Home

A recent article in the Washington Post noted that more people are staying at home—and that’s not always a good thing, as it can lead to loneliness, reduced exercise, and less socializing. There’s an easy solution. Live near a shul! Regular, meaningful community interaction to which you walk. But there’s also a lot to say about what we do at home.

This week’s Parsha brings us the Ten Commandments and the Shema. A careful reading reveals that the Shema is a direct response and affirmation of the Ten Commandments, our covenantal foundations. After God’s name, the most repeated significant word in the Shema is beit—home. “Speak these words when you are sitting at home… Write them on the doorposts of your house…”

A Jewish home is not just a place to live—it’s a place filled with faith, conversation about God, and constant engagement with Torah. When these become the anchor of home life, the home itself becomes a healthy sanctuary.

There’s an old saying: A Jew falls asleep with a sefer (a Torah book). Today, we’re more likely to fall asleep over Netflix. The Shema calls us back—to build homes where God’s words are not background noise, but the very soundtrack of our lives.

Shabbat Shalom.