As I begin each day, stretching from my toes to my fingertips, thanking the holy one for restoring my soul and granting me a new day of possibility, I offer the following from our liturgy - Elohai n'shamah shenatata bee t'horah hee/My Gd, the soul you have given me is pure. Often, my morning practice gives a full breath to each of these words, honoring the connection between the soul/n'shamah and the breath/n'shimah. The passage continues highlighting that this soul was created, formed and breathed into me (and each of us) by the divine and sacred holy one. The blessing
concludes with praise for Gd who restores the soul to the lifeless form. Not only is each day a gift in itself for what we might offer and receive in the world, each day begins with the greatest gift of all, the gift of life. That gift manifests itself through the animation of our purest self, breathed into being as sacred and integral part of our creation. The relationship between the soul and the breath is powerful, perhaps even palpable. It is the breath that catalyzes our potential in the world and the soul that gently holds that sacred breath.
It is a sign of the times that I held my breath earlier this week awaiting the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trail for the murder of George Floyd z'l. As I explained to my child, in our country one remains innocent until proven guilty. So, I waited with bated breath, my soul trembling beneath the weight of what might come to pass. Having placed his knee on a restrained man's neck for over 9 minutes, even once George Floyd lost consciousness, we know Derek Chauvin's actions stole the breath and ultimately the soul from George Floyd. There were moments since that time that I thought those actions would steal the soul of our nation as well. To stay connected and grounded with my own soul, I began a practice of breathing for 5 minutes each day, intentionally sending different parts of my body the holy and sacred breath they needed to serve. Hands. Heart. Feet. Mind. Eyes. Ears. Lungs. A different focus each day. Over time, I noticed a softening and a strengthening in my body and my soul. I became reenergized. Instead of holding my breath and disconnecting, I refocused and retrained my body and soul to connect and give life towards dismantling systemic racism and seeing the human in the other.
This week's parasha, Kedoshim, reminds us Love your neighbor as yourself/v'ahavta l'reyacha k'mocha. (Lev.19:18) As I mentioned on the High Holy Days, Micha Goodman, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, maintains paying attention is a precondition for empathy. We must use our senses to notice, listen and see what another is experiencing and what we ourselves are experiencing. This is how we engage with the pain of the other. We are given love because we have n'shama eloheet/a holy and gdly soul. This soul connects our essence and the essence of another. The Torah presupposes that we will be in relationship. What would it look like to link arms with one another and build the world in which we want and need to live? Commitment to loving our neighbor and loving ourselves demands we train our body and breath to lift up and help carry the weight of the other.
As Jews, our call is towards holy sacred life not just for ourselves but for the humanity of which we are a part. In these days when gun violence remains part of the every day and racism and hatred threaten our sacred world, we must rise up and breathe life into a hopeful future that not only demands justice but delivers justice as well. As the prophet Amos reminds us, Let justice well up like water, righteousness like a mighty stream (5:24).
We have the power to make justice flow like forceful waters unearthing a new day of breath and love. Here are some things you can do right now:
Check in with yourself and notice where you need breath to sustain you
Call a friend to see how they are doing
Educate yourself about the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
Register to vote - make your voice heard
VOTE
Several members of our community would like to be in conversation with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in our area. Step forward and be in touch with me if you'd like to coordinate this initiative. The more we know what causes another pain the more we are able to love our neighbor as ourselves. That, my friends, is a critical step towards rebuilding a soulful world of justice and love.
Shabbat Shalom rg
Congregation Habonim 103 West End Ave New York, NY 10023
