|
November 29, 2024 - 28 Chesvan 5785 Parashat Toldot - The Trees of Life
Dear Friends, The Parsha for this week is called Toldot, which means "generations." It is a term and device used by the Torah to list genealogies and family trees, as well as to share the most essential of stories related to that family. To that end, Toldot is sometimes also translated as "chronicles." To combine both senses of the phrase, then - in sharing the names of one's descendants as well as their story - is not unlike a Hesped, a eulogy given for a loved one at their funeral. My teacher, mentor, and friend, Rabbi Jonathan Stein, passed away last Shabbat after an intense battle with cancer. I am heartbroken at the loss of one of the most important people in my life, someone I spoke to on Zoom every few weeks to see and be with each other as much as we could despite being on opposite sides of the country. It is sadly, but beautifully, fitting that he died on Shabbat, finally attaining the respite from the pain that wracked his body, as one of his many teaching "shticks" was ensuring that learners of all ages knew that Shabbat - rather than Yom Kippur or Pesach - is actually the most important Jewish holiday. I take some comfort in knowing he is no longer in pain, and yet, he was taken from this life and world far too soon. As a football fan, I have long been intrigued by what is usually referred to as a "coaching tree," which is the tracing of the head coaches and coordinators across the league back to one individual coach. A patriarch, if you will. And when I try to picture the rabbinic "coaching tree" that Rabbi Stein had, it is wonderfully overwhelming and almost certainly impossible to map out and delineate with precision. There are hundreds of rabbis, cantors, and educators all over North America and the world whose lives and careers were touched by him. For some, he helped kindle a flame to pursue a career serving the Jewish people; for others, he was a sounding board, helping them develop their plans and navigate their paths to do so. And thousands upon thousands of others were moved, comforted, challenged, and inspired to do the best they could with the time they had, whatever that meant for themselves and their loved ones. Indeed, the "coaching tree" of Jon Stein's life is, to my mind, completely immeasurable, as was his lasting and ongoing impact on the world he left behind sooner than he should have. Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, practicing and exercising the "attitude of gratitude" at the center and foundation of Jewish tradition, let us be thankful for those who came before us; whose wisdom, kindness, and goodness forms a legacy that lights and guides our path every single day. Let us remember that each day we are blessed with on earth is a gift in and of itself, in the opportunities bestowed upon us to do right, do well, and do good; and in the chances we are given to name, appreciate, and accentuate the goodness of life. Let us be grateful for our ancestors and be the best ancestors we can be for our descendants, for the branches of our respective coaching and family trees. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joshua Strom
|
