Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Elul 21, 5774

We celebrate Rosh Hashanah as Hayom Harat Olam, the Birthday of the World. We read the story in Genesis that tells us that Shabbat began when "...the heaven and the earth were completed and all their array. On the seventh day God finished the work that God had done" (Genesis 2:1­2). And yet, Creation never really came to an end. In the prayer Yotzer Or, we praise God every morning as the One who in goodness renews the work of Creation every single day: uv'tuvo m'chadeish b'chol yom tamid ma'aseh v'reishit.

Over 30 years ago, Rabbi Harry Danziger spoke to his congregation on Rosh Hashanah Eve at Temple Israel in Memphis, TN. He said "When God finished creating the world after those six days, He left a lot of unfinished business...You and I have the power to do God's Unfinished Business." With that sermon, God's Unfinished Business, or GUB, began as an outreach network within Temple Israel to help connect members with one another, to provide help and support to each other at different moments in life, and continues to offer many services today.

Each day we have the power to take up God's unfinished business, to complete one more part of the acts of
 
Creation. In the year to come, what talents and skills can you lend to completing the task?

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