Life can feel so hard sometimes. There are moments in the day when we’ve just had enough and really want to take a break from everything around us. At the same time, there are days where we’re coasting and feeling all of the greatness of the world we live in. These days fuel us and help us to see the beauty of life. These two polarities exist side by side. We can feel blessed and cursed. We can feel at ease and burdened. We can feel both of these and have no disconnect.
This week, we read about the incredible time we stood at הר סיני/Har Sinai/Mount Sinai and received the תורה/Torah from God. On that day, the world changed forever. We have two very different understandings from our rabbinic tradition about what happened at הר סיני.
The first understanding comes from a Midrashic work called the מכילתא/Mekhilta and is also referenced in the תלמוד/Talmud. It explains that when God gave us the תורה, the mountain was picked up and flipped upside down while God told us: “Accept the תורה or I will drop this mountain on you and it will be your grave.
Another understanding comes from פסיקתא רבתי/Pesikta Rabatai, also a Midrashic work, that describes a very different vision. God went to each nation and asked them to accept the תורה and nation after nation turned God down. The reasons for the rejection was they were unable to live by the תורה because it directly conflicted with their practices and culture. When God came to עם ישראל/Am Yisrael/The people of Israel we said yes without asking any questions.
These two different visions are both accurate even though they’re inconsistent with each other. Is the תורה forced upon us or is it an act of love? Is תורה a burden or is it a treasure? We need to become more comfortable living in a world where multiple truths exist side by side. We need to become more comfortable in a world where something might resonate with us one moment and be completely at odds with who we are as people at another point.
Our heritage is, in fact, a special treasure that provides us with great fulfillment and joy. Being Jewish has so many blessings to discover on a daily basis. At the same time, we need to recognize sometimes being Jewish is a struggle. Sometimes this is because of the difficulties in observing our Jewish practices. At other times it’s because the world around us seems to have a problem with us. To truly love our people and our heritage is to embrace both of these visions of סיני/Sinai at the same time. To truly be in a relationship with Judaism and the Jewish people, is to be aware we have so much to be thankful for and so much to rejoice about. At the same time, it’s to be constantly aware that, in the words of the beautiful Israeli song, דרכינו/Darkenu/Our Path: לא קלה היא לא קלה דרכינו – It is not easy, our path/way is not easy. What makes it all worth it is finding moments of joy and moments of hardship coexisting in our lives. We can overcome hardship to live more often in the world where Judaism gives us so much.
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.
