Rabbi Ze'ev Harari - Rabbi's Message

** newsflash ** Rabbi Harari was a guest on WOCA October 24, 2011 and the station uploaded a recording of the interview. ** newsflash **

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February 2012

Dear Friends,

One of the most beautiful poems written in the Hebrew language in the twentieth century is called , למדני אלהי written by the Israeli poet Leah Goldberg of blessed memory. I am very grateful to the editors of our Reform prayer book, Mishkan Tefilah, for including this poem in it, both in Hebrew and in an English translation. I would like to focus on the wonderful message of this poem. The following is the English translation of the poem:

Teach me, O God, a blessing, a prayer
on the mystery of a withered leaf
on ripened fruit so fair
on the freedom to see, to sense
to breathe, to know, to hope, to despair.
Teach my lips a blessing, a hymn of praise,
as each morning and night
You renew Your days,
lest my day be today as the one before;
lest routine set my ways.

There are so many things in our lives that have become routine, and because of this fact we take them for granted. These include laws of nature, our health, and even the people in our lives. Taking anything for granted is the biggest mistake that most of us make. Judaism teaches us not to take things for granted by focusing on gratitude to God for life itself first things in the morning. The first words that we should say every morning are found in our prayer book: - - מודה אני לפניך “I offer thanks to You, ever living Sovereign, that You have restored my soul to me in mercy; How great is Your trust”. If we say this every morning with 
full intention of our minds and hearts, we will realize that life itself is a gift from God, and should not be taken for granted.

There are many people in our lives. We should not take them for granted: First and foremost our parents, our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our friends, our co-workers, our teachers, and so many more. Some are in our lives by choice and some are not by choice. Our task is to be grateful for their presence in our lives. Take a few minutes every morning when you start your day to think about these people and about the positive ways that they enrich your life.

We should not take our health for granted. Most of us do take it for granted until the time comes when our bodies do not function the way they should. When we get sick we value our health. Judaism teaches us to thank God for all the good things in our lives. This gratitude is included in our daily prayers. However, how many of us do pray daily? How many of us actually think of the deep meaning of these prayers when we say them? I suggest that even if you do not pray daily, you should take a few minutes every morning to think of all the things in your life that you are grateful for. This will enrich your life and make you happier for the day, every day.

I conclude this message with a word of gratitude for you: I do not take my life here and my relationship with you for granted. I am so grateful to be here and be your rabbi. Getting to know each of you has filled me with joy, and I appreciate the presence of each of you in my life. Thank you for being part of my life.

Rabbi Ze’ev Harari