, we have Abraham and the three angels to whom he offered hospitality, Abraham negotiating with God to spare Sodom and Gemorrah, Hagar and Ishmael and Isaac, and the Akedah, the sacrifice of Isaac. A lot to think about in terms of faith and trust - Abraham had an UNPRECEDENTED call from God and still obeyed; no ancestors had passed down stories of communicating with God, which all of our subsequent forefathers at least knew about.

And again in the US, it will soon be Thanksgiving, the day when we think of all of our gifts and blessings. Filling our hearts with gratitude is something that I believe we should be doing every day. If you are grateful for all that you do have, your life feels both happier and richer, and you are less inclined to dwell on your lacks. Having one day in the year to think about this is at least something, but I do hope that it spurs many on to think on a daily basis of all that you have and all that has happened in your day for which you should truly be thankful.

May this busy month bring meaning to your life, and joy and love in the company of family and friends.