Parshat B’midbar

This week’s parashah, B’midbar, teaches about the commandments that God gave to Moshe, not on the summit of Mount Sinai but on the desert floor below. “God spoke to Moshe in the desert of Sinai. . . ”  The parashah teaches us that revelation occurs not only at the peak moments of our lives but also at lower elevations, where we live day to day. The desert floor, like the mountaintop, can be called Sinai if we train ourselves to pay attention, to keep our hearts open.

The purpose of a spiritual community — a community of prayer, learning, and compassion — is to sensitize us to God’s wordless call, even when we have no mountaintop to stand on. The purpose of Shabbat is to quiet the everyday noise that can so easily drown out that call.

May our community, and the Shabbat that we create together, help to make the world – the real world, in which we live our actual lives – a place of revelation.

• Due to Covid, The New Shul’s Shabbat morning service takes place outdoors and off-site, on the grounds of the Sandpiper School, 6724 E. Hearn Rd (Please note that our service now begins at 9 am instead of 9:30). Everyone is welcome. Please use the west parking lot and come around to the back of the school. Informal attire is fine.
• The kiddush this Shabbat, May 15, is sponsored by Dale and Alan Singer.
• For information on our services for Shavuot, please contact us.
• All other New Shul events continue online. They include: Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday afternoons (5:30 pm this Friday), Havdalah (8:10 pm this Saturday night), daily text study, and weekly classes. Please contact us for the Zoom link.
• The New Shul’s Shabbat services will soon return to our building. Our target date is May 29. Please contact us for further information.