RABBI MATAN PELED

Shabbat Shalom שבת שלום

חַֽסְדֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ {ס}
ח The kindness of GOD has not ended,
And God’s mercies are not spent.
חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
They are renewed every morning—
Ample is Your grace!

Lamentations 3:23-24 איכה

שבת שלום!

Feeling blessed and excited to share that on July 31st, I will begin serving as the rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Massachusetts.

From my very first interactions, I have experienced Temple Ner Tamid as a warm, caring, and welcoming community. I am honored to become part of this wonderful mishpachah (משפחה) - a true family.

I look forward to building meaningful relationships, celebrating joyful moments, supporting one another through life’s challenges, and growing together in Torah, community, and compassion.

Shabbat Shalom!

Happy Birthday to the United States of America!
מזל טוב Mazal Tov!

שבת שלום Shabbat Shalom

Yom Av Sameach! יום אב שמח - Happy Father’s Day!

Thank you to all of the superhero dads out there 🙂

שבת שלום Shabbat Shalom

Hannah’s Shabbat Dress by Yizhak Damiel:

There was once a little girl named Hanna. Her mother made her a white Sabbath dress. Hanna couldn’t wait to wear it. On Friday afternoon, she took a bath and then put on her new dress. It was beautiful. Hanna was very happy. Her mother was happy, too.

Then Hanna went outside. Just past the gate her dog, Zuzi ran up and barked.

“Look, Zuzi, look at the new Shabbos dress Mama made for me! You’ll get my dress dirty.”

She went a little farther and met Edna, her cow, but she wouldn’t let Edna get near her: “No, no, Edna. You’ll get my dress dirty.”

She walked a little farther. Just as she turned around to go back home, she saw a man coming out of the forest.

The man stopped and took a heavy sack off his back. Then he sat down to rest. As Hanna came closed, she saw that he was an old man. He was covered with sweat.

She looked at him and asked, “Are you tired?”

“Yes,” said the old man. “I’ve been in the forest since sunrise making charcoal.”

“See my new dress?” asked Hanna. “It’s my Sabbath dress. My mother made it for me.”

“It’s very nice,” said the old man.

“Thank you.”

The man sat a little longer and then he stood up.

“The sun has almost set,” he said. “The Sabbath is near and I must be on my way.” Then he put the sack of charcoal on his back and started off with slow, heavy steps.

Hanna saw how his back bent under the load and ran up to him. “Can I help you?” she asked.

The man smiled. “That’s very kind of you, little girl.”

So Hanna walked behind him, with her arms stretched up high, to help hold up the heavy sack.

They walked along, talking together, for a while. Then the man stopped. “That’s enough for now,” he said. “You’re a good girl, but it’s time you went home.”

So Hanna turned and skipped happily down the road until …

She looked down at her new Sabbath dress. But what is this? There is a black spot here, another there – and another.

Hanna’s dress was covered with black stains from the charcoal-maker’s sack. The dress was ruined, and on the very first day she wore it!

Hanna burst into tears.

When twilight fell, Hanna was still sitting on a rock, all alone in the field, sobbing bitterly.

The moon looked down and whispered in a voice that only Hanna could hear. “What happened, child? Why are you crying?”

Hanna could barely speak. She pointed to the black spots on her new dress. “Look, Moon,” she sobbed, “my Sabbath dress!”

The moon looked. And then he asked, in a voice that only Hanna could hear, “Are you sorry that you helped the old man?”

“Oh no, no. I’m not sorry at all. But the dress, my white Sabbath dress … my mother …”

“Don’t cry, child. Go home now and don’t worry about your dress. All will be well.”

So Hanna started home. As she walked along, the moon followed her. Moonbeams flooded down and touched the dress. Every black spot became a tiny bead of light. Soon Hanna’s dress sparkled and glittered. It glowed like the purest silver.

On her way, she met her mother. “Who is this?” her mother asked.

“It’s Hanna, Mama! Don’t you recognize me?”

Hanna laughed as she ran into her mother’s arms.

As they walked home, Hanna told her mother everything that happened.

Then they went inside.

And the whole room filled with light – the light of Hanna’s Sabbath dress.

Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption.
Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel.
Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory.

Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.