fbpx
[additional-authors]
June 1, 2017

Dear all,

There are times when a lightbulb goes off in our heads, and inspiration moves us to change our course. This has happened with great figures (and whether they are 100% factual or simply part of our collective memory is debatable!)

Moses stumbled upon the burning bush, changing his life goals forever.

An apple falls on Isaac Newton, and he wants to know why! Thus he unfolds the theory of gravity.

Samuel Morse found his wife dead because her letter took too long to reach him. This inspired him to invent the telegraph/ Morse Code.

Paul McCartney woke up humming the melody that would become”Yesterday.” The original lyrics, however, were: “Scrambled eggs. Oh, you’ve got such lovely legs.”

11 year old Zach Shapiro sees a young rabbi playing guitar at Jewish summer camp. He decides then and there that he wants to be a rabbi.

These a-ha moments are usually quite small. The miracle is being present in our lives so we can be receptive to these miracles. And if we keep our souls open, we will realize they are happening around us constantly. So let’s harness them, capturing each moment in time.
With love and Shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro

Photo by Jeremy Gimbel

A change in perspective can shift the focus of our day – and even our lives. We have an opportunity to harness “a moment in time,” allowing our souls to be both grounded and lifted. This blog shows how the simplest of daily experiences can become the most meaningful of life’s blessings. All it takes is a moment in time.

Rabbi Zach Shapiro is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba, a Reform Jewish Congregation in Culver City, CA. He earned his B.A. in Spanish from Colby College in 1992, and his M.A.H.L. from HUC-JIR in 1996. He was ordained from HUC-JIR – Cincinnati, in 1997.

 

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

A Night of Gratitude Honoring Dennis Prager

Latest Articles

A Jewish Victory

In the face of growing anti-Israel and antisemitic conduct in public schools, the Los Angeles Unified School District has delivered an important victory for our community.

Unbreakable Blue Thread: Reclaiming Our Past and Our Future

I write to you, all you first and second generations, and I assure you from generations five, six and seven that if we keep doing what we need to do, if we stand together, keep our traditions, educate ourselves in our ancient wisdom, keep Hebrew spoken and sung in our midst, we will not only endure. We Jews will thrive.

Unstuck in the Middle with You

Kwall, the Raymond P. Niro Law Professor at DePaul University College of Law, argues for a center defined by enough common commitments to make communal life possible.

Sewage Without Borders

Israel’s water security depends on what flows into the sea on the other side of all of them, and our water policy should start from that reality.

Torah Portion: Vayera

The parsha ends with the binding of Isaac, the Akeida, probably the darkest chapter in the entire Torah.

Let Them Talk

If we want our younger generations to love our faith, our culture, and our peoplehood, we need to be welcoming when they show interest and have a spark of curiosity.

A Wild and Improbable Story Hits Israel

It turns out that claim about Israel being a democracy wasn’t just propaganda. The two million Arabs who live in the world’s only Jewish state really do have the power to vote.

Why I Came to Vote in Israel

My journey to the ballot box was circuitous. The path I hope Israel will follow is derech Adonai: the way of righteousness and justice.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.