Achat sha'alti me'eit Adonai, otah avakesh
Shivti b'veit Adonai, kol y'mei chayay
Lachazot b'noam, b'noam Yah, u'l'vaker b'heikhalo
One thing I ask, I ask of You, I earnestly pray for
That I might dwell in Your house all the days of my life
Knowing the beauty, the beauty of You, and to dwell in Your holy place!
-Psalm 27
We say this psalm every day throughout the month of Elul. As we prepare our minds and our souls for the High Holy Days, these words ring in our ears. And yet, for each person who says them and each person who hears them, they take on a uniquely individualized meaning.
After discussing this verse in our ‘Preparing For the High Holy Days’ workshop last week, each participant had his or her own interpretation of what it might mean to ‘dwell in Your (God’s) house,’ or to ‘dwell in Your (God’s) holy place.’ For some, this image evoked awe. For others, comfort. For some it felt distant, for others, close. The idea of being ‘at home’ with the Divine brings out different connections, images, and emotions for each person who engages with it.
We each take on our method of preparation throughout the month of Elul. Some of us might make an extra effort to apologize to those we may have hurt over the past year. Some of us might do a mental cheshbon ha’nefesh (spiritual accounting), assessing our own areas of challenge and growth for the coming year. My grandmother’s Elul practice always seemed to be cooking and freezing enough brisket, chicken and apple cake to feed our whole family several times over, and then some. Each of these methods of preparing for the High Holy Days can bring us closer to ‘God’s house,’ depending on how we interpret this phrase for ourselves.
For as many interpretations as there are of what it means to ‘dwell in God’s house,’ there are just as many methods to get there. Elul offers us the chance to approach the High Holy Days through a journey all our own, sharing the wail of the shofar and the psalm above.
Yet one thing remains constant for us: in just one short week we will arrive at our destination. Regardless of how we got there – whether we felt prepared, whether we did the ‘work’ of Elul and whether or not the brisket has fully defrosted next Wednesday night… the High Holy Days will officially arrive. At this point we come home. We enter God’s house – whatever we might define that to be: our newly transformed sanctuary, the arms of family or friends, a centered heart and mind, or a cheerfully noisy dining room table. We come home to God’s house, our spiritual home. We’re doing the work. We’re traveling the distance. And home sweet home is just around the corner.
We can’t wait to celebrate, reflect, pray, and dwell with you in our new home beginning with Slichot, this Saturday night, September 24 when our newly transformed space will finally be revealed.
Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin
Dear Rabbi Sara,
Your message has a holy voice. It has placed me where I need to be at this moment - beginning the process of reflecting on the year that is ending and the one that is beginning. Endings and beginnings - both so important and profound. Thank you for your voice. Shana Tova Um'tuka.
Posted by: Carrie Oderberg | September 23, 2011 at 08:39 AM