Waking Up To God's Presence — Minyan w/ Rabbi Steven

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.

https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen

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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Transcript

0:02  
Recorded. You could keep your your camera off. We'll just be sharing the audio on our podcast later, since we like to do that at least once a week. But Hi everyone. Nice to see you today. Happy Thursday. It's the fifth of December, 4 of peace. Love. I believe are in the new Jewish month by a few days heading towards Hanukkah. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. However you celebrated. We're going to start just by grounding ourselves in this moment, few prayers before we turn to our tour reading for this week. Do will have time for prayers, for healing, and then mourners cottage as well.

0:56  
So good. Sorry about that.

0:57  
There you go. And try that again. There we go. Take a deep breath you haven't yet today, connect with your physical self, present here in this space, wherever you happen to be here, connected with each other as Well,

1:20  
Shiv, eating. Shiva, tea, shaviti, Avaya, learn egg. Deena,

1:46  
havaya Avaya Avaya ahava, ahava, ahava, ahava Avaya Avaya Avaya ahava, ahava ahava,

2:21  
Shiva Viti, Avaya, la Nedi Tami shiviti Avaya, la neg Dee Tommy, Avaya Avaya

2:56  
Avaya ahava ahava, ahava,

3:08  
Avaya Avaya Avaya ahava, ahava, ahava, a

3:24  
Chevy.

3:34  
T Tommy,

3:42  
good morning. Bucha. Tove to those who just joined us,

3:46  
continue their prayers for gratitude. So wasn't here on Tuesday, which is we usually make our gratitude list. We can do that today. So just take a moment to think of something you're feeling grateful for this morning. It could be something really big, something easily comes to mind. It could be something small. Maybe it's a bit more challenging to think of something. It's bringing you comfort or joy or contentment, courage, grounding in this moment. It could be simply the fact that you're here right now, present today, if you feel inspired to share in the chat what you're feeling grateful for as we sing this prayer together, we'll read our gratitude list in a few minutes to help lift each other up

4:33  
more. Dean Ruach, I am mo mod DEA ni lefana, Rua hai vaya mod

4:58  
DEA. NIFA, mod Dean.

5:05  
La, Fana, Rua hai Vaka, I am mod Dean. La, fan moda, ni

5:20  
la, honey,

5:24  
le Fana. Mo de honey, le Fana, Aye Aye.

6:00  
La fauna, Mul, deyani, la fauna, Rua Hai, Vaka, I

6:12  
am mod Deon la Fauci, Veca, yam, Mo, de honey,

6:30  
Bucha, the blessings the morning as we work through this list of gratitude that the rabbi's gave us, if you want to keep adding to our list in the chat, feel free To do so. We'll read that at the end.

6:43  
Baruch Aron I Elohim as share Natan The Laila for the ability to make the distinction between Deena, Baruch Aton I Elohim, she has any bits on bowl that I was created in your image. Baruch hat on I Elohim, she has sunny Ben horein, You created me to be free. Baruch hat on I Elohim, she has any Israel that I'm a Jew, a god wrestler. Baruch had a night Elohim Bucha, Eve that my eyes opened new vision. Baruch hat on I Elohim mabar meme for the gift of clothes over my naked body. Baruch had on I Elohim matir, asurim for my ability to release was all tied up. Baruch Aton I Elohim, el Mel halam zo Keith, Keith fufim For my ability to straighten what is bent. Baruch hat on I, Elohim, el Mel halam Rocha al hamayim for the stability of the earth over the water. Baruja Taruna Elohim al halam, hamachi, migad, that you prepare my steps. Baruch, haronai. Elohim, el Mel, halam, shaliko, sor key that you provide for all my needs. Baruja Taruna Elohim, oh, there is Rabbi that you give strength to me and my people. Baruch had on I Elohim, and Terry is Rabbi tifara. You cram in dignity and beauty. Baruch hat on I Elohim, el halam, Hana to life. Koach. That you give me strength when I am tired.

8:47  
I'll see people add in the chat here, grateful for life, for family, God's work, via doctors and nurses, healing power. Grateful for cat, Mickey, purring on you. Grateful to be back. I'm grateful to be back too. Thank you, Susan, thank you, Leary. Grateful for planning ahead and not getting too stressed if and when I miss something that's that's a good lesson there. Grateful to safety in your home after last night's storms. Glad you're safe too. Grateful to have everything you need lots of wonderful people in your life to share it all with. Grateful to have the ability to attend events all over the world due to zoom grateful food and shelter, heating and air conditioning, clean and hot water, electricity, breath. Good friends, good family, good retirement, good marriage, good health and all the people that made that possible a main to that those are all good things to be grateful for. Bundle that together, share joy with one another. Help lift each other up. We'll sing

9:53  
ASHRAE, Yosh, Rabbi VE. Ta

10:04  
Oh, dear hallelujah. Oh,

10:15  
dear hallelujah. Yosh, Veta, oh, dear hallelujah.

10:30  
Oh, dear hallelujah.

10:35  
Shrey Yosh, Veter, oh, dear hallelujah. Oh, dear hallelujah. Yosh, vey Taha, hey. Oh, dear Hallelujah.

11:10  
Hallelujah

11:13  
faith. Hello, ashram, Aloha, happy those who share their gratitude.

11:25  
Collect their blessings, lift each other up.

11:27  
Tehila, Adonai, Viva

11:36  
re

11:39  
ko Basa Shem COVID,

11:50  
va

11:59  
anaknutave, we gather together to sing your praises, hallelujah.

12:10  
Take a moment, let's say the Shema together to recognize this moment of coming together, our unity with each other, the world around us, we cover eyes, take one deep breath for each word of the Shima,

12:25  
Shema,

12:32  
yisra,

12:39  
adorna,

12:44  
on Their Nilo.

12:59  
Haka,

13:05  
of SHA

13:20  
and you shall love with all your

13:32  
heart, with

13:35  
all your soul and with all your mind.

13:41  
As we enter into our Torah reading today. We're reading from parshapa Yates say which is in Genesis chapter 28 is where it begins. We have a guest Torah reader today. Sarah, where are you? Sarah, hello. Hello. There you are going to be yourself. Hi. Good

14:00  
morning.

14:01  
Good morning. Sarah is Irene sister. We're so lucky to have both Irene, sister and mother here at minyan. Hello all, and Sarah's me reading on behalf of Irene, who'll be saying in Aliyah before heading into an operational procedure tomorrow to send you best wishes. Sarah, what verses are you actually prepared to read? I really should have asked you. So

14:24  
reading from Faye say verses 10 to 15, beautiful. Um, I'm reading through 15, because the English of 15 says, Remember, I am with you. I will protect you wherever you go. Oh, beautiful, and I will not leave you. And it's very spiritual.

14:45  
I love that. Thank

14:46  
you. Thank you.

14:49  
So here on Safari, or if you want me to share my screen, yeah,

14:53  
I'll share my screen as well here. So that's a so I can scroll, yeah, that's right, yeah, you have to worry about, you don't have to worry about. Scrolling. So I always ask people a question before we read here, and I think one of the questions that I have looking at this text right? So Jacob is fleeing for his life after deceiving his father and stealing the birthright from his older brother with aid of his mother, and he comes this place. He's He's tired, he's harried, he's afraid, he's out in a wilderness. He does not know. He stops, and he, as you'll see in a moment, rests and has a dream of this like miraculous stairway or ladder stretching from heaven to earth and angels or God's messengers going up and down, and God reaffirms God's promise. And then Jacob wakes up and like, oh my god, that's so cool. And I'm kind of curious, what should Jacob have done? Did Jacob like, do the right thing? Would you have done something differently having this moment? Should Jacob I don't have climbed the ladder himself or done something. I know I'm curious, because we have this one particular reaction given to us, but I know I was kind of curious what people might think about, what Jacob could have should have done. What might you have done in that moment? How might you have felt, maybe to do a little creative Midrash together around Jacob's reaction to this vision. But before we do so, I read, did you want to say the blessings over reading Torah?

16:33  
Yeah, I have it right here. Baru kata Adonai. Eloheinu Melaka, olam Ashi, Bucha, Banu Mika ha Meem, Vanessa, Lanu s Toru So baru kata Adonai, no. Sinha sure

17:00  
ra me

17:08  
shame,

17:20  
Keith, Hashemi Kami, abne, ama Kom, bah ya Sam Mira, Shota, vaish, ka Ma, come

17:30  
ha, hu,

17:35  
ba, Kala, Om, behe, salam, mutsah, arta Biro, Shama giah, hasha mai Ma, be he name Ola, Keith, Elohim, Olim bur your, You be your. Deena boil, bahi Nei, Adonai.

17:56  
Ni Adonai.

18:21  
Vine, never Vinnie. Bucha ko mish Bucha da Maza, the he may I know he ma Bucha, Bucha Lake, bahashi, rotika, el hazard, Keith, Elohim,

19:00  
along I share now someone who Torah Sams Bucha, I don't know, no seen her, Torah.

19:16  
So yes, your costs are beautiful reading, and we see my screen. Share here, actually see your faces and your blessings as you head into your procedure tomorrow, and we'll be thinking of you. We'll be saying some prayers for healing in just a few moments after a brief tour discussion. So also be holding you in those prayers, but in this moment, just want to lift you up and just how much we love having as part of this community, and we'll be sending you off with the full force of this Minion behind you for support and love and healing and good news.

19:51  
Thanks.

19:55  
So folks looking at see I see I'm. Into the chat and some and some affirmative fists. So looking at this tour reading together, I'd be really curious to hear what people thought about kind of Jacob's vision and reaction to this moment. Right? We have Jacob after God, saying, I promise this to you here, I can share my screen again, just very briefly, to look at the English together, right? So Jacob leaves BeerSheva, sets up for Haran. He comes upon this place, stops for the night because the sun had set. He takes a stone, puts on his head and lays down. He has this dream of this stairway or this ladder that's mutsab that was set in the ground its top reaches the heavens. And messengers of God are going up and down. And standing beside him was God who says, I am God. I'm Adonai, the God of your father, Abraham's house, the God of Isaac, the ground which you're laying, I will assign to you and your offspring, your descendants, shall be as the dust of the earth, so numerous you shall spread out to the west and the east, the North and the South, and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants. Remember I am with you. I will protect you wherever you go, and we'll bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I've done what I promised you. And Jacob wakes up and says,

21:15  
surely,

21:17  
a pain, yes, Adonai Bucha, surely God is in this place, and I didn't know it. And he's like, Oh, my God, this is so awesome. This is none other than the boat of God and the gateway to heaven. And he takes a stone that had been under his head and sets as a pillar and anoints it. So folks, I'm curious about your reactions. What do you think about Jacob's reaction? What might you have done in that moment of awe and wonder

21:44  
when you go to Jerusalem and you're coming in from the west, like the Germantown, you're walking down, and there's a set of steps the Rabbi say, that's where Jacob was, that's where you slept, and that's where the pillar is. And you can see the whole valley, and you can see the the hotel, the Western Wall of East Jerusalem when you're there. And when I was there, I can't explain it, but it felt holy, maybe because I was just spiritually into it, but just felt like a holy place, you know. And the other thing is, few pastures later, Jacob is deceived, just like you know, so comes around, goes around.

22:29  
That's true. I was curious to me anything about, like, what does it mean to kind of come, to come into an awareness of the holiness of a place you know? Like, is it a feeling? Is it a peace?

22:39  
No, it's a feeling of peace. I just remember I just felt like at peace, like like I was at home, and I felt a presence. I can't explain it. Only other time I had that was when I was in services and the voice said, everything will be okay. And it was 959, second day of Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to work the next day. My father said to me, well, at 959, I had to lay you off. And it was just weird. And things have worked out fine, but it's just a feeling of peace. It's hard to describe, but you're okay. I'm okay. All is well,

23:17  
beautiful. Thank you. Any other thoughts from folks?

23:20  
It's interesting that he has there's no guilt. I mean, we know he's running because he deceived his brother, he deceived his father. He's fearful of his life. He got comes to this place, he has a dream about God, and the dream doesn't involve, whoops, God, sorry for what I did, like that's that's now gone. You know, all of that, the whole reason he's running is now gone. And or maybe he took the sign of or God visiting him as a sign of vindication that what he did, in fact, was right.

24:04  
Interesting? Yeah, it's got kind of enabling in this moment, or maybe, you know, to think, kind of think about what Irene said and what you're saying. Maybe this is a moment where Jacob still holding the guilt and the fear, maybe recognizes that things will be okay, that there's gonna be a chance for for restitution, for making amends, for which does happen eventually, right? He eventually re encounters his brother who forgives him. Any other thoughts from folks? Sarah,

24:33  
you know, I find the last verse that I've read very interesting because it says, Remember, I am with you. I will protect you wherever you go, and then the last says, I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. So does that mean that God's going to leave when whatever mission is completed is completed? I mean, I think we need God constantly whether the mission's completed or not. That's just my opinion, but it's. Interesting that I will not leave until I that bothers me. I will not leave until I've done what I have promised you. I mean, God's never left our side. And you know, we're ongoing here, life goes on, but that's all anyway. That's just my thought. Thank you. Yeah,

25:19  
thank you. Awesome. Something with the Adonai. Adonai, when you read the rest of that paragraph, same thing. I'd

25:26  
like to do a quick run through of, like, some commentaries here. It's

25:29  
interesting

25:31  
that it looks like some, some of the Rabbi's, of the commentators. So sephoro, for example, is a 16th century commentator. Is like, Well, God will be, be actively present until, until fulfilling this promise, however, you know, Sephora writes, God would, would still continue to be, you know, treat you kindly and still like you know, be, be loving, loving kindness in your life by not abandoning, by not abandoning you. So it's foreign. Tries to make it a an active presence versus a passive protection. Because I think, I think you're right, hitting at that, that some of the other Rabbi's like, Well, what about, you know, what about what happens next? And Susan, yeah, kind of pointed. God's plans bigger, but then we're partisan, bigger than ourselves. And Trish asking a question, what about, what about the mom? What about Rebecca right, who, who deceived her their son and her husband. What happens? What happens? There any last thoughts before we thank you everyone. I hope that we all have these moments of being able to awaken to the wonder around us. And as Irene said, that the sense of wonder, but it's I can say with that the sense of wonder and awe of holiness, actually being a sense of groundedness and peace, that maybe actually that's the presence of God in a space, not just the wow moments, but the I'm going to be okay. I'm gonna be okay. Things might be tough. I'm gonna be okay. So knowing that there are people who need a little extra boost right now as I head into the days ahead, a little bit of an assurance that things, if they're tough, you know, won't be okay in the sense that they're surrounded by love and support and care. If you're thinking of somebody in need of healing, whether mind, of body or of spirit, you want to share their name in the chat, hold their name in your heart. You send this blessing to each and every one of them for a Fauci Ma, a complete recovery, whatever that recovery looks like, days of comfort, nights of peace on the road there.

27:41  
Mishkan

27:47  
new Mikko habrahali, more than you may, the source of strength who bless the ones before us help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing. And let us say, Amen. Mishebe, rahimo, denu mekor habraha, leavo tenu, bless those in need of healing with rafush, Leymah, the renewal of body, the renewal of spirit. And let us say,

28:33  
Amen, some blessings,

28:35  
refuge, lemma, a quick, complete recovery, all those we've named the chat, those names we hold in our hearts, into that we can say, Amen, say a prayer for peace, and then we'll turn to the mourners coddish To finish our time here together. Oh,

28:54  
say Shalom. BIM Roma. Oh, yeah, I say Shalom. A Le New, ve, alcohol, Israel, veal, Ko Yosh, ve te, ve him, Ro, a man o se, shalom. BIM Roma, oh, yeah, I say, Shalom a le new veal, Ko, Yisrael, ve Al, Ko, yo, ve him, Ro, im, rum, I, ye di,

29:58  
Shalom BIM. O Ma, oh, yeah, I say Shalom. Ale nu, they al ko Yisrael, they al ko yo schwebite. Turn to

30:22  
the mourners Kaddish. Is there anybody remembering somebody today, either in a yard site whose period of mourning, who like to share their name out loud, or in the chat

30:32  
my uncle Sheldon tobolsky And my aunt Nancy Jacobson? Memories

30:37  
be for a blessing. I

in the chat, I see Theresa, Owen and Mark NeuRA, love Nancy Breyer, Nathan Pollock, may the memories be for blessing anybody else, for your period of mourning, serving a yard site invites a rise as you're able, folks want to unmute themselves for saying the mourners Kaddish or responding Amen, recite this together,

31:09  
yiddal Rabbi.

31:18  
But Know, include food,

31:53  
Rabbi,

32:12  
amen, all their memories be for blessing. Thank you everyone for helping make a minion today. Thank you Sarah for reading Irene for blessing for all of you for blessing us with your presence and your prayer this morning. And I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.

32:29  
Well. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you once. Thank

32:33  
you, Rabbi. Have a good day.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai