I enjoyed a wonderful shabbat in a special shul this morning in Miami.

It was quite an unusual service for a number of reasons, some physical and some mystical. A friend invited me to a local shul which has an innovative congregation space.  There was plenty of flexible furniture to accommodate a traditional prayer format as well as group dancing – which happens each service and contributes to the energy. We also created a sharing and discussion circle to study and learn about the parshah of the week. Under the leadership of a wonderful rabbi, we formed a community of open sharing and caring.

A visiting rabbi spoke and began by saying that this unique shul experience could be “only in Miami.” He then talked about the bold vision announced by a world leader for a provocative solution for Middle East Peace.

What came to my mind was the saying taught to me by a friend and mentor, many many years ago: “You cannot believe what you cannot imagine; so widen your scope of imagination.”  Many people are stuck in the immediate concerns of the past when trying to imagine solutions for the future.

I looked to the torah as we studied Exodus 14 about the Children of Israel crossing the Sea of Reeds from Egypt to the Wilderness. I have often thought about the journey of Exodus, going from slavery in Egypt to wandering in the wilderness and then ultimately reaching the promised land.

In terms of intertemporal explanation, I believed that this was 3 time periods: past, present, and future.  Freeing ourselves from our past slavery (the metaphor of Pharoah) and then being present in the wilderness for 40 years and experiencing mindfulness and growth, and then being ready to achieve and reach the future of the promised land.

Today, I thought of a fourth time period… tomorrow.

I remember when my mom (of blessed memory) took me to see the Broadway Show, Annie in 1977. The child prodigy, Andrea McArdle  passionately sang the signature song, “Tomorrow”

The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow there’ll be sun

Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs
And the sorrow ’til there’s none

When I’m stuck with a day
That’s gray and lonely
I just stick out my chin
And grin and say, oh

The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow come what may

Tomorrow, tomorrow
I love ya tomorrow
You’re always, a day away

When I thought of tomorrow in the context of today’s shabbat discussion, I realized that there can be four time periods:  Past, present, tomorrow, and then the future.

In the discussion of this bold visionary leader, many pedestrian leaders think about “the day after” the simple time period of tomorrow. Of course, this state is important, but it is still primarily anchored to the past.   To truly see the future, you need to go beyond tomorrow.

Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai, boldly stated “For some the sky is the limit, for Dubai, it is just the beginning”

In the book of Genesis, God tells Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, marking a profound promise for the future of Abraham’s lineage. The key moment occurs in Genesis 15:5, where God says:

“Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.'”

This vision is seen as a promise that Abraham’s descendants would be many. It can also be interpreted as a broader spiritual metaphor for future generations of believers.

This passage reveals God’s vision for future generations in a symbolic and meaningful way. The stars in the sky often represent something infinite and far-reaching, suggesting that God’s vision for the generations to come extends far beyond what Abraham could perceive at the time.

Imagine that Abraham saw God’s vision with a sense of wonder. This became his faith and covenant with God.

I thought about the words: impressed and amazed in the context of seeing something.  Somehow, they feel connected to the present or past.

These words involve constraint by the current gravitational impact on earth. When I think of the word “Wonder” it seems to fill the soul with awe and detached observation outside the scope of current existence.

Accordingly, I believe that we can utilize the four time periods: past, present, tomorrow, and the fervent faith and hope of the future.  To experience a world full of wonder, we need free ourselves of fear and constraints.

I would like to share the following linguistic exercises to experience intertemporal explanations:

Never Not yet:

• • When someone asks you, have you ever been to or done something, and you reply “never”, it creates an obstacle of your mind and impediment in your heart.
  • Try saying “not yet” and it opens the possibilities for the future.
  • Try to make your Nevers now…but not always,
  • One Day can then become Day One

Impossible vs. I’m Possible:

• I like to put the “’” into impossible to make it I’m possible!

Appendix

Enjoy a haiku inspired by this blog:

Wonder sparks the mind,
Beyond tomorrow, we strive,
Future’s hope unfolds.

Which character in the Bible does the Torah tell us MOST about his or her emotional state?

Answer: Pharaoh. There are 17 references to his emotional state. The Torah references Pharaoh’s “lev,” his heart.

Why? The Israelites escaping from slavery in Egypt, to wandering in the Wilderness, and reaching freedom in the Promised Land. This was a happy story for the Israelites.

But who was not happy? The Pharaoh! The Pharaoh had a successful slave-based economy. He was about to lose all of his slaves! This would ruin his economy and his life!

Pharaoh struggled 17 times in the Torah to deal with the reality of losing his slaves. God gave many signs and sent the 10 plagues to Egypt. But Pharaoh could not accept a future without his slaves. Pharaoh was a “slave” to his past. He was a slave to the concept that he would always have slaves, and unable to imagine that his life could change and his future would be different.

The Torah wants us to identify with Pharaoh because, like the Pharaoh, we are often reluctant to let go of our own past. In order to live unencumbered in the present, and to be ready for the future, we must leave the past behind.

Torah references for the Pharaoh

Exodus 4:21, p. 120 JPS

• “I, however, will stiffen his heart so that he will not let the people go”

Exodus 7:3, p. 124 JPS

• “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that I may multiply My signs and marvels in the land of Egypt”

Exodus 7:14, p. 125 JPS

• “Yet Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he did not heed them”

Exodus 7:22, p. 126 JPS

• “Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he did not heed them”

Exodus 8:11, p. 127 JPS

• “But when Pharaoh saw that ere was relief, he became stubborn and would not heed them, as the Lord had spoken”

Exodus 8:15, p. 127-128 JPS

• “But Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he would not heed them, as the Lord had spoken”

Exodus 8:28, p. 129 JPS

• “But Pharaoh became stubborn this time also, and would not let the people go”

Exodus 9:7, p. 129 JPS

• “Yet Pharaoh remained stubborn, and he would not let the people go”

Exodus 9:12, p. 130 JPS

• “But the Lord stiffened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not heed them”

Exodus 9:34, p. 131 JPS

• “But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he became stubborn and reverted to his guilty ways, as did his courtiers”

Exodus 9:35, p. 131 JPS

• “So Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he would not let the Israelites go”

Exodus 10:1, p. 131 JPS

• “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. For I have hardened his heart”

Exodus 10:20, p. 133 JPS

• “But the Lord stiffened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go”

Exodus 10:27, p. 134 JPS

• “But the Lord stiffened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not agree to let them go”

Exodus 11:10, p. 135 JPS

• “Moses and Aaron had performed all of these marvels before Pharaoh, but the Lord stiffened the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not let the Israelites go from his land.”

Exodus 14:4, p. 141 JPS

• “Then I will stiffen Pharaoh’s heart”

Exodus 14:5, p. 141 JPS

• “When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart about the people”

What is the shape of Moses’ Basket? What similarities does it have with Noah’s Ark?

Answer: Noah’s Ark and Moses’ Basket were the EXACT same shape. They were both a rectangle. (Obviously different sizes). They are both called a “Teyvah” (Hebrew for Ark).

There are a lot of similarities between Noah’s Ark and Moses’ Basket (Ark):

• Both the Ark and the Basket “delivered” the Israelites through the water
• Noah’s Ark protected Noah’s family and the animals from the flood
• Moses’ Basket delivered Moses (and later the Israelites) from the Egyptians through the Nile and Red Sea
• Both Arks created a fresh beginning for the Israelites/World
• Water destroyed the Earth in Noah’s flood and the Red Sea swallowed the Egyptians

And a little more:

• Noah is the first reference in the Torah to a “Righteous Tzadik” person. Genesis 6:9, p. 11 JPS
• Moses is referred to as the most “humble man” in the entire Torah. “Now Moses was a humble (anav) man, more so than any man on earth.” Numbers 12:3, p. 310 JPS
• Neither the Ark, nor Moses’ basket was a traditional boat with a keel, easily steered or directed. Both vessels were subject to the ebb and flow of the tides and water, subject only to the will of the water, to fate, and perhaps God’s will.

Here is one take-away from the stories of Noah’s Ark and Moses’ Basket: Deliverance and liberation may mean accepting that there are forces that are beyond our control.

Torah References for the Ark/Basket

Noah’s Ark is a rectangle. Genesis 6:9, p. 11 JPS

• “Make yourself an Ark (Teyvah in Hebrew) of gopher wood…the length of the ark should be 300 cubits, its width 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits”
• Noah is the first reference of a “Righteous Tzadik” person Genesis 6:9, p. 11 JPS

Moses’ Basket: Exodus 2:3, p. 114 JPS

• “When she could hide him no longer, she got a wicker basket (Ark Teyvah)…she put the child into it and placed in among the reeds by the bank of the Nile”

What does the Torah say about Food during the Story of Exodus?

Answer: The Torah describes the food of the Exodus as the Food of Slavery, and the Food of Wilderness, and the Food of Freedom in the Promised Land

The Food of Slavery

While in Egypt, the Hebrews ate the Food of Slavery, which was “leeks, onions, and garlic” which all came from the ground. Not the air or the sea. In many ways, you can think of the slaves as chained to the ground.

The Food of Wilderness: (Midbar)

When the Hebrews escaped from Slavery into the Wilderness, the Hebrews first ate “Manna” a food from God. This food came from above and from the sky. They also consumed “Shabbat” which was Food for the Soul. “Man does not live on bread alone, but that man may live on anything that the Lord decrees.”

Food of Freedom

The Land of Israel is called Eretz Zavat Chalav U’dvash, “The Land of Milk and Honey.” It’s clear that to the Torah, food really matters. The Promised Land is actually a place where food is delicious!

The Foods of Freedom are “Olives, Honey, Figs, and Pomegranates.” These foods are all in the air and all have seeds in order to regenerate generations of populations, just as the hope is that the Israelites would create a cycle of generations stretching far into the future in the Promised Land.

Torah References for Food in the Torah

Food of Slavery: “Mitzraim”; (Narrow Place) In Egypt, Hebrews ate the Food of Slavery. All of these food items came from the ground.
(Numbers 11:4-5, p. 307 JPS) “The riffraff in their midst felt a gluttonous craving…We remember the fish that we used to eat free in Egypt…the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.”

Food of Wilderness: “Midbar” (Wilderness) Israelites first ate “Mannah” food from God. Manna came from the sky and heaven.

(Exodus 16:15-16, p. 148 JPS). When the fall of dew lifted, over the surface of the wilderness, lay a fine and flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “That is the Bread which the Lord has given you to eat…. The House of Israel names it Manna.”

Importance of Shabbat (Food for the Soul)

“Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath of the Lord, you will not find it today on the plain. Six days you shall gather it; on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.” Exodus 16:26, p. 149 JPS

“God has made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years. He subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you Manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had ever known, in order to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but that man may live on anything that the Lord decrees.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3, p. 393 JPS

Food of Freedom: Eretz Zavat Chalav U’dvash (Land of Milk and Honey) Israel, the Promised Land, is named for delicious and sweet food.

(Exodus 3:8, p. 116 JPS) God will “rescue the Hebrews from the Egyptians and bring them…to a land flowing with milk and honey.”

(Numbers 13:23, p. 312 JPS) The 12 spies went to the Promised Land and “reached the wadi Eschol, and there they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes…and some pomegranates and figs.”

(Deuteronomy 8:7, p. 393 JPS) “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains…a land of figs and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; a land where you may eat food without stint, where you will lack nothing…when you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the lord your God for the good land which he has given to you.”

Have you ever found faith fueled in a fire?

Did you find something in the seemingly loss of everything?

The cataclysmic fires in Los Angeles this month have been beyond devastation and imagination.

Tragically many people lost their lives. Thousands of families lost their homes and all of their physical possessions completely incinerated by these tragic fires. Countless businesses were lost and huge swaths of infrastructure were destroyed.

No words can adequately describe the devastation and loss.

Nevertheless, amidst this landscape of loss, I believe that there have been islands of inspiration.

We have heard stories of neighbors helping neighbors.  Families, whose homes have been destroyed, have found refuge with friends whose homes were sparred.  Business giving free food, clothing, and services to those in need.

In addition, there were many stories of Houses of worship, Chabad Synagogues, Churches, and religious objects saved from the flames.  Miraculous to behold.

I would like to explore one story of an angel found among the ashes.

“In the midst of a devastating wildfire that destroyed their family home, Joshua Kotler and his wife Emily were left with nothing but their lives. However, from the ashes of their Altadena home, one precious item emerged: a menorah that had once belonged to Joshua’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.

The Kotler family, including their two daughters, Liberty, 4, and Eve, 2, had evacuated their home as the fire rapidly advanced. While they managed to flee with just a few clothes and the necessities, they never imagined the fire would destroy everything they had. Their home, perched at the top of a mountain, was completely consumed by the flames.

“We got out of our house safely, thank God,” Joshua told The New York Post, reflecting on their escape. The next morning, as firefighters surveyed the damage, Joshua and Emily returned to see what, if anything, had survived. Amid the devastation, the only item that remained unscathed was the menorah, a family heirloom passed down through generations.

“It was insanely powerful to find it,” Joshua said, choking up. “The night before, I had been crying on the phone with my cousin, regretting not grabbing it when we left. And then to find it, the only thing left from our entire house—it was just an insane feeling.”

While their home was lost, the Kotlers have found hope in this small but significant piece of history that now carries a new meaning: a reminder that even in the darkest moments, something precious can endure. “We’re alive. That’s all that matters,” Joshua reflected, holding his family close, grateful for their survival and the menorah that connected their past with their future.”

I looked to the torah for understanding and inspirations of faith fueled by fire. In Genesis 15:17 when G-d/Hashem appeared to Abram to signify his presence and first made his covenant with Abram.

Then I looked at Exodus 3:2, when Moses encountered the Burning Bush.  What was unusual about the Burning Bush was not that it was on fire, but that it was on fire and not consumed. While most people use focal vision most of the time, I believe that the magic and mystery in life takes place in the serendipity of our surroundings. Moses noticed out of his peripheral vision that it was on fire and not consumed. Moses stopped and looked towards the Burning Bush. The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses from the within the fire, then God/Hashem called out to Moses from within the flames “Moses, Moses” God/Hashem called. “Hinani, Here I am (and I am ready)” replied Moses.

This moment changed the course of human history because it catalyzed Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to the Wilderness and finally to the Promised Land – the land of Israel.

In Exodus 16:4, the Children of Israel arrived in the wilderness fresh from their escape from Egypt. They only had that which they could carry on their backs. They lacked the basics. God/Hashem provided manna from heaven. In Exodus 16:26, God/Hashem gave the first sabbath. This combination of spiritual and physical sustenance, manna from heaven and faith in God/Hashem provided the foundation support for the Children of Israel during their time in the wilderness.

I fervently pray and hope that the Children of Los Angeles will find manna from heaven over the coming weeks and months to provide spiritual support as they recover and believe again in the future.

It is truly this manna from heaven and faith that can be the ultimate angel appearing from the ashes which will lead the community of  Los Angeles, the City of Angels, to the Promised land.

Author’s Note:

I have been hiking the hills of Malibu and Pacific Palisades for over 25 years while attending The Ashram.

I also lived in Santa Monica for two years and hiked in the Pacific Palisades (Paseo Miramar Trail) and Malibu 4 to 5 times a week.

I am sending my love and prayers to my LA friends wishing them hope and faith during this difficult time.

Appendix:

The LA neighborhood of Pacific Palisades was one of the areas that suffered the most damage. Amongst the ruins left in the fire’s wake, there was one building that was notably spared: Kehillat Israel.

Kehillat Israel is a reconstructionist synagogue. The congregation was founded in the 1950s and grew to include hundreds of families. In 1997 they opened their synagogue in Pacific Palisades.

When the LA fires hit, area around the synagogue was greatly affected. Buildings just across the street had been destroyed. Despite this, the synagogue itself was untouched by the fire. The survival of Kehillat Israel serves as a beacon of hope not just for its congregation but for all residents of LA.

You can read more about Kehillat Israel here.

At Pepperdine University in Malibu, a 20-foot wooden cross stands atop a hill overlooking the university. This hill was ravaged by the fires. Miraculously, the wooden cross was unharmed by the blaze. It now serves as a powerful symbol of hope. You can read more about it here.

The Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Pacific Palisades was tragically destroyed during the LA fires. When the fire department was going through the rubble, they were able to recover the church’s tabernacle intact. The tabernacle’s survival is a powerful sign of hope and faith. You can read more about it here.

You can read another powerful story of faith found in the wake of the fire here.

I am a strong believer in the power of faith and community to shine a light that drives back the world’s darkness. I want to highlight and organization that does just that, The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC).

The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities is an organization formed to support the Jewish communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC is a regional political and economic union between the countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. While each country has its own individual Jewish community, the AGHC oversees resources and programs that benefit all of them. The AGHC helps to tend to both the physical and spiritual needs of Jews in the gulf.

The AGJC offers a variety of services and resources to Jews living in and visiting countries in the GCC.

They provide an up-to-date dashboard that lists the Shabbat times for major cities throughout the GCC.

The AGHC holds a weekly Pre-Shabbat virtual gathering online. These meetings include prayers, songs, and engaging speakers. They maintain an archive of these gatherings that you can view here.

The AGJC maintains a calendar of Jewish holidays as well as offering descriptions for each one here. The organization helps with obtaining objects of religious significance like yartzheit candles, tefillin, and Hanukkah sets to those that live in or are traveling to the Gulf.

For further information, please follow on X at @gulfjewish and visit the website: www.gulfjewish.org.

You can read more about the efforts of GCC countries to embrace the Jewish community and fight for the light of peace here, here, here, and here.

Have you experienced a dear friend visiting your family shiva? How did their shiva visit make you feel?

We are so grateful for the leadership of UAE demonstrating their commitment to peace with Israel and understanding by sending Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaim, a member of the UAE’s Federal Supreme Council, to attend the shiva mourning gathering for murdered Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan, in Kfar Chabad, November 29, 2024.

On November 21, 2024, Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan was murdered in UAE in an apparent terror attack.

UAE Authorities actively coordinated with Israeli authorities and soon arrested three suspected terrorists. Rabbi Kogan was buried in Israel on November 25. Rabbi Kogan was a true pioneer of peace in the UAE.  Rabbi Kogan began his UAE journey in 2014 to establish a foundation for Jewish community.

Within hours of Rabbi Kogan’s funeral, President Trump’s Jewish child Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner pledged $1 million to build a Jewish center in honor of Rabbi Kogan. Immediately thereafter, Josh Kushner, Jared’s brother, and his wife Karla Koss, also gave $1 million to the Chabad center.

I would like to explore these recent events in the context of the Torah.

In Genesis 50, Jacob told Joseph shortly before dying that he had dug his own grave in Canaan and wanted to be buried there. Joseph respectfully followed his father’s wish and began 40 days of mourning.

Pharoah wanted to honor Jacob’s death in order to pay homage for all that Joseph did to help save the land of Egypt as Pharaoh’s key adviser. Pharaoh commanded Egypt to mourn for Jacob for 70 days, the typical period of mourning a pharaoh.

In Genesis 50:7, “Joseph went up to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went up with him”

This was such a tremendous display of a mixed multitude of the descendants of Abraham/Isaac/Jacob joined by the Elders of Egypt and all of Pharaoh’s court to mourn the death of Jacob.

We are grateful for the leaders of UAE, Bahrain, Israel, and President Trump for their visionary formation of the Abraham Peace Accords.

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaim, a member of the UAE’s Federal Supreme Council, flew to Israel to attend the shiva in Kfar Chabad, and told mourning family members and friends that the UAE vows that Kogan’s legacy will endure.  Dr. Nuaim said “The UAE will never allow extremists to divide us. Today, more than ever, our country is committed to openness & peace.”

The seemingly small act of attending a shiva speaks volumes about UAE’s Leadership’s commitment to the hope of peace, prosperity, spiritual access and acceptance as epitomized by the Abraham Peace Accords.

The Trump Family’s generous leadership gift to the UAE Chabad Center in honor of Rabbi Kogan reflects’ Jared Kushner’s stature as the architect of the Abraham Peace Accords that, under President Trump’s visionary leadership, brought a new paradigm of peaceful possibilities to the region. In addition, the Kushner brothers along with Ivanka trump’s leadership shows the true potential of sibling cooperation.

Although Genesis began with many examples of sibling conflict, the ultimate delivery of the Children of Israel was based on the cooperation of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam which brought the Children of Israel to the Promised Land.

Making peace is hard, preserving Peace is harder.  In Genesis 32, G-d (Hashem) told Jacob “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Peace is a constant struggle between humans and G-d.  Preserving peace requires relentless determination to constantly overcome.

While the tragic murder of Chabad Rabbi Kogan is a brutal reminder of the threats to Jews/Israelis, the profound UAE’s leadership’s commitment to a peaceful relationship with Israel by sending an emissary to sit shiva, similarly to Pharaoh sending his court to Jacob’s funeral, has helped preserve the peace and provide an inspiration for so many.

Additional Comments:

Breaking Matzo made a donation to Rivky Kogan in honor of Rabbi Kogan and remember his legacy of pioneering peace in the UAE.

Further Reading

Chabad Background in UAE

• You can learn more about Jewish life in the UAE here.
• You can read more about the historic Abraham Accords here.
• You can read more about Jewish mourning rituals here.

Exodus and Mixed Multitude

In our interpretation, the “Israelites” in the wilderness was comprised of both Hebrew slaves who left Egypt and also some Egyptians who, together, became the Children of Israel, wandering in the wilderness and, ultimately, seeking the Promised Land. It is the shared journey of people of different backgrounds but shared purpose that can create peace and harmony in our lands.

Exodus 12:37-38: “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much battle.”

Leviticus 24:10-16: “And the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp.”

Numbers 11:5: “And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept”