VOLUME 20, ISSUE 33 FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2013 \/ 26 AV 5773
\nTORAH PORTION: RE\u2019EH (DEUTERONOMY 11:26 – 16:17)
\nCANDLE LIGHTING: 7:47 P.M. SHABBAT ENDS: 8:56 PM (CHICAGO)<\/p>\n
This week’s CTN Shabbat Fax is dedicated by Jennifer and Jerry Albom, in celebration of the recent engagement of our daughter Malka to Ari Reich. May they build a beautiful Jewish home together!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Today.’<\/p>\n The Torah stresses that word in many places when it tells us to do the right thing.<\/p>\n \u2018… Today. Today.\u2019<\/p>\n It\u2019s a powerful message.<\/p>\n Especially at this time of the year.<\/p>\n With Rosh Hashanah around the corner.<\/p>\n … Which makes it a time to see how we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n Ethically. Morally. And spiritually.<\/p>\n As human beings. And as Jews.<\/p>\n … And it\u2019s a time for change.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s something about human nature.<\/p>\n Because we know how it is. How sometimes we get motivated.<\/p>\n And we think about how we\u2019d like to improve.<\/p>\n In our relationship with G-d.<\/p>\n Or our dealings with other people.<\/p>\n \u2026 We really want to do it.<\/p>\n But then, we hear that \u2018little voice\u2019 inside us:<\/p>\n … \u201cWho are you trying to kid?<\/p>\n Look at how you\u2019ve behaved for the last twenty years.<\/p>\n You think you\u2019re going to change now?\u201d<\/p>\n Or we may find ourselves thinking something like this:<\/p>\n \u201cCome on. Get real.<\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019ll change for a day or two.<\/p>\n But you know it\u2019s not going to last!\u201d<\/p>\n And then \u2013 before we know it \u2013 we\u2019re right back where we started.<\/p>\n \u2026 The key to self improvement?<\/p>\n Forget about yesterday.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t think about tomorrow.<\/p>\n … Just deal with today.<\/p>\n One day at a time.<\/p>\n Because if you do that \u2013 before you know it \u2013 the days add up.<\/p>\n … And you can be a different person.<\/p>\n Human beings. In Hebrew we are called Adam.<\/p>\n The word comes from the Hebrew word, Aadamah. Which means earth.<\/p>\n \u2026 Which seems a little strange.<\/p>\n Because it’s true that we have physical, earthly side to us. But we also have a spiritual side.<\/p>\n And that’s what’s unique about us!<\/p>\n So why are we called Adam, earth?<\/p>\n The answer is that earth has symbolic meaning.<\/p>\n Take a look at some earth. In a garden, a field, wherever.<\/p>\n What you are really looking it is potential.<\/p>\n Right now all you see is some plain earth. But put in a seed, give it the water and nutrients it needs \u2026 put in the work, and it will produce amazing things!<\/p>\n And that’s what being human is. Potential for growth.<\/p>\n Calling ourselves Adam is a reminder. That when we look at human beings \u2013 others as well as ourselves \u2013 we should not see just what meets the eye.<\/p>\n Instead, we should always see the amazing potential for growth that every human being has.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not how much or how little you have that makes you great or small, but how much or how little you are with what you have.\u201d<\/p>\n — Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch VOLUME 20, ISSUE 33 FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2013 \/ 26 AV 5773 TORAH PORTION: RE\u2019EH (DEUTERONOMY 11:26 – 16:17) CANDLE LIGHTING: 7:47 P.M. SHABBAT ENDS: 8:56 PM (CHICAGO) This week’s CTN Shabbat Fax is dedicated by Jennifer and Jerry Albom, in celebration of the recent engagement of our daughter Malka to Ari Reich. May they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-chicago-torah-network-shabbat-fax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":754,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions\/754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torahnetwork.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. \u201cSEE THAT I AM PLACING BEFORE YOU TODAY, A BLESSING AND A CURSE. THE BLESSING, IF YOU OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS \u2026 WHICH I COMMAND YOU TODAY.\u201d (11:26-27)<\/h4>\n
2. DOWN TO EARTH WISDOM \u2026 FROM THE JEWISH MYSTICS<\/h4>\n
3. QUOTE OF THE WEEK<\/h4>\n
\n(Horeb, vol. 1, pg 46)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"