On the occasion of a special shabbat attended by Karsh Center Volunteers, Rabbi Beau Shapiro delivered this sermon:

Sh’mini 5777 – Karsh Volunteer Shabbat

April 21, 2017

Rabbi M. Beaumont Shapiro

Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los Angeles

Shabbat Shalom everyone. Right now we are in the midst of something called the Omer. Technically, an omer is a sheaf, a unit of measurement of grain that our agrarian ancestors used when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. But it’s also the name for this time period we find ourselves in—these seven weeks between Pesach and Shavout.

We are commanded to count the days, beginning on the second night of Pesach, for seven weeks, seven weeks, which brings us to Shavout.  We count these forty-nine days as a way to link these two events to each other—a way to link our Exodus from Egypt to the revelation at Sinai—a way to link the privilege of freedom to the responsibility of Torah.

During Pesach we celebrated our freedom from slavery, from bondage, but there is another kind of freedom as well—freedom to—freedom to do something. The slavery of Egyptian bondage that our ancestors endured was a life without privilege, but it was also a life without a single responsibility. With their freedom came responsibility. After all, in so many ways, that’s what the Torah is really all about, our responsibility as human beings to one another and to the world around us.

So too, our unprecedented freedom and privilege come with responsibility. Our tradition teaches that we were brought out of Egypt—we were freed—for a reason—for a purpose—to help heal the world. That’s why we built the Karsh Family Social Service Center—to transform our freedom from into freedom to, and use it to help our neighbors.  

Every day, clients walk through the doors of the Karsh Center for any one of a dozen services we offer. By and large, they are services that exist elsewhere, they are not unique—but the way we provide them is. And that is only possible because of our incredibly talented and dedicated volunteers.  

The smiling face that greet a client when they walk through the door; the kind words offered as a bag of groceries is handed out; the compassion and patience shown when a navigator sits and listens, the relief that comes when an attorney says it’s going to be ok. Those human connections—those relationships—that our volunteers make possible are what make the Karsh Center unique, and special. It’s not what we are doing so much as it’s how we are doing it, because of our volunteers.  

On this Shabbat, we read simply that Aaron, the High Priest lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. But what did he say? What were the ancient words of blessing that Aaron spoke millennia ago? The rabbis of the midrash and the medieval commentator known as Rashi are quite clear in answering this question. Aaron blessed our ancestors, they teach, with the words of the priestly blessing. And I cannot think of more appropriate words to use to bless our Karsh Center volunteers on this special Shabbat. So at this time I’d like to ask all of our volunteers to rise so that Cantor Ettinger and I can bless you as you have blessed our clients.

 Y’varech’cha Adonai v’yishm’recha— May God bless you and protect you.

Ya-eir Adonai panav eilecha vichuneka— May God’s light continue to shine through you in the sacred work you do.

Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v’yaseim l’cha shalom— May you always know that God is close, and may God grant you peace.” Amen