Elul 25, 5781/September 2, 2021
Rabbi Alan Cook
In 1991, Transitions brand adaptive eyeglasses were introduced to the market. They were designed to make it more comfortable for glasses wearers to move from bright outdoor sunlight into gentler indoor lighting (and vice-versa) by quickly darkening or lightening as needed.
These lenses capitalize upon the physical properties of the plastic from which they are constructed in order to quickly change. In our lives, we are not always so agile when it comes to adaptation. A disruption in our routine, a change in expected norms, can be tremendously upsetting.
Perhaps this is why the rabbis ordained that we spend the month of Elul in contemplation and preparation for the majesty and splendor of the High Holy Days: they understood that suddenly being summoned to stand before the Divine throne or being asked to enter into teshuvah without full contemplation of our past missteps might be too awe-full for us to bear. Hearing the sound of the shofar, being attuned to changing melodies in our liturgy, seeing the Torah covers change to white, engaging in mindful contemplation all can help to smooth the transition into a new year so that the moment is not disjunctive from past experiences, but rather a meaningful continuation of this wonderful mystery we call life.
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