Rabbi Ron Segal
This week, the heavens offered an unexpected gift. On Tuesday evening, from coast to coast, people across the United States stepped outside, looked up, and gasped as the northern lights shimmered overhead – bands of violet, pink, red and green dancing across skies where such wonders rarely appear. For a brief moment, any worries, upset, or concerns with which we may be wrestling were illuminated instead by awe.
At a time when Jews in certain parts of our country and various parts of the world might be feeling particularly unsettled and uncertain, moments like these remind us that beauty still insists on being seen. The Northern Lights are a cosmic miracle, yes—but awe doesn’t require rare solar storms. It can arrive quietly: in the beautiful changing of the autumn leaves, in the innocent, unburdened laughter of children, in the familiar warmth of a partner’s or friend’s embrace after an emotional or trying moment in our lives.
The words of our morning liturgy include: “Mah rabu ma’asecha Adonai – How wondrous are Your works, Adonai.” The words serve as an invitation to notice, even in times of distress or alarm, and even if only for a moment, that the world still pulses with divine presence. Awe does not erase our troubles, but it can reorient and re-center us – lifting our eyes, softening our hearts, and reminding us that there is still holiness woven into the fabric of our days.
May we keep looking up, and around, and within. May we make room for wonder, wherever it finds us. And may the light – whether magically painting the night sky, or shining from one another – continue to guide us toward hope, gratitude, and peace.
Shabbat shalom
