This Year’s Theme
5769-5770 Theme
Our theme this year is Mahsh’pi’a, the Hebrew word that has come to mean to influence, to have an impact. Mahsh’pi’a has its roots in the biblical cognate shin-fey-ayin, which means to flow abundantly, to overflow, to stream forth. By medieval times, mahsh’pi’a came to describe how one emanates forth and, according to the Jewish mystics, how our very beings and every action influence the world at all times.
We know, now, that we are part of a larger moral universe of responsibility. As our awareness that we live in a global economy grows, we can not look past the acute imbalance of poverty and affluence. This understanding is a heavy burden to bear alone. It takes nothing less than an act of faith to overcome passivity and disempowerment. Let us, together, harness our abundant, overflowing influence and take action.