To My Dear Students,

In my Bar Mitzvah Portion that we read this week, we find that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the 10 Commandments, “All Israelites  saw that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant.”  His face shown a dazzling brightness.

Speaking of bright light, I once gave a tour of our Sanctuary to a group of visiting children from a local church.  I spoke about the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light.  A few days later, I received a package of thank-you letters from the children.  One 5th grader wrote: “I really liked your explanation of that “internal” light.

I realized that this youngster had stumbled on a great truth.  There is such a thing as an internal light, and it is the most important part of who we are.  It is the spark of the Divine, the light of G-d’s image within us.

Moses, whose face was radiant, had that internal light to an exceptional degree.  But we all have a spark of it.  May we let our “internal” light
shine forth in our relationships and our deeds through our faith, honesty, integrity, and love.

Shabbat Shalom,

Your Rabbi