Eternal Foundation, 39 Days Omer 5781

Today is thirty-nine days, which is five weeks and four days of the Omer in the year 5781. נצח שביסוד, Netzach ShebeYesod, Eternal Foundation. What keeps you rooted to your path, regardless of the adversities in life? What keystone habits help you weather every storm?

Building a bridge to the future

This week of consolidating my foundation and defining my core values weighs heavily on me. My tendency is to look at all I have not done, rather than celebrating how far I have come. And the ticking clock of mortality keeps getting louder.

Simply writing about the ideas that breathe meaning into my life is not enough. I choose holding myself accountable to transform my thoughts, feelings, speech, and action to align with these ideals. My commitment begins with journaling. As I read The Power of Habit, I recognize that consistent, daily journaling accompanied all of my most productive seasons.

Remembering Yaniv Dotan, zichrono livracha

My fellow rabbinic student, Yaniv Dotan, passed away Monday night on the 22nd of Iyyar. He kept his illness private, and most of us did not realize the depth of struggle he faced. Yaniv blessed us with a beautiful sermon at our Monday morning minyan two weeks before he passed. Guided by fellow Israeli Yeshayahu Liebowitz's thoughts on Aharei Mot - Kedushin, he implored us with the ever-present call to holiness. Despite our obvious differences, we shared so many similarities.

Yaniv was quick to point out whatever he found wrong in a lecture or a fellow student's comments. He had no time for his time being wasted. An engineer, logic reigned supreme. Unless he cracked open the hidden doorway to his soul, and let you know how seriously he believed in mysticism. Connecting with the Divine was Yaniv's primary goal. He also built our community, with his incredible harmonica skills and his big smile. The world loss a true light this week. May we forever learn from Yaniv to never be complacent. Always strive towards deeper truth. Hold our teachers to high standards. And never stop learning.