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Dor L'Dor - Multi-generational Shabbat - Parashat Shemini
Tonight we honor you: the generations of families who have made Temple Emanuel your synagogue home. It is extraordinary that in our relatively short history, just shy of our 50th anniversary, that we can see through you how our congregation has inspired the continuation of Jewish life, fostered a sense of loyalty, and created deep and meaningful connections between families. In you we can see our history. We can see long time members who not only built and sustained the social, religious and communal life of their synagogue years ago for themselves, but who made it place to raise their children. And we are so thankful you are still here enjoying the harvest of the fruits for which you labored. And now, your children, who are no longer children, have returned to the Temple of their youth to build on and perpetuate that which they found so sweet and enduring here. Naturally, many of them chose to raise their children here, and some have assumed leadership positions in our Temple. They and you are a particular source of nachas and pride for our congregation.
For some of our multi-generational families, Temple Emanuel was not the shul where you spent your growing up years. Instead as adults, raising your children, you grew to love Temple Emanuel and it became the community of which you wanted your extended families, your parents and your siblings, to become a part. Over the years, many of you have brought the contributions of your time and spirit and are leaders of this congregation. You were an example to your families. Following your lead, they, too, found here a place that has room for new faces and extends itself to create new connections, a synagogue to share the most sacred times of life as a family who is part of an extended congregational family.
Dor l'Dor, from generation to generation. It seems that in Jewish life, everything we learn and teach and do, has everything to do with sharing our tradition from generation to generation. We are taught that we are to love the Eternal God with all our heart, soul and might, and to teach our children to love God as well. We tell the story of the Exodus in all the different ways we do around our Seder tables, as answers to questions our children will surely be asking. And its true, as it has been true for all of you, when Jewish life is lived within families, the questions get asked, and the answers of our tradition not only guide us, b ut bind us ever closer to one another.
Dor l'Dor, from generation to generation. In the Zohar, there is a story that Rav Hiya and Rav Jose were traveling in Kurdistan. There they observed the deep ravines in the landscape. Rav Hiya said surely they must be vestiges of mai Noach, the great flood. The question is why would God leave them there for us, generations later, to see? As Rav Hiya taught, so obvious it is that God would make sure that the memories of those who do God's will would endure. In fact, God ordains that they be remembered here on earth from generation to generation, but also on high. But what about the memory of the not-so- good, like the generation of the flood? One might think we are supposed to forget them, after all they didn't do God's will. But these too, taught Rav Hiya, we remember from generation to generation. We see the ravines, and we remember. The spirit of Rav Hiya's teaching is at the heart of why at a brit mila, we oftentimes bless the baby with a two-fold wish: that he will see the wonder of the world and marvel at all the miracles in his life, and that he will also remain open to the pain and ugliness there is. To see that we Jews are called upon to bring justice where there is none, to bring food where there are hungry people, to be compassionate and loving even in a world which seems callous and uncaring. As the saying goes, bemakom she'ayn anashim, hishtadel l'hiyot ish, In a place that has lost its humanity, Jews must strive to be human.
From generation to generation, Jews have seen to it to remember the bad with the good because our mission and purpose as a people is to draw strength from our blessings and find ways to heal when faced with adversity. It is the same reason that we will commemorate the Shoah this weekend, but next weekend, rejoice with Yom Ha'aztmaut, Israel's anniversary of Independence. The strength of generations of our people has been our ability to share and sweeten the joy in good times and hold one closer during and looking back on the bad times.
The book of Ecclesiastes begins with yet another thought: "Dor holech, v'dor bah, v'ha-aretz l'olam omadet. One generation passes away and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever." (Eccl. 1:4) In these opening lines, Kohelet is raising the question of what meaning life has, to which he spends the rest of the book attempting to answer. In the most cynical of readings, we may see this verse as hinting that Kohelet believes there is absolutely nothing that we can do of lasting significance. That we human beings are limited by the fact that we live and then must die. In contrast, the earth, which is inanimate and not subject to the cyclical nature of life, is the one thing Kohelet observes that is abiding. But we can also see Kohelet hinting at something more subtle and perhaps less ironic. Perhaps we are to realize in Kohelet's words that although we fall in a line of generations, and, like those before us, we will come and go, that there is a ground beneath us, a foundation, which is enduring. That in our temporal and temporary lives, we get to taste and touch that which is eternal. Tonight is reflection of that idea. Though we honor these generations of families of our Temple, we acknowledge that over its 50 years, our Temple community has enjoyed many different times and seasons- it has changed. From our building, to our leaders and clergy, from our members to our activities, even the way we have expressed our Jewish tradition has metamorphosed over the years. Nevertheless, there is something nameless and eternal which continues to bind us together, the three generations here tonight, with generations of our people past and future.
This sense of timelessness is best expressed in the siddur in the most sacred part of our liturgy- the kedusha, where in we say: "L'dor va'dor naggid godlecha, From generation to generation we will declare your greatness, and to all eternity we will make known your holiness. Your praise shall never depart from our lips." No matter the particulars, so long as Jews strive to make our lives connected to all that is high and holy, in the myriad of ways given the times and the seasons our people has seen and will encounter in the future, we have the ability to touch and experience that which is enduring, that which can bind us closer as families, that which can provide us a ground upon which to build our lives as a people, that which can give our lives a sense of purpose and mission. Then we will stand in a great chain of generations - l'dor va'dor l'olam, forever.
At this time I would like to invite all the generations of our membership who are here this evening to join Cantor Silverman and I on the bima to ask for God's blessings upon one another:
Eloheinu, v'elohei doroteichem, Our God and God of the generations of our people, sustain this holy congregation and these members who have striven to draw closer to you by drawing closer to one another. May they continue to share their lives with our congregation, strengthening their ties to their family and to our Temple family. May the years ahead be ones of blessing and fullness of joy, of finding holiness in the ordinary, of finding support when we are needy, of finding courage in times of trouble and discovering new ways to honor God and sustaining our people. May we have the pleasure of coming together on many more sacred occasions united by mutual reverence and love for study of Torah and tradition, and the ways this community can express it. In this way, L'dor Va'dor naggid godlecha, we will ever be able to praise your name o God, from generation to generation.
