Elul gets our souls ‘warmed up’ to start fresh for the New Year.
For Elul this year, I am pleased to share with you words from some of my favorite teachers from whom I have learned a great deal over the years. Some may be familiar and some may be new to you. I will bring you selections from the Sfat Emet, Henry David Thoreau, Rabbi Jonathan Slater and more plus my commentary on them. I welcome your thoughts.
Please share brief teachings from your favourites. If you have a special text, verse, poem, or prose that has influenced you during your life, please send it to me at rabbiplumb@mishkantefila.org .
Deuteronomy 1:6 God spoke to us at Horeb, saying: You have stayed long enough at this mountain.
What is the mountain where we have stayed too long? The mountain is our bad habits; the fixed, seemingly immovable aspects of our thinking or behaviour that don’t seem to change. We have gotten stuck. We think, like a mountain, we cannot change. We firmly believe that we cannot shift or make any forward progress.
The Deuteronomy verse tells us otherwise. We have stayed too long at the mountain of impatience, irritability, indifference, self-absorption and more. We think these are traits we cannot change. Elul is here to remind us that we are not mountains. We are human beings with free will, intellect and compassion. We have the ability to change. It is time to choose to do so. Choose to be better–to ourselves, our loved ones, our community, our society.
A Posture for the Day: A Walking Meditation Stand up if you are able. Feel both feet firmly on the ground. Root yourself as if you are a plant, tree or mountain. Feel the solidity of your body. Imagine you cannot move. Breath in this position for 2-3 deep breaths. Slowly, gently, lift one foot and step forward. Notice how your muscles and bones move. Put your weight on the foot in front. Lift your back foot, slowly, aware of each tiny bone in the foot as you move it, and place it in front of the other one. With great awareness of the miracle of walking, slowly take 10 steps forward. Then turn around and take 10 steps back. Always move slowly, with awareness, wonder and awe. Be cognizant of your ability to move forward, and back again. Your body proves the miracle that you are able to change positions. You are not stuck. You can choose to slowly make changes in who you are and how you behave. Thank you G-d, for not making me a mountain.
