Elul 19-20 5781

 Elul 19-20, 5781/August 27-28, 2021

Every Friday we send a double portion of Elul Thoughts so that those who choose not to be on the internet over Shabbat can read Saturday’s offering in advance. Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Simone Schicker

In the first chapter of Joshua, God says to Joshua “I charge you: Be strong and resolute; do not be terrified or dismayed, for Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.”

This is the message we were given upon entering the Promised Land. That wherever we go God is with us. This is the message I fall back upon when struggling with transition. Transition is often hard, transition is often unwanted, even when needed, and transition too often leaves someone behind. If we take the charge God gives Joshua, we can learn that even when we have to transition, we can continue to hold onto those people and things in our lives that bring us comfort, support and hope.

We can hold onto the lessons of our ancestors, while transitioning to a more accepting and welcoming community. We can hold our deepest truths, and learn a new way of interpretation and understanding. Transitioning does not mean we leave behind the good but rather that we grow through our interactions and experiences for the betterment of ourselves, our families and our communities.

God is with us, in the good times and the bad. As we work through this moment of transition, as we move from summer to fall, from one year to another, may we continue to hold tight to the aspects of ourselves that make us who we are. May we continue to transition throughout our lives with the guidance and support of our tradition.

Rabbi Cassi Kail

I had never seen my son as happy or proud as the moment he completed the Harry Potter series. For six months, he had devoted time every day to the story of a young wizard coming into his own. He had grown as a reader and learned just how capable he was of reaching his goals.

His delight was palpable as I tucked him in that night; it lasted just fifteen minutes.  Suddenly I heard crying coming from his room. They were not soft sobs but loud expressions of pain and distress. “What’s going on, buddy?” I asked him.  He could scarcely get out the words. “I finished the books.” he whimpered. “I am done. “What do I read now?”

For half of a year, he spent every spare moment reading.  He was not ready for the experience to be over or for a new one to begin. He was in the in-between, and he found it rather unsettling.

Consistent routines are comfortable, but transitional moments define us. Rabbis teach that prayers are more likely to be heard at twilight and sunset, the in-between moments of our days. These moments of pause give us room to reflect on our past while envisioning our futures. They implore us to embrace the endless possibilities and take responsibility for the next step in our journey.

The rabbis were wise to expand upon and bring holiness into two small moments of transition. Like pianist Arthur Schnabel, they recognized that “the pauses between the notes…is where the art resides.”

“What now?” expressed my son’s disbelief that he would enjoy anything as much as Harry Potter. When he took time to see the moment as an opportunity to explore and consider what he loved, he found new passions and opportunities to grow. So, I pray will we, as we prepare to enter a new year.