We're less than a week away from beginning the month of Tishrei. From Rosh Hashana, a commemoration of the sixth day of creation, referred to as "the birthday of the world." Some people take this literally, regarding the world as if it is re-created brand-new every year. But regardless, we don't usually spend a whole month getting ready for a birthday. What's up with the month of Elul?

Fall is in the air. And some days that is exactly how my soul feels- like I am in a free fall. With Teshuvah, returning, as the recurring theme of the New Year; this years invitation to return is truly an act of strength and faith.

FORGIVENESS is a heartache and difficult to achieve because strangely, it not only refuses to eliminate the original wound, but actually draws us closer to its source. To approach forgiveness is to close in on the nature of the hurt itself, the only remedy being, as we approach its raw center, to reimagine our relation to it.

I love the special melodies and prayers that signal to our ears and souls that this is a special time of year. The High Holiday nusach - special melodies for different holidays which incorporate our ancient Jewish scales - rattle my bones and stir my soul like no other music (well - nu- maybe klezmer which uses a lot of the same scales). Nusach is sometimes called the "original Jewish soul music".

Notably, several directives remind us to help the stranger, the most repeated principle in the Torah. The admonition to treat the ger (stranger, foreigner, immigrant) as we would treat ourselves is repeated 35 times-for we, too, were once strangers in Egypt.

"YHVH is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?". There is a lot to be afraid of right now, and our fears are real. Our tradition teaches us that the phrase "YHVH is my light" refers to Rosh HaShannah, and "[YHVH] is my salvation" refers to Yom Kippur. It is one of the reasons we recite this psalm every day during Elul and beyond. We are preparing ourselves for the personal inner work of reflection, introspection and growth. We need light to truly see ourselves and discover where we have failed to live up to our own values, where we have stumbled, and what we need to do to bring our lives back into balance.

Be easy on yourself. It's extraordinarily hard to do almost anything in these uncertain times. Our usual 'work' of Elul tends to focus on self-improvement, which is awfully close to self-criticism. This year, let me suggest that our Elul work focus on self-care. Congratulate yourself on your creativity and resourcefulness as you navigate new situations almost every day.

A friend says Covid has ripped the cataracts off of our eyes. Now we clearly see the injustice and dysfunction threaded through our sick society. Capitalism is a public health risk. Racism is a danger to our health and right now hunger for normalcy is making people do stupid things.

We are almost there! The energy of Av's deep sadness is beginning to wane, and the fresh cool air of Elul and the monsoons are on the runway.

Two weeks ago, the new moon of Rosh Chodesh Av gentled us inward for reflexive tenderness and preparation. New moon is the lunar resting time; new moon shines inward with a resonance of finding the divine through the infinite journey inside. Now, we have the counterbalancing full moon of Tu B'Av reflecting the sun's brightness. Full moon is the lunar reflective time; full moon shines outward with the reverberation of finding the divine through the infinite journey of connection.

Every Hebrew letter has a numerical value. An Aleph, the first letter, has a value of one. The second letter, Bet, has a value of two. . As a result, words can be expressed numerically...the word for 'life' in Hebrew is "Chai" (as in 'l'chaim' - 'to life'). It is spelled with two Hebrew letters, the 'chet', which has a value of 8 and 'yud' which has a value of 10. Added together, the word 'chai' has a value of 18

May your palms be as good for blessing
now as when you lived and breathed,
may your voice still carry us as you used
to carry us when you filled a room
with laughter and we rode the tide
of your arriving shout.

What a year! Unlike any other, this summer season, usually filled with swimming, barbecues, family vacations and all manner of social events, is one of isolation, concern, and uncertainty. In all other years, we enjoy the beautiful outdoors and deal with the heat in all sorts of ways, but this year many people are staying inside, avoiding others, focusing on preventing contact with the insidious virus and worrying about our futures-our jobs, our families, our schools and our communities

Like so many moments we wish to honor in sacred Jewish time yet lose track of in urban house-holding life, Rosh Chodesh Av almost slipped by unnoticed and unmarked.

"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone - any person or any force - dampen, dim or diminish your light.

Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates...

What we want to change we curse and then pick up a tool. Bless whatever you can with eyes and hands and tongue. If you can't bless it, get ready to make it new.

Luckily, our spiritual tradition has tools to help-namely the calendar cycle as it is associated with two Jewish dates: Tisha b'Av and Rosh HaShanah.

Luckily, our spiritual tradition has tools to help-namely the calendar cycle as it is associated with two Jewish dates: Tisha b'Av and Rosh HaShanah.

This week's portion is about courage and action. Pinchas- (Phinneas) saw an injustice and acted immediately..

07/06/2020: What we are missing is rooted in the sacred soil of family and community which nurtures us. There is, however, a holier soil which is foundational to Judaism - saving and preserving life. It is our commitment to life's sanctity which makes possible the well-being of family and community.

07/03/2020: There is much tikkun needed in our world. It is incumbent upon us to build our internal capacity, to empty our cups and make space for connection and creativity. This is the role of spiritual practice: opening up to the Ground of All Being. Known by different names and understood in different ways, it is the ultimate source of energy that we need for inspiration, courage and perseverance.

07/02/2020 - King Solomon was depressed. Nothing made him feel better. His favorite foods were set before him but he couldn't eat them. The finest musicians and entertainers were sent to him but they brought him no joy and he sent them away.

June 29, 2020 We are all on a journey. Each of us is what we individually and collectively were, are, and will be. Each of us is the image of the voice that called from the burning bush, "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh." I am and we are what I am and we are becoming. We were conceived at the bush; as the waters of the sea break before us, with each step we are born anew. As Bob Dylan said, one "not busy being born is busy dying”

07/26/2020 - Speaking of voices, there can also be dramatic conflict inside our heads. Sometimes it's too noisy in there to hear the voice of wisdom. There can be inner voices like Korach's, indignant and overbearing, raising doubt, mounting challenges, asking, Who do you think you are? This inner grumbling and loud self-talk drowns out calmer, clearer, wiser, truer voices. So it can help, in finding one's voice, to take time to make a place for guiding voices to arise, in the ever-portable Mishkan we can create in our hearts.

June 25, 2020

In times of limited light
Or before a dawn of time
More people are gifted different souls

Once there was an old woman who was a seamstress. Her motto was: "What they tear, I repair." She was so good at fixing torn sleeves or ragged hems that one she repaired a garment, it never needed repair again. So her customers never needed to return which is why she was poor.

It seems that Lag B'Omer is a perfect time for us to gather virtually-to share our joys and celebrate the light in our own lives. Please bring a story, a poem, a joke, a song-something to share around our virtual bonfire-and we'll bring in the light together.

WHAT I MUST TELL MYSELF

by David Whyte

I know this house
so well,
and this horizon,
and this world
I have made.
from my thoughts.

This is the time when we are each forced to stop and become like trees, rooting ourselves deeper into what really matters. Those roots will allow us to endure the force of unexpected storms.

And from these discoveries of self, of time,
There comes a new realization
That we have been in too much of hurry,
That we have misused our fragile world,
That we have forgotten the claims of others
Who have been left behind;

This week, the parsha Tazria/Metzora is so apt as it deals with confinement, quarantine, contamination, and purification, all of which have been in sharp focus as we stay at home, wiping down our groceries and doorknobs.

Yes we are in this wilderness together and yet we each need to be deeply rooted inside ourselves, too, so that we can tap into that inner strength that resides deep inside each one of us and helps us to keep our emotional and spiritual balance.

We each have the power, through our practices in thought and deed, of continually thanking and praising, of magnifying love and joy, in order to align ourselves with the harmonizing, balancing Divine frequency that resides in every heart, giving refuge and spiritual protection. Please, will you join me in this? Then, let us each be a voice for God as we naturally emanate this Lovingkindness frequency in our lives.

You do not need to make up for the seder you are not having, or the seder you wish you could have. Do this year's seder(s) however that works for you this year. Do your best to keep yourself and your family healthy. Connect to the themes of Passover-getting out of narrow places, celebrating life, gratitude, remembering our obligations to each other and to all others

In facing the sorrow and grief of this world crisis, I am still grateful for this personal time of peace - even for the uncertainty in a world where all is often micro-planned and controlled, but more than anything, I am really looking forward to joyfully celebrating our friendships, playing music, dancing, and sharing our love of nature - in person - and soon! B"H!!

In the cycle of Torah readings we are in Vayikra, the book called Leviticus. It's difficult for many, filled as it is with details of sacrifices, rules and regulations. Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, in her blog, Sophia Street, offers Leviticus: Urgent Blueprint for Ethical Community which opened a doorway for me. With her permission, I offer an excerpt that might help you find your way into Vayikra and all of us to a better world.

Adapted from The Dark Synagogue, a story told by Rabbi Lawrence "Jake" Jackofsky in The Essential Jewish Stories collected by Seymour Rossel

Our chants are prayers, chosen with intentions or Kavanot, as (w)holy medicine for our human tendencies. Chanting helps us go deeper inside, where we can more calmly connect in our God house and receive the Great Love that connects us all.

In his book, Anatomy of an Illness, Norman Cousins wrote about how he helped himself heal by watching Marx Brother's movies and laughing. Laughter is good medicine! Keep the jokes and the cartoons circulating. Get on your computer and go to Laughter Yoga websites and laugh along with others. https://laughteryoga.org/

At this time of great uncertainty and anxiety, it is very important to keep our connections, both with people and with the Source of All. In blessing, health and connection, please below is a poem by by Rabbi Naomi Levy,

A Prayer of Hope During this Pandemic

We are frightened, God,
Worried for our loved ones,
Worried for our world.
Helpless and confused,
We turn to You
Seeking comfort, faith and hope.