Blessings of the Archer to the Class of 2019 To the Class of 2019*, Every day as I walked by your classroom, I could always count on something in the air. Whether it was a conversation about literature, math, Hebrew, science, history, or Torah, (or Chinese food, or Axe) the air in Room 108 was pretty much always filled with thought, energy and passion. As you know, just a few days ago, we celebrated Shavuot, the culmination of the counting of the Omer. Perhaps the most famous day of the Omer is Lag BaOmer, a mysterious day on which, among other things, children traditionally play with bows and arrows. Although most of us will never be archers, on Lag BaOmer we are all archers and there is much to learn from the bow and arrow on how to look at life and the decisions we make. Tonight I bless you with the blessing of the bow and arrow. First, when the archer sets a goal, the archer pulls back, giving tension to the bow. As Dena Weiss of Yeshivat Hadar so wisely states, “a
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Showing posts from June, 2019
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Swimming with Malakhi: Poolside Generational Lessons for Summer and Beyond In Everything in its Place Oliver Sacks’ final work before his passing, the world renowned neurologist and author, opened the book with a section called “First Loves.” His first chapter in this section is called “Water Babies” which describes his lifetime passion for swimming. And as I read it, the calendar was flipping to June. I am not sure if June ever felt like it hit so quickly, but here it is. And while each season has its own special rhythm and signposts, the pool, the lak or the ocean and our swimming has a unique place, yes, even in halakha. The Talmud teaches*, among other things, that a parent is obligated in brit milah, to teach Torah, to teach a trade and help find a mate for children. Some add that parents are also obligated to teach them to swim as well. (וי"א אף להשיטו במים) Out of all of these skills, it seems that swimming is out of place. What makes swimming on par with all