Find yourself a rabbi,
acquire for yourself a friend,
and judge every person favorably.
– Pirkei Avot 1:6
Our Mishnah teaches that we need a rabbi. We need a rabbi to teach us and to guide us. We need a rabbi to carry us through tough times and to help us celebrate sacred times.
We need a rabbi at Temple Beth El to pastor our immense flock, to inspire us to create a better and brighter future, to develop a vision for where we want to go as a congregation and to help bring us there, to be a voice of social conscience, to lead our professional team, and to represent us on Shalom Park and in the broader community.
“Find yourself a rabbi,” the Mishnah teaches and we have done just that. We have found Rabbi Asher Knight as our next Temple Beth El Senior Rabbi.
Rabbi Knight has the qualities that we need to move us forward from strength to strength. He is skilled in relationship building and pastoral care. He will bring strong leadership to our bima. He is warm, collaborative, and innovative. He has been described as a “rising star” and will represent Temple Beth El well on Shalom Park, in Charlotte, and on the stage of our national Reform movement. He will take us where we want to go and where we need to go as we continue to build a dynamic, vibrant, inclusive and warm congregation.
While many translate the Mishnah as “find yourself a rabbi,” the literal translation is “make for yourself a rabbi.” Finding a great partner to lead us requires an active role on our behalf. As we enter into a covenantal relationship with Rabbi Knight we pray that we will be great partners.
We pray that, as in a marriage, we will build a relationship with Rabbi Knight based upon respect, trust, faith and love.
“Acquire for yourself a friend,” the second line of the Mishnah teaches. The word “friend” can also be translated as colleague.
On a personal level, I am excited about this new and esteemed colleague who will be leading Beth El and have high hopes for the friendship we can create. Rabbi Knight and his wife, Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, are both fun, kind, wise and good human beings. I look forward to getting to know them even better.
The last line of the Mishnah is also important: “Judge every person favorably.”
Speaking from experience, being a rabbi is not easy. Being a friend can be challenging at times, too. May we judge our leaders, our friends, our neighbors, and even ourselves in a positive light.
Mazel tov Temple Beth El.
Mazel tov Rabbi Asher Knight.
Mazel tov to our Jewish community and city of Charlotte.
We all are blessed.
