OCTOBER 5 • 2023 | 41 J N SPIRIT A Special Time for Those We Love W hen Rachel and I were getting mar- ried, my in-laws (the Tesslers) and their friends threw a wedding shower based on the Jewish holidays. Each family gave us a wonderful and mean- ingful present based on the theme of the holiday, with a poem or a few choice words. The dear friends who got Shemini Atzeret as their holiday wrote a very funny song with the theme: “But why, oh, why? What did we do? How do we get — Shemini Atzeret?” It was very funny; but, of course, Shemini Atzeret is one of the great holidays of our tradition and does have its own theme, even though it might seem to be bur- ied among the more prominent holidays before it. So permit me a few words on how excited I am to be approaching Shemini Atzeret. Shemini Atzeret contains one of the most beautiful midrashim about God’s relationship with the Jewish people. After busy Sukkot, which celebrates all of nature, God wants one more day to spend just with us. “It is so hard for Me to say goodbye!” as the Midrash says. God needs more time with us — to be able to focus just on us. The Jewish people certainly have a mission of being a light onto the nations, engaging in tikkun olam; “stranger and citizen, they will thrive within Jewish society” Leviticus says. However, on Shemini Atzeret, the focus is on God’s relation- ship with the Jewish people and that deep and personal bond based on our Jewish tradition, Torah, the culture that we have built up over thousands of years and the love we have for each other as a people, a family and a nation. But what makes Shemini Atzeret special as a holiday? How can it teach us that God loves us and wants to spend time with us? In ancient days it was reflected in the sacrifices. Yet, today, our prophets tell us to replace sacrifices with words. So I would suggest on Shemini Atzeret, today, we use our mouths to elevate our relationships with each other. It might start with the “Happy Holiday” — Chag Sameach — to someone we never talk to or a stranger. We should be doing this anyway, but on Shemini Atzeret let’s do it with kavanah — with intention, knowing that this Jewish person near us is engaged in the same amazing relationship with God that we are. Let’s get to know each other better. I hope that on this Shemini we use our mouths to celebrate the Jewish people, our 4,000- year relationship with God and the love of Jews not only to the world, but also within the Jewish people themselves. Why, oh, why, did we get … Shemini Atzeret? Because God loves us and wants to show it one more time. Chag sameach from me. Rabbi Asher Lopatin is rabbi of Kehillat Etz Chaim in Huntington Woods and Oak Park and the executive director of the JCRC/AJC. TORAH PORTION Rabbi Asher Lopatin Parshat Shemini Atzeret: Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17; Numbers 29:35-30:1; I Kings 8:54- 66. Rugiero Promise Foundation along with the University of Michigan Medicine Center Present the 2023 Casino Royale Help us find a cure for diabetes! Oct 14th 5:30pm The Icon- Detroit 200 Walker St. Detroit, MI RugieroPromise.org or RPromisefund@yahoo.com We invite you, your family and friends to join us and participate! We are Virtual with a Silent Auction, Raffles, Prizes and Direct Donations Although we cannot gather with 500 people as we have done in the past, we will still do our part to fight this horrible disease. This virtual event will be open to everyone and will benefit our commitment in finding a cure for Diabetes. Now more than ever families facing Diabetes need our help. The CDC has determined people with diabetes that get COVID- 19 do face a higher risk of experiencing seri- ous complications. 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