The autumn equinox begins this Sunday, September 22nd. Nature is already preparing for this change of seasons: the pomegranates in our beautiful Temple Beth Sholom biblical gardens are turning red as they (hopefully) ripen in time for Rosh Hashanah. The leaves on the trees are beginning to change from vivid to dark green, to chartreuse, orange and brown, as they prepare to shed in anticipation of the trees' winter hibernation. The morning and evening air is becoming crisper and cooler. Some of the farm stands are closed, with signs that read: “closed for the season.” Already? Others are overflowing with the bounty of the summer’s harvest. Yes, autumn is definitely arriving.
As the seasons shift and autumn begins on Sunday, the earth itself mirrors the messages we find in this week's Torah portion,
Ki Tavo. In the
parsha, the Israelites are reminded of the
mitzvah, the commandment
, to bring the first fruits of the harvest to the Temple, expressing gratitude for the abundance that the land has provided (Deut 6:1-11). This act is a profound moment of thanksgiving, one that draws attention to the relationship between humanity, the Divine, and the natural world.
Just as the fields bless us with their bounty, we are called to reflect on our blessings and recognize the hands of others in our successes.
Ki Tavo, however, isn’t content with the notion of simply reminding us to express gratitude for what we have—it challenges us to share our bounty with others, to ensure that those who cannot provide for themselves are also blessed with the earth’s bounty. We know that our earth produces enough food to feed every human being who dwells upon it. We just lack the means to distribute it to all who are in need. Our text in
Ki Tavo commands us to care for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow (symbolizing those who are unable to care for themselves), not out of charity alone, but as an expression of
tzedek, justice (Deut 26:12). As we gather the fruits of our labor, we are reminded that a truly just society makes space for everyone to partake in its bounty, in a manner that preserves their dignity, honor, and self-respect.
Autumn reminds us of the cycles of nature—of growth and harvest—and in this period of transition, we must think about how to share our resources, not simply to provide, but to uplift every single human being as well. Therefore, this is the season to express gratitude not just in words, but in our deeds that reflect our commitment to a community where all are provided for with dignity, whether through our ownTBS congregation or our own personal actions.
At this turning of the seasons, I call attention to two opportunities TBS provides for uplifting others by providing access to nourishing food:
The first opportunity is our year-round “
Monica’s Mitzvah Meals” which prepares meals for the Southwest Community Center in Santa Ana on the third and fourth Sundays of each month (from 8:30 am to noon). Mitzvah Meals is organized, coordinated, and implemented by a crew of fantastic volunteers, headed up by TBS’s Hollis O’Brien. They need 8 participants on the third Sunday of each month, and 12 participants on the fourth Sunday of each month, as we will be providing more meals on the fourth Sundays. (If you have long hair, it needs to be tied back while you are working in the kitchen.) If you don’t like to cook, but you are able to help deliver the meals, that is also greatly appreciated. In addition to volunteer time, Mitzvah Meals is always in need of financial donations. Sign up to volunteer for Mitzvah Meals
HERE . Make a donation to Mitzvah Meals
HERE .
The second opportunity is our
High Holy Day Food Drive, organized by Bonnie Robinson on behalf of the Social Action Committee. Last year, I invited our TBS community to join me in trying to reach a goal of bringing in 500 bags of groceries. We acheived 2/3 of our goal last year. This year, we would like to try to meet this
500-Bag High Holy Day Food Drive Challenge.
September is “Hunger Action Month” (For more on Hunger Action Month, click
HERE ): as TBS’ participation in Hunger Action Month, we hope to collect at least 500 bags of groceries (or more) for our HHD Food Drive.
· 33% of those living in Orange County live below the poverty line;
· At last 1 in 11 children in Orange County is at risk of hunger. (When school is out, even more go to bed hungry).
· In California 620,899 senior citizens are food insecure and the number is rising as the cost of living rises.
(Click HERE for more information about Hunger Action Month and the Second Harvest OC Website)
I invite each of you to join me and please fill one, two, three, four grocery bags – however many you are able – with the items on the list below (and only those items, unexpired). Please drop them off to TBS between now and the first day of Sukkot (when we thank God for the bounty of our harvest), October 16th. We will count how many bags we collect and share the total number of bags we’ve collected with you.
Together, we can start 5785 by making a small difference, by being that blessing for others in our community and filling our hearts with love, with Monica's Mitzvah Meals and with our High Holy Day Food Drive.
As the colors change and the winds grow cooler, may we be inspired by the Torah's call to gratitude and justice, recognizing that our true harvest is measured not just by what we gather, but by how we share it with others.
