I see you. Your entire clergy sees you. To be human today is not easy. With the news of yet another school shooting, this time at Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota on our hearts and minds, we are once again painfully reminded of the hate and violence that persist in our world. With the weight of it all pressing on our chests, I invite you to lean on our rich tradition, a tradition that has held the hands of our ancestors through their trials and tribulations and has carried us to this very moment.
This past week, the Jewish people entered into a deeply spiritual and significant time. As the sun set on Sunday, August 24th, the Jewish month of Elul began, a month where we strive to become more spiritually intertwined with the Holy One. It is a time for reflection on the year that has passed, for remembering both the moments we felt proud of who we were and the moments we missed the mark. Elul invites us to examine our relationships: our relationship with ourselves, our loved ones, our community, and above all, our relationship with the Source of Life, our God.
Elul, the final month of the Jewish year, leads us toward Rosh HaShanah, the New Year. It offers us the chance to prepare, spiritually and physically, for what lies ahead. It calls us to return: to return to our truest essence in a world that is crowded, loud, and fast-paced. To return to the person we yearn to become. To remember that we are, at our core, beings infused with Divine traits from the moment we first entered this world. As God proclaimed, “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you.” (Malachi 3:7)
In a world that can feel so out of control, in moments when we ask ourselves, “What can I possibly do to help heal this brokenness?” we are given Elul. This month reminds us of the control each of us still holds within: the control over how we choose to live and to show up. Each day we can choose to be more patient, more loving, more curious, more open-minded, more forgiving, more vulnerable and above all, more human.
In this season of reflection, I want to leave you with the story of “The Pencil Maker”:
There once lived a wise pencil maker who could converse with pencils. One day, just before placing one into the box for delivery, he took it aside.
“There are five things you need to know before I send you out into the world,” he said. “Always remember them, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”
“First, you will be able to do many great things—but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.”
“Second, you will experience painful sharpening from time to time—but it will make you a better pencil.”
“Third, you will always have the ability to correct the mistakes you make.”
“Fourth, the most important part of you will always be what’s inside.”
“And finally, you must leave your mark on every surface on which you are used. No matter the condition, you must continue to write.”
The pencil understood, promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart. And that is why pencils remain so useful that many planners and designers still prefer them over pens.
As we enter this first Shabbat of Elul, may we take to heart the wisdom of the pencil maker. May we lean on those around us. May we find strength and inspiration even in hard times. May we be vulnerable enough to correct our mistakes. May we dig deep into our souls to reconnect with our truest essence. And may we live each day to the fullest, remembering that every day on this earth is a gift, not a given.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ashira Boxman
