Peace that comes with starting anew

By Board of Directors, Congregation Beth Shalom

August 11, 2010

As this edition of the Jewish Post & Opinion goes to press, the Hebrew month of Elul begins, the last four weeks before the Days of Awe come sneaking up on us, usually all too soon. We are rarely ready for the moment the Rosh Hashanah service begins.

Our tradition recognizes just how easy it is to lose track of time. The Hebrew calendar is chock full of reminders of personal and communal cycles – seasonal celebrations, the set schedule for Torah reading, and the annual process for introspection, atonement, and forgiveness.

Elul – closely related to the word “search” in Aramaic – is the month that eases us slowly into what lies ahead.

Whether we understand the High Holy days literally as our opportunity to be sealed in the Book of Life for another year, or metaphorically as the moment we consider what we have written and sealed for ourselves, the practice of looking inward, backward, and forward all at once is a powerful – and often overwhelming – one.

How do we prepare for this experience? From the first day of Elul until the last, we strive to hear the sound of one shofar blast each morning. The horn seems to say Start paying attention! Don’t ignore your life! It’s not too late! It is also customary to recite Psalm 27, which contains the phrase “One thing I ask of God, one thing I seek: to live in the house of God all the days of my life.”

Awakening. Drawing close. Taking stock. This is what we are meant to do in Elul. Last week, Congregation Beth Shalom’s Board of Directors met in retreat to consider some of the ways we could move forward in the coming year, but first we began with a list of our blessings. What makes our congregation special? From what do we draw inspiration and pleasure?

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