Congregation Beth Tefillah

A beautiful women’s paint night to create a table centerpiece holding space for the hostages.

Today our kids learned all about kindness, the effect of a negative word, and how we can bring Mashiach ♥️

“Good leaders create followers, but great leaders create leaders.”
This powerful statement has been attributed to many different writers. I saw it written from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks regarding the Lubavitcher Rebbe who had a significant and profound impact on his life.
To be a leader means to have the insight to find people’s strong points and help them elevate those points to a place where they can lead themselves.
In our Parsha, Ha’azinu, Moshe uses the poetic language to describe Hashems love for us:
“Like an eagle that wakens its nest, hovering over its young, it spreads its wings, taking them, carrying them on its upper side” (32, 11)
God is likened here to an eagle which protects its young by carrying them on its back instead of under itself as most birds do. What is the significance of this? Why does it matter where its young are as long as they are protected?
The teaching here is to take those we care about and put them above us not below us. Not to smother but to elevate. To take the people around us give them the tools to rise up!
We learn from the Menorah (Parshas Behaloscha 8,2) that it must be lit until the flame goes up by itself in a strong and consistent manner. This is a teaching on how to “light someone up”. Just like the eagle, our job is to raise up another person so that they themselves become a light.

The Pasuk in Isiah (40,31) teaches:
וְקוֹיֵ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ יַחֲלִ֣יפוּ כֹ֔חַ יַעֲל֥וּ אֵ֖בֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִ֑ים יָר֙וּצוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִיגָ֔עוּ יֵלְכ֖וּ וְלֹ֥א יִיעָֽפוּ׃
They who trust in Hashem shall renew their strength. As eagles grow wings: They shall run and not grow weary, They shall march and not grow faint.
Similarly, in Yetzies Mitzrayim which mirrors our final Geula (it should be soon!) we are said to have left by the wings of eagles.
We are going to come to times of Moshiach on the wing of eagles. We will get there when we lift each other up. By channeling our “inner eagle” we bring a Moshiach energy to the world.
We should be blessed to raise the people around us above us to help them reach the greatest heights.

Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein

Sunday morning!

Mimouna vibes ❤️

Mimouna at the Mechalys!!