Why not bring a piece of evolving Judaism into your week? Each Torah portion is so rich with so much to share! These small shabbat rituals are meant to be just a taste of Torah to connect with on Shabbat. Enjoy for yourself, or share at a Shabbat table near you.
(ג) גּ֚וּר בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶֽהְיֶ֥ה עִמְּךָ֖ וַאֲבָרְכֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־לְךָ֣ וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֗ אֶתֵּן֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָֽאֲרָצֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔ל וַהֲקִֽמֹתִי֙ אֶת־הַשְּׁבֻעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם אָבִֽיךָ׃ (ד) וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֤י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְזַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָאֲרָצֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑ל וְהִתְבָּרֲכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(3) Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; I will assign all these lands to you and to your heirs, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. (4) I will make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs—
Shabbat ritual:
This week's Torah portion Toldot tracks the generations that came after G-d's promise to Abraham to bless him with descendants as numerous as the stars. This list of descendants in Torah Genesis 25 highlights the question of who gets counted in community.What is the power of being counted in community? The power of each one of us being seen, illuminated and bright. How are we making sure to continually count every voice in our community? How can we expand this concept to be inclusive to all Jews, including Jews without Jewish ancestry? How can we make sure all voices are heard in our extended communities and not just those with privilege? This week think about the places you feel seen and heard. Share what it means with someone else to feel seen and heard. Think about those within your own lives who may not feel this way. Reach out to let them know you value their opinions and how important they are to your community.