In the days leading up to the High Holy Days, it is customary to ask forgiveness of anyone we may have wronged. The idea is that any sins we have committed towards other people can only be forgiven by the injured party, not by G-d. It's an interesting concept. While other religions might view absolution … Continue reading #BlogElul 19 – Ask
Tag: Rabbi Phyllis Sommer
#BlogElul 18 – Pray
Another Shabbat post, written on Friday as part of the overall preparations - cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, writing blog posts. Doesn't everybody do that? So the verb of the day is Pray. Appropriate for Shabbat, of course, as we spend a good part of the day in shul, conversing with the Almighty. We use words … Continue reading #BlogElul 18 – Pray
#BlogElul 17 – Awaken
Since I don't have to get anybody out to school in the morning during the summer, I've been going to morning minyan more often. That means that I've been hearing the sound of the Shofar, as it is blown every morning during Elul, at the end of the morning service. What does the Shofar have … Continue reading #BlogElul 17 – Awaken
#BlogElul 16 – Change
As I mentioned yesterday, learning leads to change. Change is probably the scariest thing in the world, to many people. Others restlessly seek it out, bored with the everyday. What is it about change? The need for security and safety is very fundamental to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, just above such basics such as food … Continue reading #BlogElul 16 – Change
#BlogElul 15 – Learn
Oh my, Rabbi Sommer. I have so much to say about this, I don't know where to start. Learning is my absolutely favourite thing to do, and this High Holy Day season is no exception. We begin learning in the womb, when we become familiar with our mother's heartbeat and voice. If we're lucky, we … Continue reading #BlogElul 15 – Learn
#BlogElul 14 – Remember
One of the names of Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaZikaron, the Day of Remembrance. What is it that we need to remember during this time of year? Another name for the day (which is not called Rosh HaShanah anywhere in the Torah) is Yom Teru'ah, the day of shofar blowing. On Shabbat, we don't blow … Continue reading #BlogElul 14 – Remember
#BlogElul 13 – Forgive
Wow. Maybe it's time to accuse Rabbi Sommerย of some serious prescience. Not only is the transition from Trust to Forgive pretty darned seamless, I wrote a blog post about Not Doing Mean in between. I've posted many times on this blog about David Wood - in particular this post about kindness and forgiveness comes to … Continue reading #BlogElul 13 – Forgive
#BlogElul 12 – Trust
Trust is a fragile commodity. Hard to achieve, easy to lose. Where does trust come from, and how do we decide whom to trust? If we are to believe the psychologists, the stage for answering these questions is set at a very young age, in the relationship between a baby and its caregivers. That's a … Continue reading #BlogElul 12 – Trust
#BlogElul 11 – Count
Ah, here is another ambiguous keyword that can go in so many different directions. I feel like wrapping myself in a cloak and declaiming numbers in a fake Romanian accent. But no. Today - a different kind of counting. Ah-ha-ha-ha! In particular, I want to talk about making your life count. So many of us … Continue reading #BlogElul 11 – Count
#BlogElul 10 – See
It is a truism in everyday life that "seeing is believing". It is a deep reason for the creation of idols and icons, as people have done since time immemorial. But Judaism is completely opposed to it, as is its younger cousin, Islam. Everyone has heard of the Second Commandment: ื ืึนื-ืชึทืขึฒืฉึถืื ืึฐืึธ ืคึถืกึถื, ืึฐืึธื-ืชึฐึผืืึผื ึธื, … Continue reading #BlogElul 10 – See