RABBI'S WEEKLY MESSAGE - Universal Oneness United Faith Canada

May 17, 2025

The holiness code

Greetings friends

What a month May is.

It began with birthdays galore. I would bet anything that Brett, Snoopy, Oafie, and my personal fairy godmother Lianne all had great birthdays; we had Star Wars Day and, of course, Cinco de Mayo, a made-up holiday that signifies nothing truly important, but a holiday is a holiday. And all that was before we celebrated the greatest woman of all—Mother.

You know, every day should be Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as it honors the root of where you come from. I know this may not be politically correct, but it honors the source of male and female energy, which gave rise to creation from G0d, and that so often represents science and art, thoughts, feelings, and the opposites of life that keep us in balance.

This week is the second-to-last reading of the Book of the Priests, and it covers much of what we saw before, as it reminds us of the fixed day celebrations. There aren’t that many, but they are all important, and the one we have made the most important of all is the one centered on forgiveness.

That is not a Jewish thing. It is found in cultures all over the world, like the Hawaiian forgiveness ritual of Ho’oponopono, based on four pillars or steps. It is individual and does not require anyone to be there because you can say the words in your mind. The power comes from feeling and the willingness to love and to forgive. What is more important than those two powers?

And we have talked about these same steps in different processes.

You have to express that you are sorry and feel repentance; you have to ask forgiveness; you have to express gratitude as simply as saying “thank you” and express love as simply as saying “I love you.” All these are internal processes that you can all do right now. All these are steps you take on Yom Kippur. All these are part of the forgiveness mechanism built into every one of you, as demonstrated so beautifully by Esau and by Yosef.

This week we are also reminded that words have weight. There are consequences to what we say and that is a very powerful word.

Say—what a word. It covers the past, present, and future; it helps define what was, is, and could be. By what we say, we are in the process of expressing hopes, dreams, and wishes; it provides our immediate means of expression of love, hate, truth, and lies.

The way you speak to yourself matters. It determines your behaviors, your beliefs, your successes, and your failures. Listen to your voice instead of the noise of the world. You know what you want; let no one decide that for you.

What you say to yourself creates new possibilities.

And remember, you are holy simply because G0d is holy. We are made from G0d, and each and every one of us contains the G0d gene within.

This small reading is known as The Holiness Code. It reminds us that the priest is special. He is to be perfect, like the sacrifices he oversees, and he is to be married, like the Sabbath – forever seen as the marriage between G0d and the people. And we get a reminder of the appointed times—the holiday times, the holy day times when we are honoring G0d and expressing our gratitude.

We have tainted the word “holiday” and it has taken a new meaning. To understand these fixed days of G0d, change the “i” to “y.”

It is not a holiday, but a holy day.

Being thankful, kind, forgiving, and observant of G0d’s few dates does not take a lot of effort and reminds us to be as pure as possible in our own lives.

This furthers the great learning from last week—that we are all connected and so we need to love our neighbor as ourselves. Remember, it is not selfish. You cannot love another unless and until you do learn to love you, honor you, forgive you.

This episode will be posted on our channel, where you can see all our past shows. Click here to watch the Rabbi David Gellman Show in the 2025 cycle.

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Be well, be happy, be healthy, be free, be kind, be forgiving, be compassionate, be independent of mind and deed, be mindful of your intentions, and be good to yourself. Continue to celebrate freedom of choice in your life, and do not give in to the fear that is so prevalent. Enjoy the peace that comes from acceptance. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or just want to say “hi,” please send me an email. I love hearing from you.

Remember, anytime you do not want to receive these anymore, please send me an email so I can remove you. And know that I truly appreciate you sharing your sacred time with me.

Enjoy and celebrate your life and the lives of others, and be happy in doing so. May you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace, love, and miracles. Make sure you also celebrate your unique individuality and your incredible awesomeness.

Continue celebrating love; continue celebrating freedom; send renewal and goodwill out to everyone in the world. It is an energy that cannot be stopped. Be a growing beacon of light and remember, your world is what you make it. Just wish upon a star, continue to be a miracle in someone’s life, and light the light of love.

Blessings

www.rabbidavidgellman.com

Respecting our past; Putting faith in your future.

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