Elvis Presley famously sang, “Home is where the heart is.” The poet Robert Frost countered, home is “the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” For the Reubenites and Gaddites in this week’s double portion, Matot-Masei, home is the place where you can raise your livestock. Standing on the eastside of the Jordan, in a place we don’t normally associate with the Holy Land, they decided they have found the perfect place to settle down. There is just one problem, the rest of the Israelites might feel they were abandoning them if they do not join in the journey over the Jordan River. The two tribes strike a compromise with Moses, promising to not return to their homes “until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance” (Numbers 32:16-18).
Home, in this way, is more of a feeling than an actual place. Home where you feel accepted, and you feel comfortable. Home is where you can be the most yourself. I felt that sense of home, leading services under the tent last Friday night. Looking out at the congregation, I saw the faces of people I care so deeply about in this world. As the breeze blew over Sheridan Drive, and our voices joined with Cantor Frank, it felt magical. This is what it means to be part of a holy community. This is what it means to have a home away from home. Come celebrate our Shir Shalom community this Shabbat. On Friday night, we will be under our tent for our Hawaiian Shirt Shabbat and on Saturday night we will be there again for Summer Fest. Come find the people you love as we gather to celebrate all that is great about our community. I look forward to seeing you there!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex