Dear all,
Eli and I came across an oversized chess board last weekend. At six and a half, he’s already a formidable player—and he wasn’t about to pass up the chance to challenge me.
So we played.
Standing there, moving life-sized pieces, each turn required pause. And as we each considered our next move, I found myself thinking: how often do we do the same in our own lives?
Which choices are defensive—made just to hold our ground?
Which ones move us forward with purpose?
Which are made out of habit, or distraction, or simply because we can’t see another option?
And which choices might look like a loss in the moment—but are, in truth, the beginning of something greater?
This Thursday night, Jews celebrate Shavuot—the moment we stood at Sinai and chose to receive Torah.
Shavuot reminds us that Judaism is not only something we inherit —it is something we choose. And it’s not only about the choices that led us to today – but also in the decisions we make moving forward. It’s about the values we live, and the future we shape.
Like a game of chess, we don’t always control what’s in front of us. But we do control how we respond. We make informed and meaningful choices of how to move forward.
And that choice—that ongoing, intentional choosing—in each moment in time– THAT is what it means to stand at Sinai.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
PS. Eli won the game.
