“Hazak Hazak V’nit Hazek”
“Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened”
This is the phrase we say when we reach the end of each book in the Torah. It is also this month’s Mussar trait. What is strength? Some definitions include: endurance, resistance, capacity for exertion, power, force, might, vigor, potency, energy or fire power.
At this moment, the strength that concerns me is not the power to move mountains, but the strength one needs to overcome our greatest challenges. In Mussar thought, this would be an inward look at the self. But what does this mean for a congregation? I believe this is the strength to overcome obstacles, to develop an awareness of what needs to be done and then to change things as a result of that understanding. We are in the midst of great change at TE. Adding new families and a new addition to the sanctuary building is a huge and exciting amount of change to take in. It means there will be times when everything doesn’t go as smoothly as it should or that things have to be adapted to the situation at hand. It means keeping track of all the details. It means that not everyone will agree on the details of where we go next. I am confident that we have the strength to get through these changes if we do it as a community – together.
A form of the word gevurah – gibor – means “hero” in Hebrew. This next year at Temple Emanuel is going to challenge us all to be heroes who turn our obstacles into strengths. I will be looking for TE’s heroes to help me meet these challenges.
With apologies to Dwight D. Eisenhower: “The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a congregation more than its wealth.”