Happy Elul! Chodesh Tov!
I promised publicly last Shabbat that I’d do daily posts for Elul, one small piece of something every weekday during this month leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Something which gives me the strength and fills my soul to keep going especially on the days when it’s hardest.
Elul 1:
Daily rituals, especially my morning coffee routine keep me grounded in gratitude. I know that many people don’t have the luxury of morning time to themselves; those with children, big commutes, etc., but whether in the morning or another time of day, when do you make a moment for yourself?
For me, I pause each morning to drink my first cup of coffee, before emailing, texting, and jumping into the business of the day. If the weather is nice, I pour my cup and watch the swirl of the milk, and then I go outside and check the roses in the garden and sit in my favorite spot. I savor that cup, and then it is time to go into the day.
Baruch Ata Hashem, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, she’hakol ni’hi’yeh bidvaro. Blessed are You, THE NAME, our God, sovereign of all worlds through whose word everything comes into being.
What rituals keep you grounded?
Elul 2:
“Mah nora ha’makom ha’zeh,” (Gen. 28:17), “How awesome is this place.”
One thing that keeps me going is always trying to find a moment to get outside when weather allows, and looking for something beautiful. Especially on long days with a lot of meetings, finding even just a small moment to be in nature can revitalize us.
The passage above from Genesis reminds us that when we pay attention we can find beauty in unexpected places. The verse continues, “Ein zeh ki im beit Elohim,” meaning, “this is none other than a house of G-d.” Even here we can connect.
What is something beautiful you took a photo of recently?! This mushroom photo is from Heritage woods, just west of CBS.
Elul 7:
Remembering the ancestors – Avot v’Imahot.
This picture of me and my Grandma Clarisse Eber Rifkin, z”l, from my Bar Mitzvah, is one that I cherish among many family photos of beloveds who are no longer with us.
Prior to the onset of the High Holidays there is a tradition that some observe of visiting the graves of loved ones during Elul. For those of us who live far from the resting places of our ancestors, or who aren’t able to visit for other reasons, we can spend time with old photographs, and remembering their lives, and how we were blessed by sharing time with them.
Part of remembering beloved ancestors can help us in our work of Teshuvah, of atonement, when we strive to embody the characteristics that we most admired in them.
Elul 8:
Reading books has always been a passion and escape of mine. At the end of day, or a quiet morning, I maintain there is nothing like sitting down with a good book.
Here are a few of my favorites I’ve read this year.
I’ll share on line from one of these books, “The Parable of the Sower,” by Octavia Butler:
“Create no images of God.
Accept the images
that God has provided.
They are everywhere,
in everything.
God is Change-
Seed to tree,
tree to forest;
Rain to river,
river to ocean,
grubs to bees,
bees to swarm.
From one, many;
from many, one;
Forever uniting, growing, dissolving-
forever Changing.
The Universe
is God’s self-portrait.”
What have you read this year that has inspired you!?
Elul 10:
I love this poem!
Some days, in the suburbs, we don’t have to interact with many strangers if we go from house, to car, to office, and back. When we do have those little daily human interactions with strangers, it often serves as a reminder of how people are good at heart, and want to go about their lives being kind to those they meet.
Elul can remind us as Rabbi Shammai taught, that it is mitzvah “to greet those we meet with a pleasant countenance.”
Elul 14:
In addition to checking our souls during Elul, there is a tradition to check the scrolls of your mezuzah. Checking your mezuzah scroll means making sure that all of the text on it is legible. If some letters are smudged and not legible, you can get a new scroll from the CBS gift shop!
Many mezuzot have the name of G-d, שדי (Shaddai) on them, which is an acronym for “Shomer Delatot Yisrael,” meaning “The Guardian of the Doorposts of Israel.” May this 5785, the year that is coming, be a year of protection and safety for us all, physically and spiritually.
Elul 15:
Working on High Holiday sermons in Elul..very demure…very mindful. 
Elul 17:
As someone who grew up on classic Sesame Street, I love checking back in to see how it’s evolved over the years, and I especially love seeing which guests get invited to visit.
I grew up with the Robin Williams, John Denver and others teaching me how to count, and the lucky kids watching today get to learn about all kinds of cool stuff with people like the amazing Jon Batiste.
“The Heroes in Your Neighborhood” is a good thing for us grownups to remember, too! Remembering to be grateful for all of the helpers in our cities and communities, and doing our part to be those mensches – people who help others. Sometimes, the kids have it figured out and can remind us about returning to ourselves.
Elul 23:
I have been blessed this past year to be a Rukin Rabbinic fellow for 18doors, an amazing organization that helps interfaith/multicultural households embrace and explore Judaism. I have learned a lot that has helped me in my role at CBS.
As a “Capstone” for the fellowship, I am working with the Digital Strategy Team at 18doors to create a once a month series (for 12 months) called “The Jewish Value of the Month,” as part of their parenting newsletter.
As a person without children of my own, I feel a large amount of trepidation writing something that is a part of a parenting newsletter! However, I deeply believe that all people can be teachers, so I humbly submit the first in the series, and hope that it resonates with you.
This month’s value: Yirah – Awe, which connects to Elul in that the High Holidays are known as “The Days of Awe.”