Blog

Shalom Chaverim,

It’s hard to believe that Rosh Hashana 5786 is one month away! Soon, we’ll be focusing on getting the kids back to school, and trading our flipflops for regular shoes. It will also be time to start to think about the next Jewish New Year. But are you ready?  

For me, one of the best parts of Summer is the rain. I know it’s strange to say, especially after the abundance of rainy weekends we’ve had this year. Not only do I love the rain-I love it when it pours; The sheets of water coming down and making vision nearly impossible, the torrents making waterfalls of our stairs and driveways, the pools of water welling up in our driveways and backyards, the tiny streams that form, making rivulets in the dirt, and that feeling of being completely doused, our clothes soaked through. When it pours, I grab my bathing suit and rush out, letting the rain envelope me. Think of that scene from The Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne escapes from prison. It is experiencing the feelings of freedom, renewal, peace.

This evening marks the beginning of the month of Elul. We are a month away from the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days. Elul is a time when we take a deep look at ourselves, taking an accounting of our actions and failings of the past year. We call this Cheshbon Hanefesh, a recounting of our souls. Part of our Rosh Hashana tradition is to go to the river and throw bread into the moving water below. The ceremony of Tashlich symbolizes releasing our transgressions to the flowing river, cleansing our souls and starting anew. 

Judaism sees water as an element that is symbolic of spiritual transition. When people go to the Mikvah, they transition from the ordinary to a state of spiritual purity, very much like Havdalah, where we separate the sacred time of Shabbat from the rest of the week. 

There is a purifying moment when we recite the Vidui, the public and private Confession during Yom Kippur Services. The Vidui serves to purify our souls as we give voice to each of our transgressions. With each Ashamnu, we beat our hearts, loosening up and releasing those things that have weighed heavily on our souls and on our conscience. 

It is difficult to digest all of the concepts of the High Holy Days. Doing Teshuvah means asking forgiveness from God, asking forgiveness from others, being able to forgive others, and forgiving yourself. We need physical manifestations of concepts in order to help us to fully understand them. The month of Elul gives us time to deeply understand who we really are.

When the Summer sky opens up and rain gushes down from the Heavens, I imagine myself being washed clean in God’s Mikvah. With rolling thunder in the distance, it is as if Kol Haneshama, all the living things on earth proclaim that Elul is about to begin.

The next time you experience a downpour, listen closely; In between the raindrops, you may hear a still-small voice saying, Let the water take away your sins. Release your pain and let it wash away.

May the month of Elul release you like rain, as it has been doing for thousands of years. May The Eternal One’s Goodness wash over you. May we all feel refreshed and renewed.