The Jewish month of Elul starts this Thursday and that means Rosh Hashanah is almost here. Most of us consider Rosh Hashanah a high point in the Jewish year. Many, in fact, only come to temple at this time. So why not take five minutes a day to give yourself the best spiritual preparation for this sacred peak. There are two rituals characteristic of Elul that you can experience with very little effort. First, the shofar is blown each morning at shacharit services. Find a place to hear the shofar or, though it's not quite the same thing, listen on-line. Second, we read Psalm 27 and reflect on its message. Focus on this verse: "only one thing do I ask: to dwell in the house of the Lord." Ask yourself: What is the one thing I ask for the coming year? And now, what must you do to make that thing real?
As part my preparations for the Yamim Nora'im, I joined a conference call with President Obama and hundreds of rabbis this morning (organized by the Religious Action Center). This was, according to the organizers, the first such high holy day preparation conference with a sitting president. One rabbi asked President Obama, "If you were in my position to address the entire congregation on the holiest day of our year, what would you say?" He replied, "I would ask, 'Have we become so fearful and self centered that it's impossible for us to take bold steps together to help fellow Americans who really need it?' I would deliver a sermon on the need for hope to overcome fear and generosity to overcome pure self-interest." The President closed by noting that we've lost more and more faith in our ability to do anything together as a nation and he believes his most important job is to rebuild that faith and make the courageous moves required to fix chronic, serious problems in our society.
As my Chautauqua colleagues liked to say: That'll preach.
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