Weekly Torah Portion

Dear Congregation,

Shanah Tovah — Happy New Year.

As we enter Rosh Hashanah, I want to share a moment from the Torah that has stayed with me and has taken on new meaning for me this year.

It’s the story of Hagar in the desert. She is wandering with her son Ishmael, exhausted and frightened. She has only one jug of water. As the water runs out, her hope runs out. And in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the Torah, she places her child at a distance and begins to cry. She cannot bear to watch him suffer.

But then something extraordinary happens. The Torah says, “God heard the cry of the boy.” And an angel calls out to her, telling her to lift up her son. She opens her eyes, and suddenly she sees a well of water that had been there all along.

That moment -opening her eyes, is the essence of Rosh Hashanah.

I think about this often, especially as someone who has spent years teaching, leading and trying to help people find meaning in their Judaism. I’ve learned that many of us walk into the High Holidays feeling exactly like Hagar: tired, worried, stretched thin, unsure of what the future holds. We wonder if our “jug is empty” — spiritually, emotionally, or even physically.

And I’ll be honest: I’ve felt that way too. There are moments when I’ve wondered how to keep giving, how to keep leading, how to keep showing up . But every time I stand before a congregation and I hear familiar melodies and every time I see people who chose to walk through the doors of a synagogue, I’m reminded that the well is still there. 

Sometimes we just need to open our eyes and look at the blessings we have. 

Rosh Hashanah gives us that chance. The sound of the shofar gives us that jolt. Our devoted community gives us that strength.

If you are reading this message, you already have a “water jug.” It may be small. It may feel fragile. It may be a memory of a parent, a pair of candlesticks, a yahrzeit, a melody you still hum, or simply a loyalty to the Jewish people that you can’t quite explain. But it’s real. And it’s enough to begin again.

My prayer for all of us this year that we open our eyes to the blessings that were always there. May we discover wells of strength we didn’t know we had. And may we lift one another up — gently, compassionately, and with love.

Wishing you and your loved ones a year of health, peace, and joy - Shanah Tovah.

Marc Lamb

Baal Tefillah