Solomon's Ring and Our Power

Today's Morning Minyan features a short tallis meditation on love followed by a tribute to our very own Rachel Goldberg who is now an ordained rabbi installed in a congregation in Ashland, Oregon. This episode includes a few words on Solomon's Ring, a prayer for healing, Rena Branson's song "Our Power," and Mourner's Kaddish.

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

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:24:11
Unknown
That's right. You plan, I plan. God laughs. And I sometimes feel like when some of us plan, God is laughing a little bit harder, you know? Like, sometimes I think God's like up there, you know, busting up like you really, really, Good one. Hit him in. All right, well, I'm going to take this, I'm going to take this tallit.

00:00:24:13 - 00:00:40:03
Unknown
I'm going to wrap it around my head and my shoulders over my shoulders. You know, it's such a fun thing every week, getting to teach kids, you know, the b mitzvah rehearsal kids about, like, how to put on the tallest because they're like, wait, where do I kiss it? When do I kiss it? And I'm just like, it almost doesn't matter.

00:00:40:03 - 00:01:01:04
Unknown
Just what you should take away from this moment is Jews kiss our holy objects. You know, we kiss our books. We kiss our teeth. See it? We put on the chalice, you know? So, just take a moment here. Whether you're wearing one or not. To just feel a sense of being wrapped in love.

00:01:01:06 - 00:01:26:10
Unknown
Giving yummy, yummy kisses all over your face and shoulders and arms. And, you know, just your whole body. Surrounded by just expressions of love. Being cuddled by God. Maybe that'll be the name of my children's book. And just exhale.

00:01:26:12 - 00:01:31:00
Unknown
And inhale.

00:01:31:02 - 00:01:38:08
Unknown
And exhale.

00:01:38:10 - 00:02:09:16
Unknown
Let me say the blessing for putting on a tablet. Baruch at, I don't I Bruhat at. Yes. Sina. Hello. You melihat olam. I share kitchen to be mitzvot. Which we vanu the heat. Atif. But sit, sit. Blessed are you the one who wraps us up in love. Taking another moment here to just feel that embrace and breathe it in.

00:02:09:18 - 00:02:37:05
Unknown
And then, as I put the tablet down over my shoulders. Grab each one of these little seed serum. Kiss kiss. All right, so Martin and Felicia, who I don't I don't see here this morning, but, they sent me a picture from Rachel Goldberg's, installation. Rabbi Rachel Goldberg, who for the longest time was running our morning minyan from Jerusalem.

00:02:37:10 - 00:02:55:09
Unknown
So she is now a. Oh, wait, you're here? Well, then, Martin, why don't you say it? Because I just I wanted to share. I wanted to do Rachel's morning light, but I wanted to introduce it with. Oh, okay. Wait. So can you will you say a little something about her installation and then we'll sing this tune? Absolutely.

00:02:55:09 - 00:03:13:14
Unknown
And we meant to, Well, I've been meaning to post that picture to slack to. And I'll do it. I'll do it today. We were able to time a, trip. I was out on the West coast in the northwest for, for everybody that that doesn't know. She's, she she got installed as a rabbi in Ashland.

00:03:13:16 - 00:03:31:03
Unknown
Can't think of the name of the river. Do you know Rabbi Leslie? The name of the. I will look, I'll look it up, but off the top of my head. No. Go ahead. So she's in Ashland, Oregon. I was doing some work in Seattle. Phylicia was able to come out and meet me, and so we timed a vacation.

00:03:31:03 - 00:03:51:16
Unknown
So we could be a part of her installation. And, it was beautiful. It was great to meet her in person. She is a force of nature. She's very powerful. You know, she's powerful online, but she's powerful in person. And, it was a beautiful weekend. We got to spend time with her parents. And, the most powerful thing for me and I let Phylicia share, too.

00:03:51:16 - 00:04:16:08
Unknown
But the most powerful thing for me was during the actual installation on Shabbat morning, the outgoing rabbi, Rabbi David, was able to do a lineage connection from the bow sym tov. But Rachel wow was phenomenal. I mean, it was just absolutely phenomenal. We're going through, my brain isn't working as it should, but listen, I'm sure you know Rabbi Lacey.

00:04:16:08 - 00:04:45:11
Unknown
I'm sure you know who. Well, Arthur Waskow, who has just died. Yes. But then also, the other guy from renewal, Zalman Schachter. Shlomi. Okay, that's the one. That's the one. And he. And he's it. He was in a Hasidic lineage, so? So it was a literal tracing the lineage from the Boston Tov to Rabbi Rachel, which in so many ways, if you think about it, going through other Hassid ism to have this very strong, powerful woman.

00:04:45:13 - 00:05:06:23
Unknown
Yes. Lineage was it blew me away. It was there was so much that we were so glad to be there for it. But that's so cool. Well, so thank you. Oh go ahead. So are you going to say something? Well, no. Just, Luck. Yeah. And. Yeah, just that it really it was beautiful to me. Rabbi Rachel in person.

00:05:07:01 - 00:05:45:19
Unknown
I, I mean, I see your lineage, Rabbi Lizzy really strong. In that Rabbi Rachel's presence. And it was just beautiful to witness. And the community there was so welcoming and, there was so much love in that space. Yeah. And I was overwhelmed as I'm feeling, you know, again, quite overwhelmed. We shocked Rabbi Rachel, back showing up by showing up because it was so much back and forth.

00:05:45:19 - 00:06:09:14
Unknown
And you know how we all. Rabbi Lizzy, some things just last minute just fall in place. That's right. Yeah. Synchronicity. Yes. And she looked at us as if she saw ghosts, you know, like you're really here. And so she really felt that we were representing Chicago, Michigan. Especially because you couldn't be there. That's like a mitzvah or something.

00:06:09:14 - 00:06:25:17
Unknown
I had a I have either a bar mitzvah for our wedding. That was like, I couldn't not be there. I was sad about it, you know, because it's like an hour. I think it must have been a bar mitzvah because those are set, like, three years in advance. Yes. That's, that's. And three years ago, she had no idea this is where she'd be landing.

00:06:25:22 - 00:06:47:07
Unknown
But for everybody who is listening to this, and you have no idea who we're talking about. So can you see this? This is, that's Rabbi Rachel, and which is very sweet to see. She says brings more than 15 years of phenomenal congregational experience, including nearly ten years of student and rabbinic leadership at Michigan, Chicago, and then all of these other things.

00:06:47:07 - 00:07:09:11
Unknown
But it's very nice to, you know, it's it's nice to know you play a role in somebodys formation. And all of you, all of you who are dropping in the chat, I miss Rachel, she's so great. Like you all played a role in her formation. Yeah. So I'm really proud. We're all thrilled for her. And that was a really sweet picture you sent.

00:07:09:11 - 00:07:44:03
Unknown
And all of all of this was just, was just a kind of elaborate intro to sing. Oh, Danny. Yeah. So when I said I didn't know what would happen this morning already were already were on a on a different on a different wavelength. But it's great. All right. So whatever whatever time zone everybody's in. We'll just get to take in this tune and take in the intention of Modi Ani and express gratitude for being alive on this day.

00:07:44:04 - 00:08:26:05
Unknown
And if you want, you can share, like, what is it that, what is it this day holds for you? And what do you intend to do with it or anything like shining through my window, cross my pillow clear and bright. Wake up in the morning. Give thanks and life again because I have the strength to rise. Lord, I need less fatness.

00:08:26:07 - 00:08:56:04
Unknown
So I, I think I, should have as I to be nish my team TV ham. Rabbi. But when I tap, I'm just going to take a moment here to unpin Martin and Felicia because you guys are doing a great job, you know, performing Judaism for us. But you don't have to do that.

00:08:56:06 - 00:09:18:08
Unknown
You don't have to feel pressure to do it because you're being removed. Spotlight. All right. More than me, less fat neck. Roll out. I think I, set aside to be.

00:09:18:10 - 00:09:56:06
Unknown
The smartest left hand like Rob I am when I tear, the ham. Rob, I am on attack. I wake up in the morning, give thanks and laugh again because I have the strength to rise. Can you hear that? And may it be so.

00:09:56:08 - 00:10:21:23
Unknown
All right. And nobody, nobody took me up. Nobody took me up on the invitation to share. Like, what is your day hold? And what do you intend for yourself on this day? But feel free at any point this morning to share. And, does that help? Blair, in terms of the text being a little bit bigger? Since I'm seeing you and the text and so it's like, oh, gotcha.

00:10:21:23 - 00:10:54:12
Unknown
Okay. Yeah, I know why it's because a minute ago when I did Screen Share, I, I asked it to do side by side. That should be better. Yes, yes. Thank you. Yeah. No problem. Always on, always on a zoom learning journey. All right. I'm going to pick us up right up here at, Let's see. You know what I feel like, this Psalm 30, this ends up being a, psalm.

00:10:54:12 - 00:11:19:14
Unknown
That's both. It kind of plays the role of, Solomon's ring. You know, the story of, like, Solomon asking King Solomon, asking anybody to make a to a jeweler, to asking a jeweler to make an object that would be sort of a touchstone of spiritual wisdom, whether what was happening was good or what was happening was not good.

00:11:19:16 - 00:11:43:14
Unknown
And so lots of different artisans came and tried to make an object or a painting. And every time, you know, King Solomon could say, you know what? At this it's too it's too joyful. When I'm feeling depressed and sad, it's actually not the right thing. And so eventually somebody came along and they made a ring. And on the ring it said, gamma's a yeah, avoir, which means this too shall pass.

00:11:43:16 - 00:12:00:16
Unknown
And he said, yes, that's it. Because and it's a very Jewish thing. It's like at a wedding, everything's so joyful. You break a glass and at a funeral you know everything, you know feels it feels sad and despondent. And you read Psalm 23. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feel no fear.

00:12:00:18 - 00:12:15:19
Unknown
You are with me. You're right in your staff. You comfort me. You know I will live in the land of the living. I will. I will walk through the land of the living and only be followed by goodness all my life. You know that, like, we, we kind of we always live with the duality of both. Both. And that's where a both and people.

00:12:15:21 - 00:12:38:04
Unknown
And so this particular Psalm, I feel like we break it out on days when we are struggling because we say a letter, I don't, I cry to you, I cry out to you. I plead, listen to me, help me. God. But then the end of this psalm is how fast I mean speed limit. Holy. You have turned my mourning into dancing.

00:12:38:10 - 00:13:01:22
Unknown
You have turned my sackcloth into robes of glory. And I will. I will therefore praise you on my life. So, this morning, I feel like, you know, news out of different cities and states, I find to be very encouraging toward, you know, people choosing a way forward of possibility and hope. And I choose to see it as choosing possibility and hope.

00:13:02:00 - 00:13:40:18
Unknown
And, so let us let us embrace possibility and hope, and continue to cry out, so that's what this is, in whatever way you're crying out this morning. May you be answered. May your morning turn into dancing. Hey, let's, I don't I, cry. Well, I don't I at, nine eight less I don't I cry.

00:13:40:20 - 00:14:45:12
Unknown
Well I don't I at, nine. Shame. I don't like this one any, I don't I hey. Oh who's Ali. Shame I don't, I listen any I don't I hey. Oh Sally sham I, I don't I Bethany me I don't that I hey oh Sally share my other night this on any I don't I hate those Ali shame I, I don't I they on me I don't I hey.

00:14:45:14 - 00:14:57:08
Unknown
Oh Sally.

00:14:57:10 - 00:15:30:16
Unknown
Oh all right. So sending love to Lexi here on shiver day six and two. Adina Cece shallow shame. Day six. And to everybody kind of going through whatever it is you're going through in life, whether it's trying to shed jetlag and embrace the sunshine, or just make it through the day, or celebrate today in some meaningful way, I invite you to stand in whatever way you're able variable.

00:15:30:18 - 00:15:40:17
Unknown
And we're going to go into bar. Hello. And do that call response and embrace the invitation of whatever awaits you on this day.

00:15:40:18 - 00:15:47:08
Unknown
So a love call response here. Let's see.

00:15:47:10 - 00:16:52:20
Unknown
There. Who at I don't I mean for us the one the long one. Rules I don't I love that that, barrel chat. I don't, I know I'm your chair, oil shack, ocean mover, air tackle. My my I met here,

00:16:52:22 - 00:17:37:10
Unknown
Yes, sir, I met here, I met here, at the la da in. They have her, I mean, I've met her. Hey, you're, me, right? I met your, at the library. My lady had a ladder in my la la dream. They had a ladder in Malaya. Ladder? Me, my they, their dream.

00:17:37:10 - 00:18:54:13
Unknown
I had their, I mean, love to have, their, dash, as in your goodness, you create the world's a new every day before your own time. Me? Oh two. That in our goodness, we create the world myth. I dash, as I say, a she is hum hum hum

00:18:54:15 - 00:19:19:23
Unknown
Nora, Hadassah, Theo and I. Irv. And he's careful out of my hair out there. Very I, I don't know, I would say, role that I have. Rabbi, I have to know, I don't know. Hello? I'm Olivia. Tara, her mother. Elaine. You go ahead and take those four corners of your screen, hold them in one hand.

00:19:20:01 - 00:19:41:04
Unknown
They can have tiny those saliva and, little doTERRA. Yuliya said, bringing you together all of the disparate pieces and parts and ways that we understand you that seem so conflicting, but holding them together, they, have,

00:19:41:06 - 00:19:52:03
Unknown
We hold these two seed over our eyes and close them and take a moment for a full breath with every word of the schmear.

00:19:52:04 - 00:20:02:05
Unknown
Shimmer.

00:20:02:07 - 00:20:08:13
Unknown
Yes, sir.

00:20:08:15 - 00:20:29:02
Unknown
I don't, Hey. Hello. Hey. No. Don't.

00:20:29:04 - 00:20:56:13
Unknown
Tell them about that. I have to eight. I don't I, I do the whole of our whole natura. Look they have you had very similar share. I know he meets others. Hey, Yom. I live at the Shannon time. Live on the bathtub. But she had to have a way to relax the Covid era of a short time.

00:20:56:13 - 00:21:12:19
Unknown
The old Talia Dessa by. You little devil. It's been a Netta who could have time. As it was, they just. Oh, Venetia, I have,

00:21:12:21 - 00:21:26:03
Unknown
I feel like I didn't make the full connection to Gamzu out of a minute ago with, the wedding, I got, like, a little bit off track. I said that I do weddings and funerals and how we always, you know, do the thing that's the opposite of that. And that's the way we're holding all of the different kind of moods.

00:21:26:03 - 00:21:42:08
Unknown
You know, we're never fully joyful because we always know there's something horrible going on in the world. We're never fully sad because the truth is, there's always something we can look forward to and always something we can be grateful for. Sorry, but the Gamzu Yahweh like this too shall pass is is a way of kind of keeping you humble, you know?

00:21:42:08 - 00:22:02:23
Unknown
Are you feeling like you're sitting on top of the world? Oh, that's so great. Don't worry. One day you'll fall, you know, like, don't like, don't get too comfortable up there and like, are you feeling like everything is falling apart around you? Are you feeling like you cannot get out of bed? That's okay. You will get back to a place where you can feel joy again, but hang on long enough to get there.

00:22:02:23 - 00:22:23:00
Unknown
This too shall pass. Gamzu of work. You've got to hang on, you know. So I think that's why it's. That's why maybe a ring is the best place to put that message. Because you just wear it all the time. Palpate it, remember it. It's kind of a mantra, you know, in good times to keep you humble and in bad times to keep you hopeful.

00:22:23:02 - 00:22:42:14
Unknown
So speaking of, let's take a moment now to pray for all the folks we're thinking about who need to need healing. And we'll do that with me if I'm okay. Oh, that was one of your your dad's favorite sayings. Melanie. I love that this minion this morning. Melanie, it's like, it's, all these things that are like, touching into your life.

00:22:42:14 - 00:23:00:01
Unknown
Children's books, your dad's phrases. So let's just take a moment now to share who it is you're thinking about in prayer this morning. Hi, Zelda. About Miriam. Ani Lori.

00:23:00:03 - 00:23:03:22
Unknown
Yeah. Mail. That's,

00:23:04:00 - 00:23:11:14
Unknown
I want to include in our prayers this morning.

00:23:11:16 - 00:23:16:21
Unknown
For at bat. David. The that. Yeah.

00:23:16:23 - 00:23:28:02
Unknown
Aiden. Shalom. Bina from Ivanova. Sara. You may know. Winnie Gottlieb.

00:23:28:04 - 00:23:50:17
Unknown
And so many of the people who you're sharing right now. And for anybody listening later, anybody who has on your lists for prayer. So we include them all as we sing this prayer of hopefulness. And having made it through something harrowing. Okay, okay. Me. Oh,

00:23:50:19 - 00:24:06:04
Unknown
The helium I don't I. Mean, some of, you know that I, I cold ash.

00:24:06:06 - 00:24:27:01
Unknown
Nor I to heal. Safe. I have like, no right to hang out. Or safe. Like.

00:24:27:03 - 00:24:37:07
Unknown
She I had I, she was get only.

00:24:37:09 - 00:24:47:15
Unknown
There she kind of. I said that I, oh.

00:24:47:17 - 00:24:52:21
Unknown
Yeah. I cycle,

00:24:52:22 - 00:25:03:03
Unknown
Oh. Deary me. Oh, they I'm here on. Oh.

00:25:03:05 - 00:25:23:18
Unknown
Hey. I'm in rock I don't I keep up level. I'm, I don't, I mean, no.

00:25:23:20 - 00:25:39:12
Unknown
They don't. I'm, I don't have time. Tonight.

00:25:39:14 - 00:25:45:03
Unknown
Yeah.

00:25:45:05 - 00:26:05:21
Unknown
Yeah. He, he. Sending a refreshingly my full healing of body and spirit and mind to everyone on your list.

00:26:05:23 - 00:26:32:14
Unknown
Seeing, you know, some of the familiar folks that we just pray for every day, our moms that are struggling, or dads that are struggling, people in our family, and then also folks who are kind of newly struggling, whether it's, a kid who just got diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder or somebody who's having a really intense relapse of depression, and just sending so, so much love and so, so much care.

00:26:32:16 - 00:26:46:10
Unknown
And I hope all of those people know that they are loved by you, and I hope you let them, and all the people who are loving and caring for them, know that you're praying for them.

00:26:46:12 - 00:26:50:12
Unknown
I, me.

00:26:50:14 - 00:27:29:13
Unknown
All right. And actually, instead of, instead of an Allen or a sort of like end of, you know, there's usually an Allen who before Mourner's Kaddish. I'm going to play this tune here. It's called Our Power by Rena Branson. And it's just, beautiful tune of kind of reclaiming agency in the world. And I think, like, a feeling of hopefulness, so the consider this like an easing out of that healing prayer and then easing into what's coming next in your day.

00:27:29:18 - 00:27:37:06
Unknown
And then after this, we will do Kaddish at home. Mourners Kaddish.

00:27:37:08 - 00:27:43:14
Unknown
This was, of course, I think, recorded during the pandemic. As you'll see.

00:27:43:15 - 00:29:20:12
Unknown
Or all know, under-estimate. Can you. I'm hearing, work now. And yeah, longer we know that together we are we will now, underestimate, the crowd. And, you know, we know that together we are strong and strong. So, serves us as a leader. The loss us with, that to the where we are.

00:29:20:12 - 00:29:46:13
Unknown
So, we will not say. Don't underestimate the sha la la la la la la la. Do you all get.

00:29:46:14 - 00:30:09:13
Unknown
To stand with your children. Yeah. This. And, girls, We will not,

00:30:09:15 - 00:30:42:03
Unknown
Master our minds will let you all get us and say, touch you again. And I love us. Oh, I just,

00:30:42:05 - 00:30:46:16
Unknown
Say for us.

00:30:46:18 - 00:31:21:13
Unknown
As never. Down love us. We know that. Hard to get out of the way we are. Thanks so much for sharing our,

00:31:21:15 - 00:31:54:23
Unknown
Our savior. Down now. We, want to get where we are, so,

00:31:55:01 - 00:32:15:14
Unknown
You know, get a feel. All right. So, who do we want to remember this morning as we go into condition?

00:32:15:16 - 00:32:27:19
Unknown
Barry? Cos I feel like we like. This was a minion tribute to bury Herb Weintraub. Norman Levin.

00:32:27:20 - 00:32:34:11
Unknown
Minka bad, Avram Perez, all.

00:32:34:13 - 00:32:39:16
Unknown
David fan.

00:32:39:18 - 00:32:49:08
Unknown
Is there anybody who would like to lead us in Kaddish this morning?

00:32:49:10 - 00:33:19:05
Unknown
I can, all right, well, I'm going to, pull it back up for you here, and thank you. He he's a Branham. Live Russia. May their memories. All the blessings. Here you go, you gravy garage to me, Rabbi. Amazing AMA debrief here today. I'm like, Marty, the high crown movie on my phone hired to by Israel. But I got a lot of his mom carry the emu.

00:33:19:07 - 00:33:40:11
Unknown
I mean, yeah, he's here on the ground along with me on my Ibarra fish to Bali. But RV at room on Vietnam say we had her derby at her levy at halal. She made could have, grateful to be alarming. Colbert had to have a share out, to having a homemade dummy ram be on my emu.

00:33:40:13 - 00:34:02:20
Unknown
I mean, I mean, yeah, he's lama rob. I mean, Shamir, the Allen Ovl, Colusa, el imu amendment rosacea. Lumbee. Mama of who? Yasha loan Ali nouvelle. Carly Israel B Alcala 70 devil. The real. Amen. Amen. Amen.

00:34:02:22 - 00:34:42:04
Unknown
May all their memories be blessings. And I wow. This recording still going. So for anybody who wants to hear this later, but also for all of you this coming Friday, if you want to join Rabbi Steven in Broadview at the Broadview Detention Center, he will be joined by a whole bunch of different faith leaders that are going to be doing a sort of like every first Friday of the month, called the Faithful Fridays in a different place in the city, or far flung environs of the city, to kind of stand as faith leaders, as witnesses, and also kind of in protest.

00:34:42:06 - 00:35:01:18
Unknown
And he's and the and the kind of invitation or challenges for all of these different faith leaders to lead something out of their tradition for all the people gathered there. So Rabbi Steven is going to lead some Jewish stuff for a bunch of mostly non-Jews at the preview detention center. And if you would like to be there, I'm sure Rabbi Steven.

00:35:01:18 - 00:35:25:17
Unknown
And then the whole community of faith leaders, you know, it's it's it's hopefully going to be a large gathering. So, talk to Rabbi Steven about it starts at 11. It's 11 to 1. And what else? The deadline for the Israel West Bank trip that I am leading, that some of you have been interested in, is the deadline is the 14th of November.

00:35:25:17 - 00:35:43:18
Unknown
And so for folks who are thinking about it, now is actually the time to commit, if you can, because then we actually know if we can run it. And if we can't, you'll get your deposit back. And what's the last thing I wanted to say? If there was one more thing. Oh, speaking of, we will not underestimate our power.

00:35:43:18 - 00:36:16:20
Unknown
We will do what we can, where we can, how we can. Many of you helped, chip in in some very meaningful way so that we could dedicate a mezuzah at Lawndale Christian Legal Center. They built this amazing new center, to do restorative justice so that young men don't end up in the prison, you know, prison pipeline that actually end up doing rehabilitation in their communities so that they can be fathers, brothers, you know, community members get the job training they need and actually avoid incarceration for the rest of their lives.

00:36:16:22 - 00:36:45:08
Unknown
Which tends to be what happens when people actually get the supportive coaching and community they need to avoid, crime. And so we as a community and many of you in this room actually raised $50,000 for the center. And we're going to be doing a dedication of it on December 14th. It's actually during Hanukkah. And so, just because some of you actually are already coming, because you're because you help to make that possible.

00:36:45:11 - 00:37:03:11
Unknown
But if anybody else wasn't there at the launch of the, at the launch of the center, or methinks you might want to be part of this effort. Yeah. I invite you to come too. So just write to me for details about that. December 14th in the middle of the day, okay? That's what I wanted to say.

00:37:03:13 - 00:37:11:13
Unknown
And finally, lots of love. Everybody. We can stay on and chat, but I'm going to turn off the recording by everybody listening at home.