The Four Weeks of Elul – 5772 – Week 2 – Our Communal Selves

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Temple Emanuel, Denver, CO

 

Dear Friends,

Several years ago, in Albuquerque, I officiated at the funeral of a dear friend who died suddenly after being diagnosed with a very aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.  She was a pillar of the community and a past-president of our congregation.  At her service, I read an essay she had written about her relationship to the congregation.  In her essay, she recalled a time when she was travelling to Israel and she had the following dialogue with an El-Al security officer:  “Are you Jewish? “he asked?  “Yes,” she replied.  “Where do you belong?” he then asked her….

 That question, “where do you belong?” is the key to understanding the importance of our communal selves.

 Jewish tradition embodies communal life.  We cannot pray unless we have a minyan – a community.  The call to unity in community is reflected in many Rabbinic teachings such as:

·         Kol Yisrael aravim zeh ba zeh – all Israel is responsible for one another

And

·         Al tifrosh min ha-tzibbur – do not separate yourself from the community

 And yet, we also are aware that if we focus only on our particularistic concerns, we fail to connect with the holiness that is implanted within all of humanity. 

 As Rabbi Hillel taught: 

Im ein ani li. Mi l?, U’k’she-ani l’atzmi, mah ani? V’im lo achshav, ey-matai? 

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  But if I am only for myself, what am I?  And if not now, when?

We need to balance our legitimate concerns for our own people with those of the world around us. 

When we strengthen our communities, we strengthen our world and, I truly believe that we become more acutely aware of God’s presence.

During this, the 2^nd  week of Elul, I want us to focus on our relationship to the various communities in which we live.  We need to ask ourselves the question:  “Where do I belong?”

The following questions will help you to focus your Elul preparations on how you can make a difference for good in your congregation, community and, indeed, the world itself.  Again, this is by no means a complete list.  There are many other areas that can be explored.  Hopefully, this will provide you with a starting place for a much longer process.

 

1. Have I been generous enough in my support - financially or otherwise - of the institutions and charities that I find important?
2. Have I done all that I could to help those impacted by recent tragedies and natural disasters – here in the US and around the world?
3. Have I worked to strengthen my congregation?  Have I given of my skills and expertise when asked? 
4. How often have I been content to complain when I was affected by a problem – but after complaining, not done anything to help solve the problem?
5. Have I allowed petty squabbles and disagreements to distract me from the importance of staying involved in my community?
6. When I am at synagogue, have I done all that I can to make others feel welcomed in the same way that I want to feel welcome
7. Have I spoken out when I perceived discrimination or inequity based on economics, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation in our community?

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions for additional questions and formats that we can use.   If answering them causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Heit and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will be available in several formats:  electronically - via email, on our Temple website and Facebook page, in my blog:  www.Rabbijoeblack.blogspot.com;  and in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, please contact Susie Sigman at Sigman@emanueldenver.org .

May this time of Cheshbon Hanefesh be fruitful for all of us as we prepare to enter into the holiest days of the year.

L’Shalom,

 

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

 

Four Weeks of Elul - 5772 - Week 1

My Dear Friends,

I write this letter on August 19, 2012.  Today is also the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul.  In exactly one month we will be welcoming in a New Year on Rosh Hashanah.  During this month of Elul it is customary to begin intensive personal preparations for the New Year.  This process, called Cheshbon Ha-Nefesh – ‘an inventory of our souls’ – requires that each of us engage in a process of self-examination.  We need to look closely at our relationships, thoughts, deeds, fears and dreams.  We do this so that we can enter into the Yamim Noraim – the Days of Awe – spiritually and personally refreshed and prepared.  This is a powerful time of year:  when our tradition teaches that we need to ask those around us whom we have wronged to forgive us for our actions.  We are also commanded to forgive those who ask us as well. 

As we reflect back over the past year, it is important that we put every aspect of our lives into perspective.  For the past two years, I have continued a tradition here in Denver that I started in my previous congregation of sending out weekly lists of seven questions (one for each day of the week) during the month of Elul.  These questions are designed to help us examine our lives in all of the varied aspects and arenas in which we live:  Spiritual, Physical, Interpersonal and Communal.  Hopefully, by answering these questions we will be better prepared to welcome the New Year - 5773.  The purpose of these questions is not to make us feel bad or unworthy, but rather to “nudge” us into looking at these vitally important aspects of our lives.  There will be seven questions in each list – one for every day of the week.

I welcome your comments and suggestions for additional questions and formats that we can use.   If answering them causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Heit and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will be available in several formats:  electronically - via email, on our Temple website and Facebook page, in my blog:  www.Rabbijoeblack.blogspot.com;  and in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, please contact Susie Sigman at Sigman@emanueldenver.org.  She will be happy to forward them.

May this time of Chesbon Hanefesh be fruitful for all of us as we prepare to enter into the holiest days of the year.

 L’Shalom,

 Rabbi Joseph R. Black

 

The Four Weeks of Elul 5772

Week One: Spiritual Selves

As we enter the month of Elul, we begin by examining our spiritual lives.  Spirituality is one of those words that mean different things to different people.  For the purposes of this list of questions, I want you to focus on Spirituality as referring to those aspects of your life that help you to feel connected to something greater than yourself. 

The past several weeks have been very difficult.  The shocking details of the Aurora shootings and the echoes reverberating in the Sikh Mosque outside of Milwaukee have forced many of us to ask difficult questions about how a caring and compassionate God could allow such evil to take place.  This is not the first time that tragedy has forced us to question. Unfortunately, the Jewish people are well acquainted with grief and loss.  And yet, Judaism teaches that questioning can strengthen faith.   Our tradition is filled with exemplary men and women who challenge God.  From Abraham and Moses, to Rabbis Sally Priesand and Miri Gold, we have learned the importance of challenging the status quo and finding new paths to the Divine as a result.

We grow spiritually when we feel that our lives have meaning and purpose and that we are part of a Divine Plan.  The liturgy of the Yamim Noraim – the Days of Awe – is filled with the language of God’s judgment.  Rather than perceive this is a negative or punitive light, try to imagine that we are being judged for the way that we fulfill the spiritual potential that God has given us.

This week's questions deal with our Spiritual Selves. During this time of Chesbon Ha Nefesh, one of our tasks is to examine the status of our relationship with God, Torah, and our own mortality.  As always, the following questions should not be perceived as a complete listing – they are merely a beginning. If you have other questions that you think may help others in our community, I would love to receive them.

QUESTIONS – WEEK ONE – SPIRITUAL SELVES

1.      Over the course of the year, how much time have I been able to dedicate towards appreciating the beauty of God’s creation?

2.      When/where was the last time I felt close to God?

3.      With the memory of the recent tragedies, how has my faith been tested this year?  How has it been affirmed?

4.      How has my faith evolved since I was a child?

5.      When was the last time I was able to pray without any distraction?

6.      How often, during the course of the past year, have I been able to set aside my own needs for something bigger than myself?

7.      If I were put in the position of explaining my beliefs to others, would I feel comfortable in doing so?

 May you utilize these and all of your questions to help you gain a better understanding of your spiritual selves.

L’Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Black@Emanueldenver.org