Movement for Reform Judaism Elul Thoughts



< source >

 Movement for Reform Judaism Elul Thoughts 2014

There is the tried-and-true Chassidic story of the notorious gossip sent out by his rabbi to empty out a down pillow case in the village square. As the tiny feathers dance in the wind beyond his grasp, the rabbi remarks that these represent the consequences of his thoughtless words.

It is a compelling story and as we move through Elul, we may resolve to be more careful with our speech. Intentions, however, still need to be grounded in practice. How to go about that in our fast-paced world where an inflammatory opinion is just one click away?

We have to reverse-engineer the scattering of our words. Can we find ways to make our voice meaningful, measured and compassionate? How can we control our reactions when a cauldron of emotions and opinions is poured over us daily in the media (social and traditional), in our communities and among our friends and family?

It is traditional to recite Psalm 27 during the month of Elul and reflect on its words. Psalm 27 addresses many timely (though challenging) themes: trusting in God, seeking the Divine Presence, walking a path of righteousness and finding support even when human relationships fall apart. But one of the more telling themes is how to react against hostility:

“Im tachaneh alai machaneh, lo yira libi – im takum alai milchamah, bezot ani boteach.”
“Even if the [army camp] encamps against me, I shall not have fear in my heart.
Even if they make war against me, even in this I will feel secure.” – Ps. 27:3

The psalmist exhorts us not to immediately strike out, even if we feel cornered. It is all too easy to lash out, to argue back, to let regretful words tumble from our lips. But Psalm 27 offers an alternative: to not be intimidated by tension and to hold fast to our own sense of dignity and security. Harsh words are often spoken from a place of insecurity. If we remember that we need not relinquish full control to external factors but that God is the guarantor of both our dignity and compassion, maybe then we can step back from heated argument and create a holy and reflective space where we can heed ourselves and hear the other.

Write that letter, email or Facebook post but save it in draft and revisit it the next day. Think about the power of saying, ‘I think this is hard for me to hear right now, can we talk about it another time when I’m feeling more calm?’ Such trust in ourselves and the values of our sacred tradition will continue to build a world of justice: word by word.

Shanah tovah u’metukah.
Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bit by Bit

Parashat Vayeitzeh, Human Rights Shabbat 2016 Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz Bit by Bit When Jacob left Beer-Sheva and journeyed towards Charan, he was truly and utterly free. Not even gravity could constrain him, as he laid his head to rest on a pillow of stone and dreamt of the angels ascending and descending the ‘sulam’, the ladder to the heavens. Jacob was on an intrepid adventure, a quest for liberation. He needed to get away from the limitations of his own upbringing and the mistakes that bound him to his past. In that freedom, he found vision in the night, courage in his fear. Yet, only a chapter later, he found himself in subjugation to his uncle Laban’s deception. Wanting to marry his cousin Rachel, the beautiful younger daughter, Laban contracted him to work for seven years before allowing him to marry her. The Torah tells us that Jacob agrees with the terms and conditions of this arrangement and narrates: ‘ Vayavod Ya’akov b’Rachel sheva shanim va’yihyu be’einav
Read more

Vrouwen en het Joodse gebed

Image
Tefillin leggen, 2007 - foto genomen voor Reliflex Dit artikel is in 2007 verschenen in Reliflex , de voorganger van Nieuw W!J. Vrouwen en het Joodse gebed Het religieuze jodendom steunt op twee gedachten. Enerzijds is iedere mens – man en vrouw – geschapen naar Gods beeld en dus gelijkwaardig. Anderzijds steunt het jodendom op verplichting. Deze twee concepten zijn van belang om de joodse eredienst te begrijpen. Elke jood – man of vrouw – kent de verplichting tot gebed. Maar deze verplichting kent in het traditionele jodendom een zwaardere rol toe aan mannen dan aan vrouwen. Mannen moeten drie maal daags bidden en bij het ochtendgebed een gebedsmantel met schouwdraden (talliet) dragen en gebedsriemen (tefilien) aanleggen. Vrouwen zijn van deze geboden vrijgesteld. De traditionele uitleg is dat vrouwen zorg voor huishouden en kinderen hebben en niet belast moeten worden met tijdsgebonden geboden die secuur uitgevoerd moeten worden. Een meer antropologische uitleg zou zijn dat het in e
Read more

Love is Stronger than Death

Sermon Chayyei Sarah 2017 Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz Love is Stronger than Death One of the most beautiful verses from Shir haShirim (Song of Songs) is ‘ ki azah chamavet ahavah ’ - ‘for love is stronger than death’ (8:6). I had been asked to attend a funeral of a local Lutheran Iowa woman as a proxy for her beloved grandson who is a dear friend of mine. The pastor, who had been a personal friend of the deceased, delivered a beautiful and heartfelt homily on her life, integrity and love of God. Being invited to witness this moment of transcendence and intimacy and supporting a mourning family was a privilege. As I sat in the pews something else struck me. This salt-of-the-earth Midwestern pastor, himself in his mid-eighties, spoke with great love and tenderness. For a man of his generation, speaking about tenderness, love and intimacy may not have been the cultural trope of his upbringing and I realized what a great gift our faith traditions give us:
Read more