2025

In Parshat Vayishlach, Jacob stands on the threshold of confronting his brother Esau. Before the encounter, he wrestles — literally — with a mysterious figure, often understood as an angel, or perhaps as his own conscience. This struggle is more than physical; it is a night-long internal conversation, a reckoning with fears, past choices, and identity. Jacob emerges transformed, receiving a new name, Israel, and a renewed sense of purpose.

The lesson is subtle but profound: true growth often begins not by abandoning the familiar, but by engaging it differently. Jacob wrestled with what he knew — his patterns, fears, and history — and through that engagement, he was changed. Sometimes transformation comes not from discarding what is comfortable, but from letting it meet the divine in unexpected ways.

This theme comes alive at Temple Beth Shira’s Beatles Shabbat on Friday, December 5. Familiar melodies — songs we know by heart — are paired with traditional Hebrew and sometimes playful parody lyrics in English that recast them as prayer. Singing these familiar songs with fresh words reminds us that prayer can transform what we think we know: the melody invites comfort, the words call us to reflection, and together they open a space for connection with the sacred.

Like Jacob, we are invited to wrestle — with our habits, assumptions, and memories — discovering the divine in the midst of the struggle. Music mirrors that process, blending comfort with surprise, and inviting prayer and reflection that are both joyful and meaningful.

Join Temple Beth Shira at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Shalom in Century Village, Boca Raton (19140 Lyons Rd). An optional kosher dinner is available for $36 per person; reservations must be received by November 28. For more information, contact Carmen Cunha at CarmenC@templebethshira.org or 561-912-1453.