A gorgeous passage from Erich Fromm on Shabbat! h/t Avi Mayer
As much as I love learning the lessons of the week, there is something extra special about Shabbat with my side of the family. We have not been all together in a long time.
Shabbat Shalom
Coach Yulia
“And Aaron will rejoice in his heart” (Exodus 4:14). The Talmud teaches us that one of the signs of a refined character is “to have a good heart,” i.e. to be able to rejoice at the success of others. In this week’s parsha, Moses, the younger brother, was given the mission of freeing the Jewish people from slavery. However, he was reluctant to accept the role because he felt that Aaron, his older brother, would feel slighted. The Torah teaches us that, not only did Aaron not feel slighted, but he was truly happy for his brother. As a result of this inner joy, he merited a special gift: he played a special role as the spiritual leader of the Jewish people.This gift was symbolized by a piece of clothing worn on his chest to signify that it was a consequence of his pureness of heart. A person who can refine his character and genuinely rejoice in the success and blessings of other people as if they were his own will see only blessings from the Divine.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Jawary