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.
Work/Shomra
Work usually refers to time and effort spent for which we get paid. Often it involves using our time and energy for someone else’s benefit, a company or a boss, a client, patients or students.
But our Work in the days leading to High Holy Days is radically different.
The Eternal G!d took the earthling and placed the human in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.
Ibn Ezra (medieval Torah commentator)
.וטעם לעבדה להשקות הגן ולשמרה מכל החיות שלא יכנסו שם ויטנפוהו
The meaning of (‘till it and tend it’) "to work it"is to provide water for the garden.
According to Kabbalistic thinking, what is the garden? It is our soul. Our most important work is to tend to our soul, and water it with gentleness, love, compassion and focussed attention. Our work at the moment is to plant new seeds of hope within us, and focus on what our souls need to thrive in the coming year. How will we grow inner calm within ourselves? How will we nuture a sense of wholeness and holiness in our lives? At Rosh Hashanah we set aside the jobs we do in the workplace and we pick up the task of watering and tending to the garden of our souls.
Spiritual Practice
Today, imagine what work we need to do to enrich our souls. What might strengthen us? Imagine putting the same energy we put into our paid or volunteer work, into the betterment of our inner selves. Do a task today that helps us feel more holy (whatever that word means to you).
Mussar @ Mishkan Tefila
Congregation Mishkan Tefila 384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
