An article that I wrote for Kerema few years back, that helps get me in the mood of Yom Kippur:
My father hated Yom Kippur. With its somber atmosphere, minor key, and ritualized breast-beating regret, who could blame him? Although dad had long since traded the mumbled al heits and endless Mahzor of his East Coast youth for the high synagogue High Holy Days performed under the dome at our classical temple in South Texas, he had not grown to love the day any more. So perhaps it was fortuitous that his role as a physician sometimes called him away from the annual observances, in order to save a life.
As we embark on these Days of Awe, let me share some thoughts on making your Teshuvah (return, renewal) into a more nurturing and affirmative process. Thanks to Delaware Jewish Living for sharing (and beautifully presenting) my article on that theme, which you can read here (and be sure to “turn the page” with the arrows to read the whole piece):
Autumn Eye Candy (Rockefeller State Park Preserve), Photo: Julie H. Danan
We are in the midst of Elul, the Hebrew lunar month preceding Rosh Hashanah. Taking some time to prepare for the Days of Awe ahead can make our experience more meaningful and transformative. It’s a time for Heshbon HaNefesh, accounting of the soul. This personal stock-taking is a springboard for self-improvement and growth. You might ask yourself, journal, or discuss with a friend how you are doing in relationship to yourself, to your loved ones, community, and the larger world. A more modern version of this practice can be found with 10Q, an online program that sends you questions each day during the High Holiday season, then seals your answers away until next year when you can reread them and see how you have grown or changed.
There are also many seasonal customs offered by tradition, including making amends with people we may have wronged, sending Shanah Tovah greetings, giving extra tzedakah, Selichot services (many synagogues will hold late at night on September 9), reading Psalm 27 daily for confidence, and more. This is a traditional time to visit the graves of departed loved ones (or if that’s not available, taking time to remember them and do a mitzvah in their honor).
From the Nature Rabbi point of view, now is a great time to get “out into the field” to connect with the divinity and vitaility of life as the seasons turn.
It’s also traditional to hear the Shofar each weekday during the month of Elul, except the day before Rosh Hashanah (got to keep it fresh!). If you don’t have a shofar at home, you can use this recording that I made:
Another custom of this time is to begin wishing everyone a Shanah Tovah and that we may all be written and inscribed for a good year ahead! Sending that blessing to all of you!
I’m sharing the Invocation that I offered at Maritime Day 2023 in Lewes, Delaware. The Overfalls is a historic lightship lovingly restored by a large crew of volunteers, that has become a celebrated Delaware landmark. Lightships were like floating lighthouses that kept other ships safe by use of lights, horns and eventually radar. Read more about the amazing history here.
Wellsprings of Wisdom site has been down for a few weeks due to the presence of malware. Thanks to Shaun Leber (my web designer), it’s now cleaned up and back online. However, in the process, the site lost all posts and updates since March. I can’t replace them all but will be adding some new things soon. Stay tuned!
A new Jewish environmental organization, Adamah (meaning “land” ) has been built from the merger of two great organizations, the Jewish environmental powerhouse Hazon (previously merged with the Isabella Freedman retreat center) with Pearlstone retreat center. The mission of Adamah is to “build community and cultivate a more sustainable future through immersive experiences, inspiring programs, and collective action.” (more…)
Happy New Year of Trees, Tu Bishvat! The Torah compares a person to a tree! Trees are crucial to our survival and enjoyment of life on Earth, and we in turn can help trees by planting trees, saving forests, and caring for their environments.
Here are some favorite photos I took (back in New York state) of people interacting with trees.
In the book of Exodus that we are currently reading in the Torah in synagogues around the world, we grapple with the famous phrase that “The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh,” (Exodus 9:12). This creates a moral dilemma; how can we blame Pharaoh if God took away his free will? Scholars have pointed out that God only does this after Pharaoh hardens his own heart five times. (more…)
I recently got a great book in the mail, The Avian Rebbe Stretches His Wings. It’s the second in a series by bird photographer and Torah teacher/student, Aaric Eisenstein. known as the Avaian Rebbe for finding wisdom in the beauty of our feathered friends. The Talmud says that we can learn Torah from every creature, and Aaric brings this to life in his creative teachings.
Tikkun Hayam, Repair the Sea is a Jewish organization that I support, whose mission is “to share the spiritual wonders of water and the Sea from a Jewish perspective, and to raise awareness and encourage action to address the many threats facing the aquatic environment.” They teach and educate about the importance of water to all of life as well as Jewish tradition, and offer programs such as “Reverse Tashlich” beach cleanups, planting corals in Israel, and teaching scuba diving. (more…)
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