Dear all,
One of the great talmudic sages, Rabbi Paul Simon, wrote in his song,
Sounds of Silence, “People hearing without listening.”
My first exposure to the lyric was in 10th grade during a creative youth group service. I was mesmerized by the words, and they continue to
filter in my soul every day with questions:
How often do we hear but not listen?
Do we ever have a pre-determined thought that eclipses what others are trying to say?
Do our expectations of others get in the way of the light that they actually bring?
The voices of holiness can come in ways that might take us by surprise. Our mission, therefore, is to open our souls, to really listen at any given
moment in time, and to harness the lights of others.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
