Charlie and I love the music at Central Synagogue, so for the past few weeks we’ve been streaming their services, which are chock full of wonderful song.
This past Saturday a young boy had his bar mitzvah, and a young girl her bat mitzvah.
After all of the readings and the mini-sermons by the two, they were asked to stand in front of the ark, so that the rabbis and the congregation could bless them. What they sang was God’s word to Abram: “Go forth to a land that I will show you, to a place you do not know. I will make your name great and you shall be a blessing; go forth!” One of the rabbis translated the Hebrew very literally: “Go forth with yourself,” meaning “Go forth with the gift that is in you.” I thought that after the Angel Gabriel had left Mary, perhaps this is what God said to her: “Go forth with the gift that is in you to a place you do not know,” “to a land that I will show you.” “I will bless you, and you will be a blessing”.
Isn’t this what we are invited to do every day, and especially in a time of waiting for something we do not know?
Here is the song that the whole congregation including all the clergy sang to those two young people. Perhaps someone is singing it to us as well.
Shared by Karen Gourgey
2 responses to “Go Forth with Yourself”
Karen, what a beautiful song and inspiring blog. May you be blessed as you also go forth daily with the gifts God has given you.
Dear Karen, thank you for sharing such a beautiful story, with such wise insight. I love the point of going forth with your God-given gifts, assuring us we are never alone. God bless you!