I hope I will see you tonight, in person (or on zoom) at our special service at 7.30 p.m in our sacred space. Our CMT band will be with us, led by Ellen Allard. Come and dance with me!
This Sunday, June 27, is the seventeenth of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. It is a fast day initiating a three-week period of reflection that leads to Tisha b’Av, the day that marks the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and 70 CE. Tradition teaches that the Temple was destroyed because of the hatred that had grown among the people. The scorn, contempt and disdain with which people treated each other caused the Divine Presence to flee and leave the Temple vulnerable to attack.
I’d like to share with you a teaching by Rabbi Yael Levy, on how to use this interpretation in our lives today. Rabbi Levy is the founder of The Way In, a source for Jewish meditation and contemplation. ‘These next three weeks in the Jewish calendar ask us to reflect on the hatred that we allow and sometimes encourage to take root in our hearts. The wisdom of the tradition acknowledges that hatred can sometimes feel energizing and “so right," and that allowing it to fill our bodies and guide our actions leads to destruction. Each year, as these three weeks begin, I return to the practice of“praying with the news.” I find this a helpful practice at any time of year, and it feels especially powerful to me during this season.
In this practice, each time I read or listen to a news report that enrages me, I turn my attention to those being hurt, harmed, or damaged by what is occurring and I pray for their healing and well-being.
As I “pray with the news” feelings of pain, sadness and anger arise and instead of allowing them to fuel my hatred, I turn them toward compassion and care. This practice strengthens my experience of connection and turns my energy toward healing and love. It helps me bear witness while keeping my heart open and it encourages me to see how I can and do participate in the mending and healing of our world
To not let hatred solidify on our hearts and minds, we need each other. To care for the sacred, to strengthen ourselves with compassion and love, we need each other.
For these next three weeks let’s practice praying with the news. As we do, may our hearts soften with strength and may our collective awareness open, revealing possibilities not yet seen or imagined.’
This Shabbat, may our homes be filled with compassion for others in our lives. Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Marcia Plumb |