Shalom All,

Each year on Shavuot, something remarkable happens in our sanctuaries. As the Torah is opened and the Ten Commandments are read, we rise, not simply out of respect, but out of memory. We stand as if we ourselves are there, at Mount Sinai.

This is more than symbolic reenactment. Jewish tradition teaches that revelation was not a one-time event for a distant generation. When the Torah was given, every Jewish soul: past, present, and future, stood together at the foot of the mountain. Shavuot invites us to step back into that moment, to hear the words not as ancient history, but as a living voice addressed to us, here and now.

Standing changes us. It asks us to be present, attentive, and open. At Sinai, the Israelites stood in awe and uncertainty, on the edge of transformation. We, too, stand on that edge each year. The commandments we hear are familiar, even foundational, but Shavuot challenges us to receive them anew. What does it mean, today, to honor God and our parents, to rest on Shabbat, to speak truth, to build a just and sacred community.

The act of standing reminds us that Torah is not only inherited, it is accepted. Again and again, we choose to receive it. Again and again, we affirm that its teachings still shape our lives and our world.

On this Shavuot, when we rise as a congregation, imagine the mountain trembling, feel the air filled with possibility. Hear the words as if for the first time. And know that we are part of that sacred gathering, still standing together at Sinai, still receiving the Torah.

We’ll be celebrating Shavuot this year, along with Shabbat, on Friday night, May 22 at 6:30pm. I hope you can join us.

Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Todd