About.
“It’s not in the sky… it’s in your heart.” – Devarim 30
These words mean so much to me. They are a reminder that our spiritual birthright is not ‘in the sky’ – out of reach, beyond our understanding, made for some heavenly realm. Rather, the Torah, its wisdom, its way of life is accessible to each one of us, right here, right now.
It is the Divine blueprint for creating a better world. For living a better life. For being the best version of ourselves.
In my role as a husband and father, as a chief rabbi and teacher, its Divine wisdom has guided me. It has been the blueprint for my life, for all my teaching and projects. I’ve felt its impact at every moment, at every stage of my life. It’s not theoretical. This wisdom is relevant to everyday life. It teaches us how to live, today and tomorrow, from one moment to the next. It builds us. It enriches us. It becomes part of who we are – and who we aspire to be.
And it belongs to us all.
It “speaks in the language of tomorrow”. It gives us a Divine formula for finding happiness, connection, identity, meaning – in every generation. For us – and for our children – it offers the promise of a better world.
It’s not in the sky. It’s right here.
I invite you to learn with me.
Affectionately known as “Chief”, Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein has served as South Africa’s Chief Rabbi since 2005, is a qualified dayan, and a senior member of the National Religious Leaders Council of South Africa. The Chief Rabbi has a PhD in human rights and constitutional law, and is a published author of five books, the most recent of which is Shabbat. A Day to Create Yourself.
Rabbi Goldstein has been described as a “social entrepreneur” by the Jerusalem Post and featured on its list of the “50 Most Influential Jews” on the basis of an array of unique initiatives that he has launched and led, the most well-known of which is the global Shabbat Project, an international grassroots movement that has spread to more than 1,500 cities and 100 countries around the world.