I love receiving advice as much as I like giving it!
Each year we read this portion Parashat Yitro as it describes Moses’ non-Hebrew father in law giving recommendations with candour and confidence.
Lo tov hadavar asher atah oseh…navol Tivol gam atah, gam ha’am hazeh…
This thing you are doing, managing this people on your own is not good… You will wear yourself out.
Torah continues to say the task of carrying the people that Moses does is too heavy. Rashi, French rabbi, commentator and vintner (in his spare time) comments that it’s too much for Moses to bear. I can’t imagine anyone reading it without marvelling at the prescience of these observations – the first management consultancy or community organising. This truth continues to be at the heart of every healthy congregation; indeed, of every household, organisation, or community endeavour.
Right now, there is much work to do, so many injustices that need our attention, but we are reminded we are better placed when we work together, from speaking out in solidarity for Iranian dissidents and refugees in the UK, to adding our voices on immigration here and to maintaining focus on sustainability and climate change.
I see the tangible expression of our support and solidarity for Iranian dissidents every Thursday here at FPS. March 14th will be Refugee Shabbat and this week we mark Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for Trees, by soft launching our attempts to reclaim our Eco-Synagogue status – and we are well on the way. Please join us on Shabbat for our seder, which will be an opportunity to talk trees and what we, as a synagogue, can do better. I’m committing to conversations about what products we use in the synagogue, for example, sticking as much as possible to glass and not plastic at kiddush. I will be sharing the Torah text of ‘Bal Tashchit’ (do not waste, do not destroy) and ensuring that we are as informed and collegial as possible as we work towards it.
I love this reminder and I love when Torah and Jewish tradition is hand in hand with what our world presents.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
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