Elul 2, 5781/August 10, 2021
Rabbi Brad Levenberg
Our most impactful Jewish moments occur during the period known as bein hashmashot, or twilight. It is twilight when we kindle our Shabbat candles, indicating that the Sabbath is about to begin, and it is at twilight that we prepare for our Havdalah ritual where we prepare to sunset the sacredness of Shabbat and embrace the sacredness of the week to come. Twilight brings about our most celebrated Jewish holidays and prepares us for our days of holy days devoted to mourning. Neither day nor night, twilight, that in-between time, that time of transition, delights our souls with anticipation.
These days of Elul are also days of twilight. Preparing as we are for the close of one year and the start of the next, we transition from yesterday to tomorrow, from memory to hope. May these days of transition, informed by our experiences of the past, make our hearts flutter at the possibilities of unwritten tomorrows.
I am so glad to welcome these meditations each day. Last year's experience was such a gift! I loved Rabbi Brad's phrase today about how we "sunset the sacredness of Shabbat and embrace the sacredness of the week to come." In the days ahead, I pray for eyes to recognize those sacred moments that transform even the most mundane places into holy ground.
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