Universal Oneness United Faith Canada

Operating as Universal Oneness Spiritual Center

RABBI’S WEEKLY MESSAGE

January 24, 2026

The plagues of life

Greetings friends
 
This week, we see International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  It is on January 27, commemorating the date the Soviet Army liberated the prisoners of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.  It is a shout through the echoes of time for us to remember, to talk about, and to teach those around us.  The further we get from it, the fewer survivors there will be, and my fear is that means we are getting closer to repeating it.  We must focus on education and teaching the youth about the reality of dehumanization.
The great scholar Joshua Heschel once wrote: Hitler and his followers came to power not with machine guns, but with words, and they did so with a debased view of human beings rooted in contempt for God.
How close are we to seeing this again?

We must focus on education and teaching the youth about the reality of dehumanization.
We must end the dehumanization of any and all people and the segregation and hatred.  It is not just a thing of the past.  What happened once can happen again and may be happening now.  We can stop it.
Unfortunately, I still remember only a few years ago when the only Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel was being banned in some communities—Maus by Art Spiegelman—telling the story of his father in concentration camps, with Jews depicted as mice and Nazis as cats, banned for having naked cartoon mice and using the phrase “god damn.” Well, God damn. 
 
One of the joys of freedom is the ability to discuss things we do not all agree with.  Censorship is becoming uglier and uglier, more and more restrictive, and more prevalent.  We no longer debate.  We cancel and censor.  Restrictive action does not contribute to that discussion, and removing important teaching aids like this is harmful.  Let us hope book banning ends, so discussion and education can reign.
If you do nothing more, at least light a candle to help elevate the souls of those and all victims of inhumanity.

Martin Luther King tried, and it was his day this past week, a truly great man, a visionary who 60 years ago said: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
 
We were so close, but now we are back to emphasizing color and differences, and do not seek for people to be equal.
 
And you might still be taking a moment to think about what you want for the year ahead.  If every day of every year is the same, you have only lived one day; there are 365 days in a year, 365 opportunities for you to shine, to live your life as you want and as it was meant to be.  How do you want to live it?
Maybe you want to ask for a dream of what you need to do, or maybe you want to make a list of goals for the year or maybe you want to do a vision board, a visual blueprint of your wants and needs in life that you can look on, meditate on, and move toward, and where you can easily go beyond the lines.
 
Last week G0d introduced himself to the world via the plagues of Egypt.  He had said how, when, why, and what, and none of it had to do with punishing the Egyptians for their treatment of anyone or for a world of slavery. But if you took a poll, almost everyone would say that was the reason.  And all these plagues are not long-ago events but current.   They still occur in our lives.  The first seven were presented, and I will remind you:
 
Blood contains the life force of man through which our souls, our ki, our nefesh, our ruach flows
Frogs are a nuisance
Lice are bloodsuckers and pests, and disturb
Beasts are the swarming mob that can sweep you up as either a victim or a member
Pestilence is a plague that kills and destroys the food supply, and has social implications
Boils is another form of disease, but this one brings discrimination because it is about what you see and judge
Hail was a destructive force that wiped out whatever food supply was left
 
This week, we see the next three, and to many, they are the true big three, although the ones from last week left Egypt bereft.

This week we have:
 Locusts – they bring devastation and contribute nothing.  They decimated anything that was left.
Darkness was such that it was palpable.  You could not see your hand in front of you.  Darkness brings fear because we cannot see.  Lighting a candle brings light and drives fear away.  This dark would not be stopped by a candle, and that kind of fear leaves you paralyzed and afraid to move.  This is the plague that probably affects people the most, still to this day.  How many of us still live in darkness?  What is it you refuse to see?  Do you fear the light because it hurts your eyes?  What can we each do to help bring more light to ourselves and to the world?  You can certainly start by bringing it into your own life, and when you do, help bring it to others.
And finally, there was the death of the firstborn – ma’kat bech’orot – purposed mass execution, not first-born Egyptians, first born in Egypt—for everyone who did not have the blood of the sacrifice on the doorposts and lintels, perhaps the vaccine passport of ancient times.
 
You can overcome all the plagues of life.  Continue to let the growing light into your lives because light gives us the ability to see, and when we can see, we need not be afraid. 
Keep practicing forgiveness. Use this time to continue to forgive those you need to forgive, and ask forgiveness from those you need to seek forgiveness from. Give thanks and celebrate your freedom and joy; do not succumb to fear, and please feel free to share this audio and video with anyone you think might enjoy it. And of course, enjoy all of our past audio and video episodes available on our YouTube channel.   This episode will be posted to our channel shortly. Click here to watch the Rabbi David Gellman Show in the 2026 cycle.
 
And if you are one of the people this was sent to by a friend and want to receive it yourself, let me know. I will add you to my mailing list.

Thank you all for allowing me into your homes, electronic devices, and into your hearts, as you are all with me in mine.
 
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, and 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 in doing so, be safe, my friends, be happy, and may you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace, love, and miracles, and make sure you also celebrate your unique individuality and your incredible awesomeness. 
And remember, your world is what you make it.  Just wish upon a star and continue to be a miracle in someone’s life and light the light of love.  May the year bring all your hopes, dreams, and wishes to fruition.
  
Blessings
 
 
RD
 

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