Rabbi Eric B. Wisnia
Rabbi Eric B. Wisnia
Friday, Jan. 24th, 2020 | 28th Teveth, 5780 – My mother’s grandfather, Avram Hirsch Tchervinsky was a blacksmith for horses here in Warsaw, when it was ruled by the Czars of Russia. One of my father’s grandfathers, Gedalyah Moshe Wisnia owned a leather tanning factory in Otvotsk; and the other grandfather, Yosef Haberman owned a furniture factory in Sochaczew. Poland runs deep in my family.
It is good to be home. Because the air here in Poland is still heavy with Jewish history and with the ashes of my ancestors who died in the Holocaust, we Wisnias have come back home. The Nazis killed so many of us Jews, but we’re still here. This service tonight, proves that Hitler lost. There are still Jews living Jewish lives here in Warsaw. Once again, there are Wisnias davening, saying the Shema, and studying Torah here in our home town of Warsaw.
Am Yisrael Chai!
The Torah portion for this shabbat is Va’ayra from the second book of our chumash, Exodus, chapter 6, verse 2. Here, God speaks to Moses:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Vayidaber Elohim el moshe, vayomer aylahv: Ani Adonai! Va’ayra el Avraham, el Yitzchak, v’el Ya’akov b’El shadai –ooshmi ‘YHVH” lo nodahti lahem.[/perfectpullquote]
In this Torah portion, God makes it clear that each generation has its own understanding of God. God tells us that the way that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew God, is not the way that Moses will know God. The way our ancestors prayed may not be the exact way that we pray. God does not change; we change with each generation. Nevertheless, that is the way God has planned it. Our religion and our people grow and mature with each generation.
Even though our religion changes and evolves, we all stand together. Our Rabbis tell us that once, we all stood together at Sinai. Tonight, we Jews gather all over the world to welcome Shabbat. We are one people, linked together from our past, through us to our future.
Once, we Wisnias lived here in Poland. Tonight, again we stand on the soil of our history; we re-affirm our bond with that history and the history of our people. We will soon return to our home in America, and you will stay here in your homes in Poland. Yet, we are forever united as one Jewish people, linked through our God, our religion and our homeland in Eretz Yisrael. We deeply appreciate this wonderful opportunity to renew our roots with you.
Kol yisrael arayveen, zeh la-zeh.
Thank you, my brothers and sisters, for welcoming us back.
Bashana ha-ba-ah bee-rushalayim hab-nu-yah!
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