The 2014 / 5774 Return of "Return"

Follow our daily blog for the Hebrew month of Elul (August 27-September 24, 2014) as our clergy--and new this year, some of our members--share their insights on preparing our souls for the High Holidays.

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Consoling words, feelings...

The seven weeks leading up to Selichot (right before Rosh Hashanah) are called the Seven Weeks of Consolation.  According to Rabbi Hillel of Patrich, these seven weeks are linked to the seven emotions:

1. love
2. discipline
3. compassion
4. ambition
5. humility
6. bonding 
7. sovereignty

These are the feelings that offer us comfort and peacefulness. During these Seven Weeks of Consolation, we read the Haftarot (prophetic writings) from the writings of Isaiah, who offers words of hope and inspiration, such as, "Arise! Shine! For your light has arrived and the glory of God will be upon you." These  reassuring words could surely touch several of those emotions of R' Hillel, above.  

What words come to mind that you relate to the seven emotions?  

What instances in your life can you relate to the seven emotions? 

Is there a single event in your life that collects all or almost all of these emotions?

Understanding how we relate to the events is our lives, and knowing what makes us happy and being able to name it is a key to unlocking some of our baggage.  As Elul continues and we continue to unlock some of our pathways to self-understanding, we work in the lonely world of the self.  Know, however, that you are surrounded by a Congregation and people that embraces this discovery, and with that you are never alone. 

Extra food for thought: the first Torah portion read during Elul is Shoftim, the parashah that commands the creation of a justice system using a circuit of judges and consequences appropriate to the cause.  What do you make of Elul and a system of justice?  Interesting connections therein, for sure.

Lecha L'cha - Get going from within yourself...

We all know the verses from Genesis in which Abraham is instructed by God to "Lech L'cha," go from here, your land, your birthplace, the home of your parents and go to a land that I will show you.  When Abraham set out on the journey, he also took on great risk.  Ultimately, the "land" that God would show him wasn't just land like ground, but it was also that ability to look within and find trust and guidance.  

Abraham set out on this journey of self-discovery.  Simon Jacobson, in 60 Days: A Spiritual Guide to the High Holidays, writes: 

'Your land' represents the first level of subjectivity - the influence of society, community and peer pressure, which affect us in deep and profound ways.  We all want to be liked and accepted by others, and we adjust our behavior accordingly. 

The 'home of your parents' represents parental include, which can be so subtle that we don't even recognize it.  Often, we don't realize how deeply the attitudes of our parents permeate our own attitudes and behavior, for better and for worse. 

'Your birthplace' represents inherent self-love.  Each person is blinded by his or her selfish interests; no one is immune from that. 

Jacobson is not saying that we must ignore or reject the things that we've learned from our communities, our parents and ourselves - rather the opposite: to become aware of and in tune with these influences is the key to understanding their role in our lives in a conscious way.  

Jacobson suggests: 

Select one significant event of the past day and identify how your reactions and behaviors were shaped by the three levels of subjectivity named above.

We are all searching - for something.  Our searching is sacred, our discoveries are hopeful and healing. Elul is the time to take that sacredness and apply it to our hearts and minds.