What a week. A week of lows and highs. 

Our hearts are torn over the barbaric devastation and the painful loss of 6 innocent lives.  It takes a toll. Waiting and hoping. Watching the grief of families who hoped so deeply.  Wondering when there will be an end to all of the suffering.

On the other hand, celebrating my niece’s engagement and nephews wedding, lifts the spirits. Young life. A bright future. Eyes shining with love.

Last night in a dimly lit anteroom to a kosher Brooklyn restaurant, we celebrated the Sheva Brachos (one of the seven post wedding parties) for my nephew.

My father shared the headline from an article that read “The Jews Stand Unbowed—but Alone.”

My nephews new father-in-law shared this line that he taught his children; spelled LTPCTWYA, pronounced LATIPAC TAWYA which stands for “Leave The Place Cleaner Than When You Arrived”.

The Parsha tells us Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof, pursue righteousness.  For the most part, righteousness is unpopular and pursuing it doesn’t feel so good.  It doesn’t feel so good to be alone and to need to endure the struggle alone.  But it’s what it is. Darkness comes before light. It’s our destiny.

The Parsha tells us Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof, pursue righteousness.  Our calling is the leave the place cleaner than when we arrived.

We lean into the pain and sadness and then we remind ourselves that we are called to endure and to leave it a bit cleaner even if we do it alone.

Changes of season allow for rebirth and renewal.  We’ve entered into the month of Elul, the final month of the Jewish year and a month of preparation for the New Year.  Daily we sound the shofar to remind us of the opportunity that is at hand.

May we be blessed with a restful and comforting Shabbos and an easy transition into the New Year filled with blessing and sweetness.

With all my love,

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman