There is a distinct magic that exists in the moment just as a new chapter begins. What was gives way to what will be, but not before we acknowledge the space in between those two states of being. This in-between time or liminal space allows our greatest fears and highest hopes to co-exist as we reckon with all the possibilities set before us.
We find ourselves standing at such a threshold this week, both in our Torah and the shared life of our temple community. On this Shabbat, we begin Devarim (Deuteronomy), the final book of our Torah. It is, fundamentally, a book about transitions and new beginnings. As the Israelites camp on the banks of the Jordan River, they are steps away from entering the Promised Land. The years of wandering are just about to be a thing of the past, as their future beckons from across the river. And yet, the Israelites don’t surge forward into the Land as soon as it is within reach. Instead, Moses pauses to look back. He uses this unique moment in the life of the Jewish People to recap their journey from slavery to freedom. He reminds them that while their history has shaped them to this point, it is how they act in the future that will define them.
Standing at the threshold of a new beginning always reminds me of my first day as a college freshman. I had been given a classic piece of advice before moving in: keep your door open so you can meet other people on your floor. I followed the advice and propped the door open wide and sat watching TV while I waited for my new friends to arrive.
I waited this way for a while, but as the hours ticked by, I grew discouraged. Hadn’t I done what I was supposed to do? Where were all my new friends? As excitement turned to doubt, I found myself asking questions like: Will I always feel this lonely? Did I make the right decision by coming here?
Despite the disappointment, the next day I still chose to keep my door open. And finally, a floormate poked his head in to say hi. He noticed a band poster I had hung on my wall, and a new friendship began! It turns out that new beginnings often require us to sit in discomfort, to be vulnerable. Liminal spaces challenge us, but they also awaken us to the potential of what can be. As we begin the next book in our Torah cycle and this exciting chapter in the life of Temple Jeremiah, let’s do so with open hearts as, together, we discover what can be.
May this Shabbat bring you a sense of renewal, peace, and the joyous anticipation of all the wonderful things to come.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Ben Rosen