Interlochen Arts Camp was my second home during my high school years. I spent four glorious summers at this beautiful center for the Arts in the northern part of Michigan, where campers from ages 5-18 came from all over the world to hone their chosen craft. Summers were filled with rehearsals, lessons and concerts. The outdoor pavilion where concerts were held had windows all along the back wall with beautiful views of the lake. Above the windows, the mission of the camp:
“Dedicated to the promotion of world friendship through the universal language of the arts.”
One choir concert in particular, would change my life when we performed a piece from Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service, “Yihiyu L’Ratzon”. Click here to hear this recording from 1992.
As the voices began, it felt as if our large group became one singular voice.
Our conductor closed his eyes and I felt that I was having an out of body experience; my eyes were open but I wasn’t seeing clearly, and the sound of angels washed over me.
That evening after the concert I wrote in my journal,
“Tonight, we all became one with each other and for the first time, I experienced God”.
Since that concert, I have been fascinated with what it means to feel “inspired.” That moment lit a spark in me, and ever since, I have felt driven to push myself to evolve as a musician and as a person. Because, the more I understood myself, the deeper I could connect to music. The deeper I could connect to music, the more successful I could be at recreating the feeling during that fateful concert – pure inspiration and connected to the divine.
Throughout my life I have often looked for role models of truly inspired people, and while there are many, none perhaps as great as Moses. A true leader, Moses overflowed with faith and inspiration to lead an entire nation from slavery to freedom. He must have known that if he could only give the people of Israel the gift of connection to the divine, that they would never doubt themselves or their faith again.
In this week’s Parasha, Eikev, knowing he would not enter the promised land with the people with whom he has journeyed; in a farewell address, Moses reflects on the trials and tribulations of their time together. Perhaps most importantly, he points out that a fulfilled life is the result of being a person who follows mitzvot. He begs them to remember the sins of their past so as not to repeat them, and teaches them that “one does not live by bread alone.”
Moses felt driven to impart the significance of divine inspiration, by stressing the value of a life dedicated to emet v’emunah, truth and faith.
Studies in inspiration have found that inspired people are “more open” to new experiences, and that “openness to experience” often came before inspiration was felt.
Just imagine if Moses had not been open to the experience of the burning bush? Or if he had not remained present enough to feel that divine connection which inspired him to lift his rod thereby splitting the Red Sea?
Moses was the ultimate example of someone who remained fully present in every experience. By remaining vulnerable, his experiences penetrated his soul and created worlds of possibility not only for himself, but for the whole nation of Israel.
Because of my experience allowing a musical moment to penetrate my own being, I have been inspired to focus my life towards music and God, and (God willing!) – to inspire others towards a life of self-realization and divine connection. Inspiration is immortal.
This Shabbat evening, I hope you will join us at services, when I have the opportunity to share with our congregation a reflection of how I feel when I am most inspired, by sharing original liturgical musical compositions I have written over the years.
I also invite you to spend time reflecting on what inspires you. Where are the holy moments in your life, when you feel that ultimate connection to the deepest part of yourself? When do you feel moved to create, to grow, and to fill the world with the beauty of what makes you uniquely, “you?”
This Shabbat, I pray we all find moments of inspiration to cultivate peace within ourselves. May our hostages return home safely now, and may the world find its way to peace.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Shabbat Shalom,
