Alone But Not Lonely?

Table Talk from the desk of Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld

November 3-4, 2023 • 20 Mar Cheshvan 5784 • Vayeira (Gen 18-22). 

The purpose of this email is to create a friendlier Shabbat table... please forward/print/share.
Happy Anniversary shout-out to Amy and Lawrence - 13 is the gematria of AHAVAH!

Here's a good opening question for your table:

The Torah famously says that every human was created "in the image of God."

Question: What in the world does that mean?

To work toward an answer, let's make a counter-point to last week's troubling message.

Every Jew knows that to be Jewish means to feel different and sometimes - as a Jew - alone in the world.

But as long as we have each other - a Jewish community - aloneness doesn't need to mean loneliness.

Moreover, weren't there Germans and others during the Holocaust who did the right thing? How about today?

Some of these friendly voices are popping up on youtube comments and other social media:

• I stand with Israel God bless Israel
• I admire Israeli people, they talk humbly, calmly
• I'm a South African and support Israel
• As a Korean, I strongly support Israel
• I love and stand for Israel
• God bless the IDF, Jai Hind from India

Question for your table: do these voices help, or are we - despite them - pretty much alone?

The most basic answer to my original question up top - what does "image of God" mean? - is that every day you have ethical or moral choices to make. It seems to me that social media voices like these make the world feel a bit less lonely.

But then how can you know you're on the side of what's right? 

"If a Jedi walks the path of the dark side, the dark side is always in their heart." - Yoda

Shabbat Shalom,

Alexander Seinfeld


PS - If you click on the image above, you'll find an intellectual video that will appeal to some; others might prefer this short but sweet one.

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