An important idea for us to remember on Shabbat concerns global warming: they say the only reason why the city of New York is livable, despite the terrible things going into the air, is because the trees of Central Park have the ability to clean the air. I was thinking about this yesterday, certainly for those of us making the connection of Shabbat Noach. Why is it so important for us, a few hundred people, or even just one person? Why is it important to connect to the Light of Shabbat and to grow every week?

Then I understood that every one of us are like the trees in Central Park. When we not only connect, but every week strengthen our connection, we are literally taking the chaos and pain in this world, and through the greater connection we are dampening it or removing it.

When we come to Shabbat, we receive a certain level of the tremendous Light available in this 25 hours. But we are not doing it for ourselves. The gift of Shabbat gives us the ability to take in a little of the pain in this world and transform it. The mercy that comes on this Shabbat is that everyone of us is a channel to act like the trees in Central Park, to take some of that chaos, that darkness, and literally transform it.

It changes our experience of Shabbat from one that is personal to one that is global, one that is more sharing. We know that our connection to the reading is not only to influence ourselves, but also to be the machines that influence the world, taking the chaos and transforming it into Light.