Candle Lighting: 7:21 PM EST Montreal - Tzedakah (Charity) and Mitzvah (Good Deed) Reminder
In this week’s Parshah Ki Tavo, the farmer arrives with his basket of first fruits. He does not come empty-handed nor does he come because he has to. He brings his basket with joy.
What a powerful lesson! We all have challenges, worries, disappointments and things we are still trying to work out. Gratitude does not mean pretending those things are not real. It means refusing to let them become the only thing we see.
We all have our “first fruits”… a talent, a friendship, our health, a business opportunity, a sunrise, a meal, or another day to try again. Too often we focus on what is missing and forget the abundance we already have. We can turn an ordinary moment into something holy.
Joy is not ignoring the struggle. Joy is recognizing that even in the struggle, we still have a basket to bring.
Shabbat Shalom * Am Yisrael Chai * Peace