Tag Archive | "Clergy Corner"

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CLERGY CORNER: Submit-resist-flee

Posted on 14 February 2013 by LeslieM

JAMES 4:7-10 Humility Cures Worldliness

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. NKJV

• SUBMIT

Submit: to give over or yield to the power or authority of another like clay to the potter.

Submit: to relinquish or concede; to cease opposition; give up complete possession of and claim to.

When we truly submit to God and the Godly things in our lives, we get blessed in all areas of our lives. Want your wife and family to be more submissive? Then you had better make sure that you are submissive in all areas of your own personal life. You can’t just decide to be submissive when you need God to move in your life; it must be a condition of the heart. The same Biblical principle applies to reaping and sowing. You just can’t sow when you want to reap something. You must continually sow in order to continually reap. Don’t stop sowing when you begin to reap.

GENESIS 26:4-5

4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; (Why, God, are you going to do this?)

5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” NKJV

HEBREWS 12:9

9 Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? NLT

• RESIST

EPHESIANS 6:11-13

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. NKJV

1 PETER 5:8-9

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. NKJV

MATTHEW 4:3-10

When Jesus fasted for 40 days, the devil came to tempt him. Jesus quoted scripture and he resisted the devil. It’s easy to resist when you submit your life to God

• FLEE

MATTHEW 4:11

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. NKJV

LUKE 4:13

13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. NLT

Pastor Tony Guadagnino ministers at Christian Love Fellowship Church

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CLERGY CORNER: Have you hugged your therapist today?

Posted on 07 February 2013 by LeslieM

I want to share a poem with you today. It was written by a woman by the name of Lilyan Davidson. (Lil’s daughter gave me the okay to use her mother’s poem). It was written back in June of 2010.

Now, before you read the poem, let me tell you that, in my years as a Professional Health Care Chaplain, I have had the blessing of working with some of the most angelic therapists in the world right down here in Sunny Florida.

I am a Chaplain at St. Anthony’s Rehab Hospital and the therapists there are incredible. I work with the therapists at Sunrise Health and Rehab Center and, again, the therapists there are simply amazing. Lil was a patient at Park Summit in Coral Springs, a sister facility of The Forum in our own Deerfield Beach … and, yes, you had better believe that the therapists who work there are also a pure joy to watch.

The therapist spends a full hour at a time with their patient and, during that time, they not only get them doing things they never thought they would ever be able to do again, but they also prove to be the greatest of motivators.

So often, I see people looking at therapy as a waste of time, but let me tell you something, I have seen people go into therapy feeling so low in spirit that it would seem that nothing would be able to lift them up. But then, the therapist gets a hold of them (whether they like it or not) and, before long, I see a whole new attitude in a large number of those very same patients.

Lil was one such patient. She would do anything to avoid having to go to the therapy room. But, while Lil may have given up on herself, the therapists had not given up on Lil. And after struggling to avoid therapy with every excuse she could think of (including, “The dog ate my wheelchair,”) she finally saw what the therapists had known and had been trying to tell her for a couple of weeks already, that she was on her way to being more independent than she ever thought she would be again.

So please read Lil’s poem. It just might move you or a loved one to rise again:

Love your therapist – By Lil Davidson

(In Thanks to the Therapists at Park Summit, June 30, 2010)

To love your therapy person is not easy.

Sometimes, they make you feel a little bit queasy.

The therapy people are relentless, that much is true.

No matter where you hide, they’ll find you.

So don’t think about going to your room and closing the door.

They have ways to get in, even under the floor.

You can run, but, you can’t hide.

Correction: You can’t run … yet.

You may as well give up, and meet your fate,

for the therapy people who lie in wait.

They are dedicated to restore your health.

That much is true. They only want what is best for you.

They want to make you well, though you protest.

When you recover, it will be best. Though you protested, LOOK, you’re walking! Now, was it worth all of that squawking?

I hope and pray you will take Lil’s words into your heart, and into your arms and legs as well. Now, get moving.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

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CLERGY CORNER: What the world needs now!

Posted on 31 January 2013 by LeslieM

Have you ever heard about the man who was quizzing his wife during half-time of the Super Bowl to find out if she had ever before been in love with another man?

The man’s wife finally answered, but only after reflecting on the question far too long.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “When I was in high school, I really liked one boy for his impressive intellect. Then, there was that spectacular athlete in college I admired because of his humor, courage and character.”

Then she paused, smiled and wistfully said, “And after college, oh my, there was that one young man I was attracted to because of his amazing good looks and charm. But surely you understand that, with you dear, the only explanation is love!” We can argue whether the man’s question or the woman’s answer is worse, but we can agree that we get more than a little confused about love and we trivialize that which we need the most.

Some people claim to love the Super Bowl, but have no idea who won the game last year. Other people say they love the Super Bowl commercials, but, the day after seeing them, have no remembrance of what they promote.

And, sometimes, perhaps like the woman responding to her husband’s prodding, we label something as love if we don’t know what else to call it or how else to explain it.

The truth is what the world needs most is love – genuine love, unending love, the kind of love Paul describes in the 13th chapter of his letter to the Corinthians. Read it, re-read it, and try your best to apply it to your life, especially to the people you love!

Some of you will remember Hal David’s song lyrics “What the World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love” put to music by Burt Bacharach and popularized by singer Dionne Warwick. The song was thought to draw special meaning out of the context of the turbulent 1960s and early ‘70s.

But, behind the simple lyrics and the catchy tune is a Biblical truth and a basic human need that passes like time from one generation to the next. Our need for love is really our need for God. The Ten Commandments and the holiness code of the Torah are based on God’s steadfast love that runs deeper and lasts longer than mere admiration, attraction, amusement or even personal enjoyment, even though we often seem to value these other things more.

God’s love flows much like the Jordan penetrates the wilderness. The heaven opens and the Spirit of Love descends like a dove, but somehow the song’s lyrics still ring true to me and you.

Love still is the only thing there’s just too little of, not just for some, but for everyone. Lord, we don’t need another mountain or another meadow. There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb. There are oceans and rivers enough to cross, enough to last ‘til the end of time. What the world needs now is love, sweet love!

The Good News is this.

God is love and the Holy Word of God made flesh reveals God’s unending love to the world in Christ. God comes to the world to save the world. And, in Christ, finally and forever, we have the love we need, all the instruction, all the encouragement and the foundation for a song that never ends.

What the world needs now is not a new Super Bowl champion. What the world needs now is for us to share the love we already have.

Join us this weekend Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. The Message “What the World Needs Now” is based on 1 Corinthians 13.

Rev. Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

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CLERGY CORNER: They’re watching, are you?

Posted on 24 January 2013 by LeslieM

I have no problem letting anyone know that I am a fan of (and please don’t get offended by the term) “chick-flicks.” Give me a good comedy-romance that has lots of laughs, few tears and a full gamut of emotions in between and you can pretty much guarantee that I will love the film.

But the movie I saw at FAU was no “chick flick.” In fact, it was a foreign film, with French, Hebrew and Arabic. Don’t worry though; there are English subtitles that are quite easy to follow. The movie was called “The Other Son.” Now, don’t worry, I will not give away too much of the story; although, I will tell you that the butler did it. Just kidding, there is no butler in this movie. But, this is a movie that makes you think as much as and maybe even more than any great mystery film. It is the tale of two babies switched at birth. One of the babies is born to a Palestinian Muslim family and the other to an Israeli Jewish family.

That’s right; the Muslim is raised as a Jew and the Jew as a Muslim. At one point in the movie, one of the boys, now a young man, asks what one does when you find out that you are your own worst enemy.

That line really called out to me. You see, the Sages teach us that, if you have something you dislike about someone, you would do well to look at your own actions because what you are seeing in them may be like looking into a mirror … not a carnival mirror that distorts our image, but a mirror that is clean, clear and streak free … a mirror that shows our true self, rather than the image we like to picture ourselves as being.

The other day a woman was waving her hands frantically as she told me how she could not stand her neighbor. Do you know why? It was because her neighbor could not talk without waving her hands all over the place. In other words, she hated the other woman for something of which she herself was guilty. She simply refused to look at the fact that she was guilty of the very same behavior.

This brings me to another movie I had the joy of seeing. It was called “This is 40.” I have to warn you, while the movie is quite funny, it is also filled with a lot of curse words. And there is a scene in this film where the parents wonder where their child learned to use such foul language, but all you have to do is listen to the parents throughout the show and you know exactly where their child picked the choice of words.

Sometimes, we are indeed our own worst enemy. But remember, G-d is watching us. I know this because Bette Midler told me so. But let me tell you who else is watching; our children are watching. If you want to see a mirror image, well, it’s not just the hair color, the eyes or the cheekbones; it’s not just their looks. Your child is watching your actions, listening to your word, soaking up everything you say and do, and learning every step of the way.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

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CLERGY CORNER: A New year – focus on the positive

Posted on 17 January 2013 by LeslieM

Wow! Another year has passed so quickly yet again. I don’t know about you but when the New Year rolls around, I will begin to think about preparing my taxes and collecting all the information that I am going to need. Every year, you have to do the same things and collect the same information over and over again. It is one of those things in life that we just have to do and there is no way around it. Every year, we have to take the task of evaluating our finances and give an account to the IRS so they make sure that they get their share. It seems like a constant evaluation process that we must do no matter what, or face the consequences of fees and fines.

This is, of course, the time of year when we evaluate our lives and make our New Year’s resolutions. I do not like New Year’s resolutions because we just do not keep them and follow through. Statistics show that of the ones who actually make a New Year resolution, only 3 percent will keep it … so chances are that you are one of the 97 percent. Let’s face it, if you did not want to do something all year long, what makes you think you will do it now? When we make a New Year’s resolution, we tend to look at the negative things in our lives that we do not like, and we want to change to make them better. I believe that there are things in our lives that we should change and make better. What if you tried something different and, instead of looking at the negative things in your life from last year, you focused on the positive things that happened to you, your friends and your family? We focus too much on the negative things in life all the time when the good things really outweigh the bad. When we focus too much on the bad things, they will appear to be larger than they really are. We can focus more on the good and positive things, and make the bad and negative things seem smaller instead.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

8: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” NLT

Why is it easier for us to repeat the negative things in our lives than it is for us to repeat and tell everyone about the positive things that happen? We need to make an effort to let the bad things go and to forgive and be grateful for the good things that happen to us. If you can change your attitude about your life, then maybe your life will be a whole lot better. It is too easy to be negative and bitter; lots of people do that already. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Thank God for what you have, and do not focus on what you do not. Be blessed and be positive.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

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CLERGY CORNER: A Healing Prayer

Posted on 10 January 2013 by LeslieM

The woman had just been through an unexpected emergency heart procedure. The doctor was able to do what needed to be done but her blood pressure was now going back and forth from being dangerously low to dangerously high and back again.

I was called by the family, one of whom I know quite well. They were in need of some spiritual support, of a listening presence. After being greeted by the family in the surgical waiting room and giving hugs all around, I went in to see the matriarch of the family.

I had never met her before, but she had heard about me from one of her children. She was in some obvious discomfort, perhaps more from the fact that she could not sit up for several hours or, perhaps from actual pain, although the morphine she was getting had probably taken a good deal of the edge off of that. And, of course, there was the emotional and spiritual pain she was dealing with.

During my relatively short time with her she opened up about many things and, yes, we kibitzed a bit because laughter is good medicine.

Our visit was coming to an end and I usually save the recitation of a healing prayer for the end of such visits. Now that I knew some of what this woman had been through, I could personalize the prayer, I could create a prayer that would have more meaning to her. But, I also wanted to add her to my mishaberach list, the list of people to include in the prayer for healing that we recite at temple. And so I asked for her Hebrew name, which she gave me.

I held her hand for a moment and gave her a soft and gentle kiss on the keppe (the head). As I was washing up (per Universal Precautions), she asked if I could also make a mishaberach for her granddaughter. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that her grandchild was just diagnosed with cancer and would be starting chemo.

I added her Hebrew name to the list for prayer and again bid the woman adieu. But she had another request. “Rabbi, could you also say a mishaberach for my son?” It winds up that her son lives up north and his house had been destroyed in the hurricane; on top of that, he had lost his job. Oy! And, believe it or not, she quickly added, “Oh Rabbi, one more thing” and I said, “You’re kidding me right?” But she wasn’t kidding; she needed her husband added to the list as he was dealing with prostate issues.

She asked me if she was being a pain, and I said, “Not at all” and I added, “In fact, I’m going to make it real easy, when I am at temple and we come to the healing prayer, I am just going to use your last name and say one for your entire family all at once and the same time.” This gave her a good laugh in the midst of her concern.

This woman is outer- focused. She is more concerned with her family’s issues then she is with her own; yet, she is bright enough to know that, in order to be there for them, she will need to take better care of herself.

May we all be blessed with such wisdom!

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

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CLERGY CORNER: A Time to Forgive!

Posted on 03 January 2013 by LeslieM

One of the most horrible traffic accident scenes etched in my memory as a former Indiana sheriff is of a young boy struck and killed riding his bicycle in front of his home. He was following instructions at the time of the accident to remain close to home and ride only so far north and only so far south.

Making the loop in front of his home time after time on the public two-lane county road one mile south of Interstate 70 became monotonous. The road was not heavily traveled and, at the end of one loop, he failed to look back before making his tragic last turn.

The young boy turned his bike in front of an oncoming truck and was killed instantly.

The boy’s small body was covered as we waited for the coroner’s arrival when the father of the child arrived home. It is painful to recall the raw emotion expressed by this very large man. “Where’s the driver?” he repeatedly screams.

The driver, also a large man, is sitting in the front seat of my sheriff’s car. The truck driver sees and hears the father and, disregarding my instructions, he exits my car. The two men physically come together as I run to step and squeeze between them. I feel like a slice of bologna between two pieces of thick hardened bread.

I see the arm of the father come over my shoulder toward the truck driver and I fear the worst until I see an open hand rather than a clenched fist, until I hear the father say, “I forgive you!”

By then, all three of us are crying…

This is the single most powerful human illustration of forgiveness I have ever seen, at least on the surface. The father in his rawest state of pain truly did not blame the driver of the truck. No. He blamed himself.

It was the father who had given his son the instructions that contributed to the son’s death.

There is no one in this world who understands this pain as purely as God the Father who sent his Son into the world to suffer and die in order to earn forgiveness for anyone and everyone who will but believe in Him.

Every Sunday in church, we pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. “Forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us).” The truth is sometimes it is easier to forgive someone else than it is for us to forgive ourselves.

The words of Ecclesiastes come to mind. “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” (3:1) The musical group the Byrds in the 1960’s convincingly sing these verses in their hit song “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

My New Year’s prayer for 2013 is that this be a time to forgive, a time when we not only forgive others, but a time when we also forgive ourselves, a time when God steps in between the hurting, the offending, the otherwise unforgiving. Think how many wars could be averted, how many marriages saved, how many conflict ridden neighborhoods or places of employment could be made peaceful if only we could forgive and be forgiven.

When we see the elementary school parent in Connecticut express forgiveness after the unthinkable, unimaginable, unnecessary loss of their child to a deranged gunman, we realize how often the real forgiver is God.

So unclench the fist and open the hand and follow the example of the world’s only perfect man.

Accept Christ for who He is, know Him, believe Him, give and receive forgiveness through Him.

Make 2013 a time to forgive.

Join us this weekend Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. The Message is “A Time to Forgive” based on Ecclesiastes 3: 1-14 and Colossians 3: 12-17.

Dennis Andrews Ed.D.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach), five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. Visit www.communitych.org or Facebook.

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CLERGY CORNER: Wrestling

Posted on 27 December 2012 by LeslieM

When I was a kid, my brothers and I loved to wrestle with each other. The matches, all in good fun, usually ended with one of them pinning my arms and legs down and tickling me until I screamed, “Bloody Murder,” at which point our mother would rush into the room and call the fight. That’s right, my mother, the Ref.

I might not look like it now, but when I was younger, I used to wrestle. I would thumb wrestle, arm wrestle, foot wrestle, Indian wrestle … and, after a hard rain, I might even do a bit of mud wrestling.

But I was always more of a lover than a fighter. That is until I read about Jacob and realized that life itself is one big wrestling match, a match in which we wrestle not with others, but rather with ourselves and our conscience.

Wrestling with ourselves requires us to learn and improve on our technique; we need to be willing to pin ourselves down in regard to our values and how we will live our lives.

The Torah text for the man that Jacob is wrestling with uses multiple pronouns for he/him … to the point that we are not really quite sure who he/him is …. or, perhaps it was Jacob wrestling with himself.

Some of you may remember a marvelous program on TV called Genesis: A living Conversation. On that show, Bill Moyers said, “I often don’t know whether I’m struggling with G-d or with myself. And, if I’m struggling with myself, I’m struggling with both the demonic and the divine within me.”

Having a wrestling match with an unknown or a masked opponent is not unusual if you are a part of the World Wrestling Federation, but the truth of the matter is that there are many times that we think we are struggling with someone else, some unknown adversary or someone we are pointing blame at, when the one we are really doing battle with, the one we are really struggling with, is ourselves.

I don’t ever remember actually getting hurt when I wrestled with my brothers … annoyed, yes, but, hurt, no … and each time I fought them, they and I both became more accomplished at offensive and defensive techniques, and we not only got to know each other’s moves better, we became more aware of our own moves and we learned which moves worked and which didn’t. Jacob may have been wrestling with an angel or with G-d or with himself; whatever the case, he winds up getting hurt. His hip is never the same and he walks with a limp from then on. Who among us hasn’t had to deal with arthritic pain and faced times when we find ourselves limping or unable to stand up straight?

But while Jacob is physically injured at the hip, he is also more hip after his struggle; he is more attuned to who he is and what he wishes to become. If you want something done right, you have to struggle with it, wrestle with it …

In the New Year ahead, I wish your Yetzer Tov, your good inclination, well in your struggles and may the Ref., whether it is G-d, an angel, your father, your mother or yourself, see you pin your evil inclination down for the count so that you know you are indeed a champion.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains. He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area and with hospice. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

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CLERGY CORNER: How prepared are you for Christmas?

Posted on 20 December 2012 by LeslieM

You are preparing your Christmas shopping list, the cookies, and your time to accommodate all the activities you want to participate in. Do not forget the lights, tree, decorations, presents or wrapping paper . Do not forget all the planning, inviting guests, grocery shopping and cooking that you have to do. We prepare for Christmas, but do we actually prepare for the Christ of Christmas? Let me assure you that Jesus is more interested in how you prepare yourself for Christmas than He is in all of your other Christmas preparations.

God wants the most powerful impact of this Christmas to be the one He makes on your heart.

Let me ask you again, are you ready? Are you prepared for the coming of the King? Are you prepared for Christmas and Christ? How are you preparing your heart for Christmas? How are you preparing your life for Christ? Evaluate what the meaning of Christmas makes in your daily planner, your checkbook, your family, your marriage, your friendships and your spiritual growth.

Society and traditions try to tell us how to live our lives around the holidays and even how to celebrate our holidays. We need to be ourselves and serve the God we love by living for Christ all year round. Don’t allow people or circumstances in your life to break your holiday spirit and steal your joy. The words that come out of our mouths show what is in our hearts, and our actions will speak even louder than our words. The things we do and say show the kind of lifestyle that we have. Don’t become what the pressures of life want to mold you into, but rather, become a person full of joy and peace all year round. Then, it is not just a holiday thing, it is a lifestyle choice. When we do things the way God wants, and not by our own way or by our own plan, those changes become more permanent. Why change the way you act and behave like the seasons change? Just be the same happy, joyful, peaceful, giving person all year long. Then, you will not have to change around the holidays to fit in.

People will try to tell you how to celebrate Christmas but don’t let it happen. Make sure you wish someone a Merry Christmas every chance you get. May God bless you this holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

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CLERGY CORNER: The Four C’s

Posted on 13 December 2012 by LeslieM

If you are looking at diamonds, then you had better know something about the Four C’s. The combination of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat weight can make the difference between a gem that appears dull and lifeless vs. one that sparkles.

Chanukah is a time for us to remember that we are all gems and that we have the capability of reflecting the light of G-d. Sadly, as we age, we sometimes feel as though we are losing our luster, our value, our worth as human beings.

But those of you who work with gems know it would be foolish not to see an appraisal before purchasing a gem. And the funny thing is, if you buy a diamond of quality, you can be pretty sure that as it ages, (even in the midst of a bad economy), that diamond is going to go up in value. Each of us is a child of G-d; we are all his gems. I know there are those who might try to make you feel as though you have lost much of your value. But don’t be fooled by such people. In sickness, in infirmity, and, yes, even in your golden years, your value continues to climb.

On the first night of Chanukah, we lit the Shamus and used it to light the first candle. Each night since, we have added a candle. When I took my Chanukiah (my Chanukah Menorah) out for the holiday, it was a bit dusty and dull from being stored away. I had to clean it up, but in no time it was sparkling again.

I have been using that same Chanukiah for a good many years. I think it looks even more beautiful now, as, now, it has a history behind it – the history of which friends and family members were with me on any given year that we stood together as we lit the lights of the Menorah.

That Chanukiah was a wedding gift. My wife Carol, and I used it for our first Chanukah as husband and wife. That Chanukiah was used the first time we had my parents and my wife’s parents over for the potato latkes that Carol and I made together. That Chanukiah was there when we had family in from Israel and we served Sufganiyot, the fried jelly donuts that are traditional fare for the holiday in the Holy Land. That Chanukiah brought back beautiful memories after my wife had passed and the light from the candles lit up my heart and warmed my very soul.

Hasdai, Ben haMelech ve HaNazir, said that “Light is especially appreciated after the dark.” Many people who have come down here for the winter from up north understand that saying well now. All too often, we take the light in our life for granted. Who in New York, or down here in sunny Florida, ever thought about how blessed we were to have electricity that brought us light and power? But after a hurricane, after we had to live in the darkness for a while, we came to know how very blessed we are, and it is only after we realize our blessings that our light can truly shine like the brightest of gems and bring light where there is darkness. Shalom, my friends, and, again, a very joyous Chanukah,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and serves in this capacity in a number of healthcare settings in the area including Advocate Home Care Services and L’Chayim Jewish Hospice in Partnership with Catholic Hospice of Broward County.

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