letter pey as it appears in the Torah scroll, we find the letter bet in the empty space. Blessings emerge when we least expect them. Blessings rise up when we turn our hearts, minds and beings carefully and consciously to the world and one another.
On Rosh Hashanah, I shared the first of our monthly blessings for this year, Baruch atah Adonai, m'chayei hameytim/Blessings to you, Holy One, who brings the dead back to life. The rabbis name this bracha/blessing, found in our Amidah/reflective standing prayer, as the greeting for someone dear to you whom you have not seen in 12 months. Looking into the eyes of a cherished friend after a whole year is a gift that cannot be underestimated. Seeing someone dear panim el panim/face to face after all this time is like a taste of sweetness, a jolt of long lost energy, an enlivening from the inside out.
Baruch atah Adonai, m'chayei hameytim. I encourage you to carry this blessing in your pocket, create a piece of artwork around it, or set a few minutes each day to ponder it (maybe in your daily amidah or a journal). Turn your attention and intention to this blessing so that when the opportunity arises to share it with someone you have not seen in over a year, you can relight the sense of aliveness within them.
Tomorrow, we commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It is a day of memory through all our senses. Tomorrow, and every day, we bring the dead back to life through story, photographs, song and the commitment to live a transformative life of blessing. Looking into the eyes of another, we acknowledge the potential for connection and a sense of joint humanity. At Kol Nidre, we'll begin our service with the words of the psalmist, or zarua latzadik u'l'yishrei lev simcha/light is sown for the righteous and joy for those with true hearts. We begin our holiest day of the year with attention to seeding light and illuminating the world and those around us. This year, we will conclude the holy day of Yom Kippur with light as well. While our younger community members will not process through the auditorium at Ethical Culture onto the bimah, we have designed a way for all of us to connect through light as we move from Neilah into the final moments of this sacred day of revealing and forgiveness.
As we conclude Neilah on Thursday evening, September 16, 2021/10 Tishri 5782, we'll dim the lights in the auditorium at Ethical Culture as we do each year. Those in the building in person will break a glow stick (provided during the service) to light up the room. We'll invite those joining on livestream to dim the lights in their room as well and take out their glow sticks. What a beautiful way to connect in a joyful expanse of light for the new year.
You may wonder how you'll receive your glow stick. Nursery School students will have glow sticks sent home in their backpacks next week. Those who plan to be in the vicinity of the Habonim Building may text Matvey (718 314 3591) between 1 pm and 5 pm next Monday and Tuesday (9/13 & 9/14) to receive a glow stick at the entryway to the building. We'll also have glow sticks at our embodied practice/stretching and blessing Tashlich this Sunday, September 12 at 9:30 am at the pier (masks required). If none of these times/locations work for you, contact Rina at rina@habonim.net and me at rabbigelber@habonim.net by Tuesday and we will do our best to get a glow stick to you. Remember to be gentle with the glow sticks and wait until the end of Neilah (around 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 16) to break them.
We look forward to being together in myriad ways as the new year continues to unfold. May many blessings find their way in, around, and among us as we thank the Holy One for giving us the power to bless and raising us up in life.
Shabbat Shalom
rg
