Fwd: Rabbi Daniel Cohen Shabbat Message

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Rabbi Daniel Cohen's Weekly Message     Rabbi Cohen's Podcasts  Click here for Rabbi Cohen's recent  podcasts!       Quick Links Rabbi Cohen's podcasts Rabbi Cohen's Classes CAS Website  Inside and Out   The upcoming Shabbat prior to to Tisha B'Av embodies the duality of the week of mourning.   We mourn the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem yet the Shabbat is known as Shabbat Chazon - Vision - an allusion of hope.   Do we lament our losses as a people or do we plan for the future?   The answer is both.   Isaiah, in the Haftorah this week, criticizes the Jewish people for sowing the seeds of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, but he offers a vision of repair and return.   In this spirit, I offer two suggestions - one inside and one out - to move from mourning to morning.   Erica Brown in her recently released book on the Three Weeks expresses a vision of joint responsibility for uplifting our community. Isiah identifies justice as the vehicle for redemption. Rather than seek answers from outside, we should seek one within. The world improves when we improve. There are no shortcuts. Please read the except below.   Further, we are called upon to speak on behalf of our brothers and sister in Israel. This past week, we launch the Israel Advocacy Project. One of the goals is to inform and mobilize our congregation to advocate effectively and in a timely way for Israel. To get involved contact me or Norine Krasnogor at nzk111@yahoo.com.   Please join me in raising your voice and signing a petition to the UN member nations encouraging them not to endorse a unilaterally declared Palestinian state should this come to a vote in September.  Here is the link:   https://jcrcny.wufoo.com/forms/petition-against-a-unilaterally-declared-palestine/   One step at a time, we can herald an era of redemption for the Jewish people and the world.    As we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem, may we merit to envision the rebuilding of the Temple and peace in Israel speedily in our days.   Shabbat Shalom,   Rabbi Cohen       Article of Interest   Article from Erica Brown:     Neglect of widows and orphans is not a new theme in the biblical text. We are admonished in Exodus and Deuteronomy to care for the most vulnerable in our society. What do Isaiah's strong words add? Isaiah's point is a legal one. According to Rashi, the prophet is pointing a finger at a justice system where bribes are accepted our of avarice, and those unable to pay-like the widow and orphan-have their cases postponed to a later date. Because the vulnerable are not given top priority in the justice system, they stop using the courts...   An indictment of a legal system is ultimately an indictment of society. We all have moments when we ignore the urgent needs of those around us. We don't do it willfully; we assume that someone else will take care of the problem. Growing up in a democracy, we naturally assume that when agreement cannot be reached between people, a government agency will step in and adjudicate. Our tax payers' dollars will come through; a social service institution or charitable non-profit will pick up the pieces...   Every day presents an opportunity to make our lives more whole, less fragmented, more honest and less compartmentalized. We are all hypocrites in one way or another. We strive to be good but stumble. We aim for consistency but miss the mark. So instead of trying to change the whole world at once, perhaps we can make minute but meaningful steps to promote justice. Small acts of justice are the bricks of any future Mikdash.           Rabbi Daniel Cohen  Congregation Agudath Sholom 301 Strawberry Hill Ave, Stamford, CT 06902 Phone:203-358-2200  Fax: 203 358-2323 website: www.cas-stamford.org

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