Once there was a gathering place in the forest. Whenever there was trouble, Jews would go there, light a fire, and sing a song. They would leave comforted and strong in spirit. Many years later, there was trouble for the Jews again. They couldn’t remember where the place in the forest was, but they gathered together, lit a fire, and sang. They left comforted and strong in spirit. Many years passed, and again trouble arose. They couldn’t remember where to go, or how to light the fire, but they gathered and sang together. Once again, they left comforted and strong in spirit.
In our day, trouble has arisen again. Fear, anger, sadness, illness and death surround us. We can’t go to our traditional gathering place, our sacred sanctuary, and we can’t stand beneath our holy fire, the ner tamid above the ark, but at Rosh Hashanah, we gathered together, and sang. I hope you felt comforted and stronger in spirit. Our traditions live on, and carry us from generation to generation. Whenever, and wherever, we gather to sing and pray, we gain hope, courage and renewed energy to face whatever may come.
On this Shabbat Shuvah we look forward to praying our tradtional prayers for forgiveness and healing. We yearn to stand before the ark. Some of us felt that if we can’t gather in our sacred space, we won’t come together at all. So they didn’t join the services on Rosh Hashanah or on Shabbat. But the story reminds us that ultimately it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we know that we are singing and praying together in spirit even if physically apart. For the moment, we have found a new sacred place to gather, via Zoom and the internet. We need all our voices, all our prayers, and all the strength we can give each other for this 5781. I invite you to give our temporary new zoom home a try, so that we will all find comfort and strength in spirit. I share with you an adaptation of one of the prayers we have always sung in every forest, in every sacred space, in every year, and this year, in every home and computer screen.
Avinu Malkeinu, Our Source of Mercy, open our hearts to compassion.
Avinu Malkeinu, Our Source of Forgiveness, open our minds to forgive and seek forgiveness.
Avinu Malkeinu, Our Source of Innovation, open the gates of zoom and livestream for us so we can pray with our people.
Avinu Malkeinu, Our Source of Hope, fill our homes with the sounds of Your sacred music and let it lift our spirits.
Avinu Malkeinu, Our Source of Inspiration, give us strength to heal our own inner brokenness and repair our fragmented world.
This Friday night, Rabbi Lev Friedman will lead us in a special minyan with passion, grace and love. Shabbat morning, Cantor Ellen Band will lead us with traditional prayers and Torah.
I look forward to seeing you on Shabbat, and on Yom Kippur,
Shana Tovah umetukah, and Tzom Kal, wishing you well over the fast.
