On Simchat Torah, the celebration of the completion of the yearly cycle of reading from the Torah, Jews march and dance around the synagogue carrying the Torah scroll. And then, as part of the joyful celebration, they start the cycle of reading over again: B’reshit…In the beginning…
What is ending in your life? How might that ending bring a joyful beginning?
For Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, Jews build a flimsy structure that is permeable enough to the outside that you can see the stars through the roof. Throughout the eight-day holiday the faithful eat, hang out, or even sleep in this fragile, leafy hut.
This week, how will you allow yourself to be open and vulnerable to the world around you?
Today, Yom Kippur, Jews around the world will ask in worship for forgiveness—not for theological sins such as disbelief, but for ways in which each person and the community as a whole have failed to hold to the highest ethical standards of honesty and compassion.
What would it look like to atone for the ways in which you have failed to live up to your best self?
L’shana tova! Today is Rosh Hashana, the first day of the new year in the Jewish calendar. It marks the beginning of ten Days of Turning, during which Jews are expected to examine their lives and make amends for any damaged relationships.
Who might you apologize to, what relationship might you mend in the course of these ten days?
