Holding Ourselves Upright

Dear friends,

One can learn from the smallest of details. As I was preparing this message, I attempted to diminish the photo of myself (above). If I diminished the photo too much, it flipped and showed upside down. What occurred to me in that moment was a lesson in being careful to not diminish ourselves too much. That even in this season where we are so conscious of our past failings, we need to hold ourselves upright with the dignity of good intentions, our sense of integrity and the balance that comes from standing with and beside each other. If we don’t hold ourselves upright in the fullness of our being the world may suddenly appear upside down.

This is a very special week in our calendar – the week before the joy of Rosh Hashanah and the deeper, greater joy of Yom Kippur. It is not a week for castigation, but a week of deep contemplation. Erev Rosh Hashanah I awoke in terror from a dream – a snake had bitten my outstretched forefinger. I asked a fellow rabbi what such a dream might mean – (one of her specialties is mystical dream analysis) and she gave me three words: Renewal, wisdom an transformation. May all our dreams be interpreted with such generosity. This coming year, may we all be able to transform our fears into wisdom, and our terrors into a time of deepest renewal.

Wishing you all g’mar chatima tovah, a good and final sealing in the Book of Life, tzom kal, an easy fast, and Gut Yontif.