It’s a rarity, but this past weekend the Bobcats finally played on Saturday night, after Shabbos, so with Randy’s kindness I was able to take Menny to his, and mine, first college football game with awesome seats in row five near the forty-yard line. Menny was in heaven, it was an experience of a lifetime and putting my personal thoughts on American sports aside for a moment, I observed something inspiring. Passion. Enthusiasm. Devotion. Unity. Old and young, natives and newcomers, rich and poor, white and black, Jewish and Christian, sober and inebriated, everyone in attendance, some 20,000 people, were focused on their team, on sportsmanship, on success.

In this week’s Torah portion, Toldos, we read about the birth of twin brothers Esau and Jacob. Jacob is the good kid who isn’t attracted to “no no’s” and who finds delight in service of G-d and humanity, while Esau obsesses with physicality and materialism, is eager to fulfil all his temptations, and vanity is his way of life. Yet, despite his choices, Esau’s core was connected to worldliness not just for pleasure and instant gratification, but rather it was an inner yearning to face the temptation, recognize their fallacy, and resist. Sadly, his passion played out differently and instead of resisting, he surrendered until the desires owned him. In the process he reminded us that we mustn’t run away from passion, seeking a cold ascetic life; we just must learn the art of self-control and refinement, channeling it for the good.

As I looked around the stadium, I was happy to see the passion and excitement. On a Saturday night, instead of sitting at home watching divisive political pundits, instead of hanging out at a bar potentially behaving inappropriately, instead of scrolling on social media endlessly invoking hatred, envy and anger, these fine Americans came together with joy to support their team, root for them until midnight, and do so with a sense of community that is laudable. While I don’t get the whole four-hours on a bench with no seatback screaming at a referee who can’t hear you, it sure seems like sports brings out a positive vibe for America, and I am all for it.‍

Go Cats!‍

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

Amid a week of Mikvah renovations/remodel, thirty students attending the JLI course on “Kabbalah of Meaning”, Chavie hosting a women’s event at Art on Fire, getting to see the Northern Lights while on our back porch, and adding Mezuzos to three new homes in Bozeman and Big Sky, I got word that my dear friend, Alan Abrahamson, Moishele, passed away. His first email to me in 2011 stated “Living near Missoula, Chabad in Bozeman means nothing to me, and offers me nothing.  Instead, you try to milk people who are trying to make it day to day...”, a few months later he attended a Shabbaton we hosted in Gardiner and wrote “I will not try to find the words to tell you how much this last weekend has meant to me...to my heart…”.

We became good friends and spent hundreds of hours in Torah study and discussion.

In this week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah, we read about Eliezer, Abraham’s confidant, finding Rebecca, the perfect wife for Isaac. The Midrash tells us that as the daughter of Bethuel and sister of Laban, Rebecca was like a “rose plucked from among the thorns”, because she lived ethically, morally and kindly, though her surroundings were anything but. She didn’t have a good education, she didn’t have foundational support, but she followed her soul, her gut, and chose a life of goodness, despite the challenge of doing so in an unhealthy, G-dless, community.

Alan had a severely traumatic childhood. He experienced unfathomable things and struggled with substance abuse almost his entire life. Yet, he never stopped trying to do better, to be better. He succeeded at NA and AA, he was a great husband to Bonnie, fell back in love with Judaism, and despite arguing with me about Israeli policy even just two weeks ago, he was a rose that grew in beauty despite his thorny upbringing. As an attorney he fought for those wrongfully incarcerated, he helped veterans in Missoula, and he loved spending time at Missoula’s Chabad Jewish Center with Rabbi Chezky and Rochi Vogel. Enjoy heaven my dear friend; we will never forget you, our dear Moshe Ben Yosef HaLevi (If you’d like to sponsor the memorial plaque for him at the Shul, please let me know).

Don’t let the thorns define you!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!