Family Rituals
Dear BMC Family,
Wishing all of you are safe and healthy, and sending a רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה (r’fuah shlema, full recovery) to anyone currently in need.
We hope to offer small seeds of discussion for you to share with your family in the form of this mini d’var Torah (literally “word of Torah”).
For those in a rush:
We don't sacrifice animals any more.
Ritual = good.
Make a new one with your family.
For those looking for a bit more detail, read on below.
This week’s parsha, Vayikra, is concerned with animal sacrifices, which to be honest, is a ritual that lacks relevance in our daily lives! The relic that remains for us is how we as Jewish people currently engage with ritual in our daily lives.
Rituals create value for each of us and our families, even if we do not immediately realize: morning coffee, yoga before work, how we get dressed. Ritual is a powerful tool to stay healthy during ‘normal life’ as well as challenging and unusual times.
“Every Friday there’s a big metal bowl on the counter full of rising dough. [It] reminds us tonight we’re going to celebrate!”
That student mentioned how his dad makes fresh challah every Friday, and he always looks forward to it because “it is the best thing ever”. We kvell.
Know someone else who’d love to try this? Tap the image to share it with them on Instagram.
Reply to this message with any rituals you'd like to share or end up discovering - we’d love to hear your stories!
Shabbat Shalom,
BMC Team
L’chaim.