The Present of Presence


 Dear Friends,


Today it is personal for me.

I realized the power of ritual to make a difference in my life.

We have been blessed to take the post retirement trip that my wife and I had been planning and recently returned from Hawaii.  The trip had been postponed because of covid.


As we stood on Waikiki Beach watching the sunset (see picture below),  I realized that I could now mark a separation between being a full time congregational rabbi to the next chapter of our lives.  As I thought about the sunset and watched its beauty as it set over the horizon, I was able to see the holiness in the relationships that I had with so many wonderful people throughout the years.  As I looked out over the horizon I realized that so many horizons were broadened, so many people were inspired, I learned so much, and finally appreciated the beauty and honor of having served.

On the trip, we were blessed to see a beautiful rainbow that made a complete arch and yeah, I am sappy, but I thought about the song, "Somewhere over the rainbow."  I hope and pray that somewhere over the rainbow there isn't a pot of gold waiting, but there is the realization that all of us can make a difference and that we will find ways to do so.  All of us can build meaningful relationships and create sacred space in our lives.

During a week when we read about Jacob's blessing of his children and what has become a source for ethical wills where we let people know what is important to us, I thought about the importance of family, friends, and community.  I thought about the rain and storms that we all endure and how beautiful it is when we come together, support each other, and create rainbows as we bring light into the cloudy periods of our lives..

The ritual was complete when on New Year's Eve, I was able to do havdalah (the ceremony when we complete Shabbat and begin the new week and in this case usher out the old year and bring in the new year) with three of our grandchildren.  One of them particularly loves to do Jewish rituals together and when we sang about Elijah the Prophet, I watched him smile and could see hope for the future.

So...what is the takeaway from this personal reflection?  The takeaway is from a significant discussion I had with our daughter on the beach in Hawaii when I was thinking about the time we didn't spend together because of the demands of being a congregational rabbi.  She turned to me and she said, "Rabbi, I do remember something about the time we spent together when I was growing up.  When you were present, you were present."

If she is correct, there is no greater gift than to be present when we are present with our loved ones, friends, and those with whom we interact.

May the new year of 2023 bring us the present of presence and may we broaden our horizons and find meaning somewhere over  the rainbow in bringing sunlight into the lives of others.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Bruce Aft 



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