Dear all,

(The photo here is my current self looking at my younger self)

The very first question in the Torah comes from God, just after Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden fruit:

鈥淲here are you?鈥�

God isn鈥檛 asking for their location. God knows where they are.

The question is deeper:

顿辞听they聽know where they are鈥攕piritually, emotionally?

In that moment, they are hiding.

Not just behind trees鈥�

but behind fear, shame, and confusion.

And the truth is鈥攚e鈥檙e still answering that question.

Because Adam and Eve are us.

We move through our days so quickly that we rarely take a moment in time to ask:

鈥淲here am I?鈥�

So maybe we begin simply鈥攚ith presence. With the ability to say:

I am here.

I am here to listen.

I am here to be present.

I am here鈥攂ecause there is only one me.

And once we can say that, we can go further:

I am here to make a difference.

I am here to stand with you.

I am here to help make this world better.

God鈥檚 question still echoes:

鈥淲here are you?鈥�

Are you ready to answer?

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro