Shabbat Noach, 5765 by Haim Ainsworth

Im tirÂ’tzu, ain zo agadahÂ…
If you will it, it is no dream!

In his last act as our Sofer, Neil Lerman will fill in the hollow letters of the first word of the Torah – B’reishit. As Sofer Lerman fills in the outlined word - B’reishit – so we, in being partners in this act, will fill in the outlined hopes and aspirations of our founders. As he completes the letters, he also completes another of our congregational dreams, dreams that we have willed into existence from the beginning.

A little under two years ago Kol Ami dared to dream that we could bring a new sefer torah into existence. We dared to dream of a day when children of this congregation would chant their portion at their bÂ’nai mitzvah from that scroll. We dared to dream of a day when the scroll would be unwrapped and unrolled the length of this sanctuary at our annual simhat torah service. We have dared to dream beyond today, beyond next year, beyond the next century.

For indeed there will be many B’nai Mitzvah students who will read their portions from our scroll, there will be many simhat torah celebrations, and many passings of this scroll from congregant to congregant at our Yom Kippur Healing Services. There will be countless generations of Jews who will learn from this scroll, just as we will. We have dared to dream beyond ourselves, dared to dream into the future. As when Jacob dreamt of the ladder, who’s top reached into the sky – so too our dreams for this torah and for this congregation reach far beyond our sight. We have even dreamt of the day when, many years and generations from now, the sefer will be retired to a g’nizah – it’s letters and parchment faded and worn by years of reading, learning, celebration, veneration and use.

What fantastic dreams we are daring to dream!

I am sure many of you here tonight, as you sat holding the quill with Sofer Lerman, dared to dream your own dreams for the scroll. I have shared but a few of mine.

In just over a week, we will carry the scroll in celebration down La Brea – just as we did when we first entered this building. That day three years ago we transformed an empty shell, into a Synagogue. By placing our sefrei torah in the a’ron three years ago we transformed this building, and when we place the new sefer in the a’ron we will transform ourselves again in our shared destiny as a k’hilat kodesh – as a holy community.

We will dance and sing as Jews have done from that first moment when torah entered our lives at Sinai. We will take our place among our people for eternity, and future generations will inherit the legacy.

With this act of dedicating a torah scroll we are also taking upon ourselves as a community – and as individual members of that community – a sacred statement of unity. We are saying to ourselves, to each other, and to the world, that what is written in this scroll is worth carrying forward. It is worth the time, the effort, the money and it is worth the spiritual investment we make by taking this enormous step. And we are worthy of the task.
In just a few years we have leapt upon our potential as a faith community, and claimed our place among the Jewish people. When we dedicate the new scroll, we take the next step in dedicating our congregation to our mission, and to our destiny.

Kol Ami has taken tears and shaped them into a mighty torrent of joy, Kol Ami has taken the few and the dispossessed and transformed them into a strong, vibrant community. Kol Ami has done this by providing opportunities to look upon the greatness of our tradition, and opportunities to interact with G-d. We have built not only a beautiful and sacred building, but we have built beautiful and sacred links to one another. Each of these steps required careful preparation and this step is no different.

At Sinai, we are told, Moses asked to see the face of G-d, and that G-d told Moshe it was not possible. “But stand behind this rock, and my presence shall pass before you, and you may look upon My back.”

When we dedicate the new sefer we will be gazing upon the wonder that is the presence of G-d, as it passes not only before past us, but through us.

Let us now prepare ourselves once again for a sacred and transforming task, as we dedicate this sacred object, and in doing so let us dedicate ourselves.

Kein yÂ’hi ratzon

Posted by Lee at October 19, 2004 12:00 PM