Today's theme is Count, so I want to look at the traditional concept of cheshbon nefesh - literally, mathematics of the soul. It looks like I only wrote about this theme in 2013 and 2014 - I guess Rabbi Sommer does mix things up! When we are engaged in cheshbon nefesh, we are adding up … Continue reading #BlogElul 10 – Count
Category: Judaism
#BlogElul 9 – See
Judaism has a funny relationship with seeing. I've written about that in my previous three blog posts on this subject, here, here and here. The general idea is that our eyes will lead us astray, and we need help to stay on the straight and narrow. In particular, there was a concern that the colourful … Continue reading #BlogElul 9 – See
#BlogElul 8 – Hear
Today's word is Hear. I just went back and read the other three Hear posts, one about the still small voice, one about finding the writer's voice, and one about hearing voices of panic in my head when September hits ... that was last year. What do I want to write about this year? Maybe … Continue reading #BlogElul 8 – Hear
#BlogElul 7 – Be
I'm always curious about the methods that Rabbi Sommer uses to decide which word goes on which day. Some of it I'm sure is deliberately random, but on the other hand, if Be ended up on Shabbat just randomly, it was a very serendipitous chance. Shabbat, like no other day of the week, is a … Continue reading #BlogElul 7 – Be
#BlogElul 6 – Know
While thinking about what we know, I realise that we really don't have any objective measure for that. I'm not about to set myself up as a philosopher here, although I did have a lot of fun with philosophy in university. What I really mean is something simpler - we don't know what we don't … Continue reading #BlogElul 6 – Know
#BlogElul 5 – Accept
As many of you know, I've been living with a chronic disease since 1987. It has waxed and waned over the years, but it is not likely ever to be "cured". The best I can aim for is extended periods of remission, punctuated by uncomfortable flareups. The reason I am telling you this is not … Continue reading #BlogElul 5 – Accept
#BlogElul 4 – Understand
We think we understand things, but very often we are wrong. Reality is like the skins of an onion, there are always more layers underneath. Physical scientists understand this, they make models and theories but never (if they are wise) expect them to be perfect descriptions and explanations of what is really going on. The … Continue reading #BlogElul 4 – Understand
#BlogElul 3 – Search
Searching is something I've been doing my whole life. What do I want to be when I grow up? Where do I want to live? What kind of meaning do I want to give my life? Lots of searching. Some of these questions have been answered in ways that surprised me. I've been living in … Continue reading #BlogElul 3 – Search
#BlogElul 2 – Act
I've been procrastinating on writing this blog post, but now it is getting late, and if I'm not going to kill my series when it has barely started, it's time to act. I know why I've been procrastinating - I checked the last two blog posts (here and here) that I wrote on this subject, … Continue reading #BlogElul 2 – Act
#BlogElul 1 – Prepare
Today is the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul. If you've been following this blog for a while, you've seen quite a few versions of this post - the tentative first step, the beginning of the process. Today, for the first time this year, we heard the shofar blowing at morning minyan. Every … Continue reading #BlogElul 1 – Prepare