Temple Shalom
of Central Florida
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Rabbi Zev's Sonnenstein Reflects
Hashiveinu Adonai elecha- v’nashuvah, Chadesh yameinu k’kedem” (Return us to You and we shall return, renew our days as before)
This phrase has more impact on me this year than ever before.
After the past years of challenges, of the pandemic, of quarantining, of being ‘alone”, I better understand the meaning that was originally behind it in Lamentations 5:21. It was a call for communal restoration and renewal after the destruction of the Jewish nation by the Babylonians. It was words of hope and inspiration. Today we use those words to bring us closer to God and God’s wisdom affiliated with Torah. Whatever way we choose to look at it, its positive message of hope is clear.
As we bring 5782 to a close and welcome a new brighter 5783, my prayer and wish for our congregation and community is thus:
May we look back at his past period and rather than see the challenges that crossed our path as a negative...we see the blessings that they led to.
May we see all that we learned or relearned, discovered or rediscovered, embraced or reembraced as a blessing that we may have forgotten or overlooked.
May the connections we made or rekindled within ourselves, between each other, or between us and God continue to burn bright and be a guiding light.
May we continue to build and grow our community and go from Chazak Chazak- Strength to Strength and L’Dor V’dor- generation to generation.
B’y’didut - in friendship Rabbi Cantor Zev