Timing is Everything

Friday May 2, 2025/4 Iyar 5785

Hevre/Friends,

What a nice coincidence to preside over a bris on Tuesday during this week’s Torah portion of Tazria-Metzora which opens with the mitzvah to circumcise newborn males. Lucky for Lisa, Josh and little Zachary Abraham it wasn’t parashat Vayera! (Who knows their Torah portions out there?)

The deeper significance of the timing for Tuesday’s bris was that it fell on Rosh Chodesh Iyar, and on the eve of Yom Hazikaron which led into Yom Ha’Atzmaut. Yom HaZikaron is Israel’s annual day of remembrance for all those soldiers who gave their lives for the establishment and defense of the State of Israel from its beginnings up to today. It is a day of grief, but also humble gratitude as we recognize those whose sacrifices secured Israel's safety and freedom; those whose deaths helped make our lives possible - in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. The day’s focus has also expanded to include civilians who have been killed in terrorist attacks, recognizing the ultimate price that they and their families have paid to live proudly as Jews.

And there we were celebrating the irrepressible instinct to live and to thrive that has perpetuated our collective Jewish family for millenia. That instinct was embodied in our move from the solemnity of Yom HaZikaron into Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, carrying our memories and our tears with us into our happiness over the miraculous rebirth of our Jewish homeland and all the potential and promise embedded within it; our celebration of Israel’s strength and vitality, dignity and purpose, even during these dark days of war, of the ongoing hostage crisis, of political dissension and civic strife, and of still-seething antisemitism.

The backdrop of Rosh Chodesh reminded us of life’s capacity to continually renew itself. The moon’s flow from fullness to emptiness and back again reflects our people’s unyielding faith that darkness will yield to light, that pain will yield to joy, that despair will yield to hope.

In a Jewish world so fraught with suffering, we rejoiced on Tuesday over a young family’s decision to bring more Jewish life into the world. Refusing to surrender to fear or distress, they doubled down and said: “Hineni! We are here and we are not going anywhere. In fact, we’re going to make more of us!” And not just more Jews, but more Americans committed to the ideals on which this country was founded: the ideals of freedom, of justice, and of equality. 

These are difficult times and the journey ahead is a long one. But it's one we’ve made before and we will make it again. Rosh Chodesh Iyar falls right in the middle of our counting the Omer, the 7 weeks/49 days of journeying through the desert, making our way from the physical liberation from Egypt to the spiritual liberation at Sinai. The month of Iyar is unique in that it is the only month during the counting when Bnei Yisrael, and by extension we, are in the desert the whole of the month.  When we started counting at the second seder on the 16th of Nisan we had already spent the first half of that month still in Egypt. By the third of next month, Sivan, we’ll already be at Sinai. But each day of Iyar is in the desert. This Rosh Chodesh, this bris, summoned us to walk this journey in the wilderness proudly and filled with hope, knowing that no matter how many times we’re called to undertake it we will make it through, surrounded by our loved ones, our friends, our community, our people, and our allies. 

Know that we welcome Shabbat today reinforced by the presence of one more (among many others, no doubt!) Jewish child who’s been welcomed into our shared brit, our covenant of hope, of commitment, and of love.

With continued prayers for our ability to bring home all the hostages, protect the soldiers, heal the injured, comfort the bereaved, and build a lasting peace in Israel and around the world, and with blessings for a Shabbat Shalom,

Dini

Photo Courtesy of Ronen Avisror