“How Are You?” Coping at this Difficult Time

Dear Friends,

“How are you?”

As we are attempting to comprehend and cope with the barbaric pogrom unleashed by the evil creatures of Hamas (and its cohorts) on innocent civilians, on Israel, and on the Jewish People on October 7th, we find ourselves groping for what to do and say.   

While “How are you?” might seem – and often is – merely a trite and even dismissive utterance, those same words during these unsettling and uneasy times are perhaps among the most heartfelt and caring we can say.  Of course we’re not okay!  But from that baseline, we are still living, thinking, feeling, hearing, and experiencing so much, and trying to process it all.  Yes, besides our being ‘not okay,’ I really do want to go further and know how you are, how your family and friends in Israel are, and how we can best be there for each other here and in Israel.

Please know that if you want to talk, I am but a phone call or email away.  And be assured that we will continue to gather and strengthen each other in prayer, in song, in support, in camaraderie, as we proudly express our Jewishness and love of Israel together.  I also plan to hold some talking sessions with members of our kehillah to help clarify some of the relevant history of Israel and the Jewish People, to help put various matters in perspective (without divisive politics), and to help us all stand confident, proud, and strong.

And for you to have during these trying times, I offer you here below just a few of the myriad Jewish words of wisdom, mostly from Tanach, that have helped to sustain, comfort, and bolster our people through it all, over the millennia. 

Bivracha,

Rabbi Pearl

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עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי וּמִתְקַיֵּם, וּבִנְיַן אָב הוּא: וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם:

Am Yisrael Chai! ‘The People of Israel lives and will always live,’ based on the verse: “But you who hold fast to Adonai your God are alive every one of you this day” (D’varim 4:4)  From Responsa of Mayim Chayim.

Am Yisrael Chai

אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ יַעְזֹרוּ וּלְאָחִיו יֹאמַר חֲזָק:

Everyone helped his compatriot, and everyone said to his sibling:  ‘Be strong.’   Yisha’yahu 51:6

Ish  et  rei-ei-hu  ya’azoru  u-l’achiv  yomar  ‘chazak.’

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ שֶתּוֹצִיאֵנִוּ מֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָהּ.

May it be Your will, Adonai our God, that You remove us from darkness to light  Morning Prayers

Y’hi  ratzon  milfanecha  Adonai  Eloheinu  she-to-tzi-ei-ni  mei-a-fei-la  l’orah

נֵצַח יִשְֹרָאֵל לֹא יְשַׁקֵּר

The Eternity of Israel does not deceive (colloquially: Israel/the Jewish people are eternal) I Shmuel 15:29

Netzach  Yisrael  lo  y’shakeir

חֲזָק חֲזָק וְנִתְחַזֵק

       Be strong, and let us strengthen one another     Liturgy upon completing public reading of each Book of the Torah

Chazak  chazak  v’nitchazeik

 הוֹי הָאֹמְרִים לָרַע טוֹב וְלַטּוֹב רָע שָׂמִים חֹשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר וְאוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ שָׂמִים מַר לְמָתוֹק וּמָתוֹק לְמָר

Woe to those who say of the evil that it is good and of the good that it is evil; who present darkness as light and light as darkness, who present bitter as sweet and sweet as bitter.   Yisha’yahu 5:20

Hoi  ha-omrim  lara  tov  v’latov  ra;  samim  choshech  l’or  v’or  l’choshech;  samim  mar  l’matok  u-matok  l’mar 

הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה אִם־לְצָרֵֽינוּ:   Are you for us or for our enemies?   Y’hoshu’a  5:13              

Halanu  ata  im  l’tzoreinu

מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹֽהָלֶיךָ יַֽעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:

How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel     B’midbar 24:5

Ma  tovu  ohalecha  Ya’akov  mish-k’notecha  Yisrael

אַשְׁרֵֽינוּ, מַה טּוֹב חֶלְקֵֽנוּ, וּמַה נָּעִים גּוֹרָלֵֽנוּ, וּמַה יָּפָה יְרֻשָּׁתֵֽנוּ.

We are fortunate — how good is our portion, how pleasant is our destiny, and how beautiful is our heritage.    Morning liturgy

Ashreinu  mah  tov  chel-keinu  u-mah  na’im  go-ra-leinu  u-mah  yafa  y’rushateinu

כָּל יִשְרָאֵל עֲרֵבִים זֶה בָּזֶה

All Jews are responsible for one another     Talmud, Sh’vu’ot 39:a

Kol  Yisrael  a-rei-vin  zeh  bazeh

עוֹד יִשָּׁמַע... בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַם קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה

We will continue to hear... in the cities of Yehuda and the outskirts of Y’rushalayim, the voice of joy and the voice of happiness     Yirmiyahu, chapter 33

Od  yishama  b’arei  Y’hudah  u-v’chutzot  Y’rushalayim  kol  sason  v’kol  simcha

עֵת לֶאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְנֹא עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שָלוֹם

A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace    Kohelet 3:8

Eit  le-e-hov  v’eit  lis-no,  eit  milchama  v’eit  shalom

כְּגִבּוֹרִים יְרֻצוּן כְּאַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה יַֽעֲלוּ חוֹמָה וְאִישׁ בִּדְרָכָיו יֵֽלֵכוּן וְלֹא יְעַבְּטוּן אֹֽרְחוֹתָֽם:

Like mighty heroes they run, they climb the wall as men of war; everyone marches on his paths and they do not break their ranks.   Yoeil  2:7

K’giborim  y’rutzun  k’anshei  milchama  ya’alu  choma  v’ish  bidrachav  yeileichun  v’lo  y’abtun  orchotam

עֵֽת־צָרָה הִיא לְיַֽעֲקֹב וּמִמֶּנָּה יִוָּשֵֽׁעַ

It is a time of trouble for Ya’akov; but [Am Yisrael] shall be saved out of it.    Yirmiyahu  30:7

Eit  tzara  hi  l’Ya’akov  u-mimena  yivashei’a

יְיָ עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן יְיָ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם

Adonai will give strength to his people; Adonai will bless his people with peace.   T’hillim 29:11

Adonai  oz  l’amo  yitein  Adonai  y’vareich  et  amo  vashalom