Shabbat Shalom

It is a rainy, cold day. The first one to feel like fall. Cold enough to keep me from walking during a a brief hour of sunshine. I haven't done anything special today, at least not that I think of as a true mitzvah. I have another condolence note to write but don't feel like it. And I just remembered that I am still out of shabbat candles so tea candles it will be again. I did offer to give a talk on LaShon Hara for our monthly women's Rosh Hodesh group, haven't heard back on that.

I did a little searching hoping to find inspiration. I did find this from an Interfaith website: jewish Spirituality Guide.

"One way Jews have classified the commandments is by breaking them down into two groups: mitzvot bein adam l'makom, commandments governing the relationship between the person and God, and mitzvot bein adam l'havero, commandments governing the relationship between human beings. Ritual actions like prayer, affixing a mezuzah to the doorpost and keeping kosher are all examples of the mitzvot between the individual and God. Donating to charity, providing for the needs of a wedding and comforting mourners are examples of mitzvot between people. Both kinds of mitzvot can be opportunities for spiritual experience.

The concept of beautifying a commandment, hiddur mitzvah, elevates every mitzvah to another level. If you are making blessings on Shabbat and you use a beautiful Kiddush cup or a challah cover that your children made in preschool, you know what I mean. It's a special thing, to feel connected to one another through ritual objects when we act out these rituals that are between us and God."

So as the sun sets on the mountains, and it is just me, alone in my home and nest. I will say a silent thank-you to G_d for the pink clouds on the horizon and the red roses splayed in a vase on my dining room table and for the every day miracle of being here, all the imperfection surrounded by beauty.