Welcome to this online Elul spirituality retreat, written by Rabbi Marcia Plumb and sponsored by Congregation Mishkan Tefila. Every day during the month of Elul, you will receive a ‘Word to Live By’. The words will be in alphabetical order, similar to the Ashamnu prayer during the Yamim Noraim. The Ashamnu lists our sins from the past, but our Elul words contain hope for the future.
You can use the word, and the teaching that comes with it, to set an intention for your day, to help you live your day based on the word. You may want to share it with a friend, who has need of just that word. You may be busy, and simply notice the word in the subject heading, then, skip to the next email….and that is fine too. Noticing can be enough.
At the end of the month, at Rosh Hashanah, I hope, because of our Words, our hearts will be softer, our minds more open to new ways of thinking, and our actions more compassionate.
With prayers for healing and renewal, Rabbi Marcia Plumb, Congregation Mishkan Tefila, Brookline MA.
Curiosity/ Hitlamdut
Hitlamdut as curiosity means that we wonder about every situation, before making assumptions. We show curiosity before we judge. When we had recently arrived in Boston from London, I tried to introduce myself to one of the parents in one of my children’s classes. We sat next to each other at parents night, and I said hello. He ignored me completely. I tried again a few weeks later. We were walking down the school hallway together toward the same classroom. I said hello, and again, he ignored me. Instead of reacting to his behavior, feeling hurt, and assuming he was not worth getting to know, I followed the Mussar practice of pausing before reacting, and choosing how to respond. I had three choices about how to respond emotionally and intellectually. Either, he was rude and I wouldn’t try to engage him again; or, unbeknownst to me, I had done something to offend him; or there was something I didn’t know about him that would explain his behavior. I chose the latter. I practiced hitlamdut-curiosity. I actually wondered if he was hard of hearing and couldn’t hear my greetings. Perhaps he deserved compassion rather than disdain. I tried again, and we became friends. I still don’t know why he didn’t respond to my first two attempts but my decision to show curiosity rather than judgement led to a friendship.
Spiritual Practice Today, before we react in hurt or anger to someone’s behaviour toward us, let us pause and practice hitlamdut, and wonder if there is a back story that might explain it. Curiosity can bring compassion and connections.
Elul @ Mishkan Tefila
ELUL Offerings: To Prepare Our Souls for High Holy Days
Silent Supper, September 17: An opportunity for reflection, refreshments,and renewal led by Rabbi Plumb. Registerhere . · Teshuvah Workshops hosted by CMT, led by Rabbi David Jaffe, incorporating Mussar and Spirituality. Mishkan Tefila members should click here to register.
Mussar @ Mishkan Tefila
Congregation Mishkan Tefila 384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
