Rabbi Konigsburg's Blog

Reflecting on my adult life, I can recall only one Friday evening when I ate Shabbat dinner alone (which is remarkable when I stop to think about it). This occurred during my gap year in Israel, prior to college. My dinner plans had unexpectedly fallen through, leaving me alone for the shabbat meal. I performed Kiddush and Hamotzi and dined on my special shabbat dinner solo. While solitude can certainly be a positive experience, this one leaned more towards the negative. It wasn't that I felt depressed or isolated; rather, the meal felt strangely ordinary and boring. In fact, it was likely the fastest Shabbat dinner of my life. Unburdened by the pleasant distractions of conversation, I devoured my meal in a mere fifteen minutes. In retrospect, this solitary Shabbat dinner was unremarkable and hardly worth mentioning, so now I hopefully can justify why I am mentioning it at all!

In this week’s Torah portion, we are introduced to a new lead character: Moses. After his basket-boat escape down the Nile, his royal rescue, and his princely upbringing in Pharaoh’s house, Moses kills an Egyptian and is forced to flee Egypt. He departs alone, directionless, into the unknown. Either by chance or a divine plan, Moses ends up in Midian and catches his breath by a well where encounters the daughters of Yitro, the priest of Midian, who are tending their father’s flocks. However, the women are being harassed by other shepherds, and Moses intervenes to protect them. Feeling grateful, the women return home, recounting the day’s events to their father. He replies “Where is he then? Why did you leave the man? Ask him in to break bread!” (Exodus 2:20). Yitro's questions seemingly demonstrate a deeply ingrained assumption that it is good to break bread with others. Not only is such a hero worthy of being rewarded with a hot meal and company, but it is also not good to leave that person alone! I hear the cries of injustice in his questions, that his daughters allowed such circumstances to transpire.

At the end of this month (Friday, January 31st), the Atlanta Jewish community is focusing on Yitro's question. Jewish organizations are helping organize Shabbat dinners across the metro area to bring people together to deepen relationships, and to break bread together. The initiative is aptly named "Shabbat Across Atlanta." Whether people or families are alone because they are strangers in a new land, or because the demands of life have inhibited them from finding opportunities to foster connections, the Atlanta Jewish community is collectively saying, "Come break bread with us." As Yitro's questions teach us, there is something special about an intentional Shabbat meal with guests, which has the potential to elevate a perfunctory meal into one that is imbued with meaning and spirituality. Please consider hosting a meal, inviting your friends, and being part of this effort to bring Shabbat to more people. If you are interested in signing up, or if you are looking for a meal, please be in contact with Valerie Chambers – we'd love to have you as part of the initiative.

Shabbat shalom