This summer I was able to see Phish in concert as they passed through the Philadelphia area amid their annual summer tour. To see Phish is something of a religious experience. First, you navigate a crowded parking lot, excitement building even hours before the show starts. The pilgrimage from the car to the venue is itself noteworthy, taking in the faces, walking amid the throng. We're never alone. Indeed, the holy day experience is meant to be entirely wrapped in community, a reminder of the love we have around us.
Before the concert begins, people find their way to their seats while shaking hands and hugging those not seen for months. With our holy days, after a long summer, we come back to ourselves and back to our heritage, and precisely when we need it most, as the incessant busy-ness of the year gets under way.
As the concert begins, we feel adrenaline, nostalgia, hope, as in worship. The concert brings jubilation and energy but also quiet and reflection, just like our services are meant to carry us carefully from place to place.
The concert ends and everyone feels a combination of relief and exhaustion, pride and renewal. The holy day season ends in similar fashion with levels of both spiritual fulfillment and emotional weariness.
As we prepare ourselves for the interactive concert that is our high holy days, I pray that you find time to let the music wash over you and, with that, the music of introspection, gratitude and faith. May we find meaning amid the precious melodies of our remarkable tradition.
Rabbi Benjamin David
(*This piece is being posted on a day when two different Elul Thoughts contributors are coming home from a weekend of seeing Phish together.)
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