Rabbi Ben David
Swimming is all about transitions. You transition from outside to inside the pool. You transition from the warmth of the air above to the coolness of the water. You transition, stroke by stroke, kick by kick, from one wall to the other.
I watched recently, on a Shabbat afternoon in Jerusalem, as a woman swam gradually to the waiting wall as she completed another length. Her movements were measured and careful. It was clear she had been swimming for years. As she approached the wall, though she couldn’t see them at first, there were a handful of teens blocking her way. Would they move? Would her momentum be interrupted? At the last possible second, they parted and created space for her. She touched the wall, turned around, and continued back down the pool.
These holy days are about making space. We make space for others. We make space for reflection, for atonement, for quiet. During this time of year, as we swim from one year into the next, we are called on to make space for a better self, more forgiving, more empathic, more patient. We make space for the various transitions happening around us, from weather to busier schedules, to a place of newfound hope.
I pray that this coming year, length by length, brings us all a greater sense of peace and faith. May we love and be loved and remember to keep swimming.
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