Elul 13 and 14/August 28 and 29

Looking Within

People are accustomed to looking at the Heavens and wondering what happens there.  It
would be better if they would look within themselves to see what happens there.
Rabbi Menachem Mendl of Kotsk

The word “to pray” in Hebrew is lehit’palel.  Typically we think of prayer like
Rabbi Menachem Mendl of Kotsk refers to in his first statement.  We think of it as
outpouring—calling out to God, often unanswered.  The form of lehit’palel, however, is
reflexive, meaning there is a give and take implied within the verb itself.  “To pray” in
Hebrew is to look inward, to receive as well as to pour out.

From the Narrows

In distress I called on Adonai, who answered me and brought me relief.

Psalm 118:5  

This Psalm reminds me of blowing the shofar as we do every morning during the month of Elul.  A literal translation of this verse could be, “From the narrow place I called to God; God answered me with great wideness.”
A shofar starts with a narrow place, a tiny mouthpiece through which we blow as much air as we can muster.  It isn’t easy, but when done properly we can produce a chilling melody from the end, the wide expanse that channels the sound to our ears.

When we call out to God in our distress during the High Holy Days, we often feel  squeezed, stuck, and unable to move.  When God brings us comfort we feel great relief, as if we are in a wide expanse, and free.  When we hear the shofar’s loud, bleating note ringing in our ears, we know that the time approaches when we will call out to Adonai and hopefully be granted relief.