Rabbi’s Message: Reflection & Vision
Week of July 14th, 2026Shalom,
“In my opinion, it is really important to stick with community by putting time and effort in, while also not losing sight of one’s own personal goals and interests.” These words were part of my son’s, Caleb’s, D’var Torah last summer as he was called to Torah as Bar Mitzvah. This past Shabbat was the one year anniversary in Torah, and I hear this core message echoed this Shabbat as we transition from the Book of Numbers to Deuteronomy in Torah.
Last week, in Mattot-Masei we learned again about the tribes navigating their way preparing to enter the Land. This week, in the opening chapters of Deuteronomy, parashat Devarim, we engage with a reflection on the last 40 years of our people’s sojourn.
In both sections of Torah, our attention is brought to the constant charge to reflect and look ahead. It is a tension between knowing where we’ve been and imagining possibilities. This is essential to our ancestors’ formation as a people, and it remains a charge for us today.
Caleb taught us, both my child and the Biblical character, to live in this tension. To not only feel, but also to engage with, the push and pull of the past and tomorrow. It is not always comfortable to imagine and envision what may be possible while standing firmly on a shared past. Yet, wrestling with this can ensure a strong bond of our shalshelet hakabbalah - our chain of tradition.
As we prepare to transition to the final Book of Torah, and reflect on the journeys of our past, and our own stories, let us be empowered by both our reflection and our opportunity, a blessing, to vision for tomorrow.
Shavua Tov - Toa Good Week Ahead,
Rabbi Evon
PS Thank you to Caleb for teaching me this insight into Torah!
