Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
I recall learning this poem for the first time when I was in middle school. We all adored it because the imagery was so vivid and the meaning was rather relatable. I’ve spent my life always paying attention to the opening words and not the entirety of the poem. In the beginning of these words, Frost paints a picture of a person on a journey or a hike who’s looking at two paths before him/her. This person sizes up each path and then chooses one (the less traveled one) to use that day. I love this image of a person standing and pondering a decision in their life. I love this idea of trying to discover what will happen if we go this way or that. Many a movie has been filmed and many a book has been written about different choices we make in the past and how they impact our future. From time to time we’ve all questioned how different things could have been if we’d made this turn rather than that or if we’d stayed on this path rather than getting off. It’s a fascinating set of questions to ponder, but in the end, we need to see there’s seldom an option to go back and change our decisions.
See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of your God יהוה, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced. (Deuteronomy 11:26 – 28)
These are the opening words of Parshat Re’eh, this week’s reading. There’s no way to read this other than God overtly told us we have a choice. We live lives of choices. In fact, it’s safe to say our lives are merely a series of decisions. Each one of those decisions leads to another series of options and so forth and so on. We’re blessed to make choices but at the same time this is actually a curse. The blessing is we have a semblance of control over our lives and what happens to us. I say semblance because we don’t have absolute control over forces of nature or the actions of other people. But we do in fact have some control. It’s a curse because often times we become dangerously paralyzed by the number of options we have to contend with on a daily basis. A trip to the grocery store can become a spiral of doom and gloom when we’re forced to decide between five or more varieties of our favorite cereal or ice cream. Just take a look and see how many different kinds of eggs are sold… spoiler alert: they all come from a chicken. The choices we have can be self-affirming or they can be quite alarming.
The paralysis sometimes leads us to create a false narrative claiming we’re helpless and without a choice in this world. That worldview is incorrect and needs to be put aside. Each and every one of us needs to see (ראה/Re’eh) that there are many decisions put before us and we’re in the driver’s seat to decide what the next choice is. Those decisions are indeed effected by others and by natural phenomena but that should never hold us back from choosing. We simply need to find it within ourselves to learn to choose wisely.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Hearshen
Candlelighting time on August 11 is 8:10 pm.
Saturday Night Services
Services on Saturday night will start at 8:10 pm this week.
Sunday Morning Minyan
Join us each week for Sunday Morning Minyan in the Chapel at 8:30 am.
RSVP requested for each service to ensure we have a minyan.
High Holiday materials, including tickets, have been sent to local OVS members in good standing (who have paid all prior year commitments and at least 50% of their 2023 Dues). Out of state members in good standing will receive tickets upon request. Click here to request your out of state ticketsor email office@orveshalom.org.
Please check your mailbox and visit our website for High Holiday updates.
Adult Education
Classes below start on August 16 and are being offered free of charge.
We highly recommend you purchase the book on each registration page to fully participate in class and to practice what you learn. Zoom links will be provided upon registration.
Additional classes are coming soon. Watch you email and visit
Chesed Team Three B'S April Sunday, Apr 27th 3:00p to 4:00p Join us as we take our Three B's program to Berman Commons. Do a Mitzvah and spend time with the residents. We’ll bring them a taste of OVS and play bingo.
Children are welcome when accompanied by an adult.
Sisterhood Sandwich and Stretch Sunday, May 4th 10:00a to 12:00p Join OVS Sisterhood to make sandwiches for those in need, enjoy a healthy snack and have a gentle morning stretch led by physical therapist, Julie Gabbai.
Sephardic Dinner to Go Thursday, May 8th 2:00p to 4:00p Dinner To Go includes 1 dozen burekas (potato, spinach or rice, while supplies last), 1 quart Avas (tomato based white bean soup), 1 quart rice, tossed garden salad and 6 biscochos. Pre-orders only by Monday, May 5.
Thank You Shabbat Shabbat, May 10th 8:45a to 12:30p Join us on Shabbat morning as we honor Rabbi Nachum Gutierrez & Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez for their service to OVS. Kiddush lunch will be served following services.
Shabbat Together Shabbat, May 10th 10:30a to 11:30a Join us for our new Kavanagh Minyan & Children's Services the second Saturday each month. Following these services, we'll join the group in the Sanctuary for Rabbi Hearshen's sermon followed by Kiddush lunch.
It’s as easy as:
Inviting your friends and family for Shabbat Dinner, Taking a few photos, Sharing the photos with OVS & One Table And... Receiving a stipend for each person at your dinner.
Boyos Class Sunday, May 25th 1:00p to 3:00p Join Dan Maslia for his famous Boyos Class. One person per household only. First come, first served. Maximum 20 participants. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to make this special Sephardic dish.
Building Blocks Sunday School 2025-2026 Sunday, Aug 17th 9:00a to 12:00p Building Blocks Sunday School at Congregation Or VeShalom is for children ages 2 - 12. Areas of focus include prayer, Jewish holidays, Jewish values, modern Hebrew, Hebrew reading, Israel, and Sephardic Jewish culture.
