Parshat Hayei Sarah

This week’s parashah, Hayei Sarah, begins with the story of Sarah’s death and Avraham’s negotiations with his neighbors to purchase a burial site for her. Avraham opens the discussion by acknowledging that he is a landless foreigner. “Ger v’toshav anokhi imakhem — I am a sojourner residing among you.”

One of the most important reasons why we rest on Shabbat is to remind ourselves that we are all sojourners in this world. Once a week we give up our sense of ownership. We stop trying to control our surroundings, to bend the world to our will, in order to remind ourselves that the world is not ours. We are just passing through. Remembering our true status makes us more open to appreciating God’s gifts, and more attentive to our obligation to be good care-takers of God’s world.

May our rest on this Shabbat, and every Shabbat, help us to see ourselves, and the beauty of God’s world, more clearly.

• Candle lighting this Friday evening November 18 is at 5:05 pm. Shabbat ends on Saturday night at 6:02 pm.
• The New Shul’s Shabbat morning service is from 9 to about 11:45 am, followed by a kiddush-lunch open to all. This Shabbat, November 19, the kiddush-lunch is sponsored by the Polster family in honor of Adrienne Polster’s 80th birthday.
• Minyanim during the week are on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am, and on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm. Kabbalat Shabbat is on Fridays at 6 pm (usually at our rabbis’ home – please contact us for directions).
• Please note that there will be no evening minyan, and no e-message, on Thanksgiving day, Thursday November 24. The next e-message will be sent on Thursday December 1.