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
Fear/ Yirah
Psalm 11:10 – The yirah of The Divine is the beginning of wisdom. At the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe and Fear, (from the same root as Yirah), we focus on the yirah of our sins. In contemporary times, we like to be positive and avoid the negative. Many of my colleagues prefer to use the definition of awe instead of fear for yirah. The emotion of fear seems unhelpful and disturbing. But sometimes, the negative must be faced, because it is part of us. We can’t paper over the things we have done wrong. Yirah can be the fear that these sins may remain with us forever.
Our bad habits will simply carry on, year after year. I am afraid that I may never change the characteristics I most dislike in myself. The fear that we forces us to face our mistakes is healthy. Fear is a good thing at Elul. A little bit of fear can go a long way. When I feel the yirah, the fear, that I can’t change, it inspires me to try harder this year to change. I don’t want to feel that fear again next year.
My adaptation on Ps. 11:10: The acknowledgement of fear, and the use of fear to change, is the beginning of wisdom. Yirah, fear, comes from God. The fear we feel as a result of our sins is part of the conscience God gave us. Yirah is a signpost that tells us to go a different direction away from our sins. Spiritual Practice Today, think about a bad habit you really want to change, and are afraid you never will. Let our fear motivate us and point us toward the path to chang
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
