Elul day 4--Can I be joyful today?

Today is the 4th day of Elul.  In less than a month it will be Rosh Hashnah.  We blow shofar now to wake us up and remind us of the imminence of the Holy Day, but what about the most holy of days--the one that is NOW?

What if we recognized the holiness of TODAY?

 

What is special about today in your life?  

What are you thankful for?  

Who have you helped today?  

Who have you asked forgiveness from today?  

For whom have you prayed for healing today?  

With whom have you given or received a hug?

THIS is the day that God has made, let us celebrate and rejoice in it - “Zeh hayom asah Adonai, nagilah v'nismecha vo”

Right now I stand on the precipice with a loved one in surgery.  As I pray for healing, I look forward to hearing good news this evening, but where can I find joy RIGHT NOW?  

It’s time to relieve the babysitter and spend the afternoon with my almost four year old daughter after her first day back at school.  Today and everyday, I hope I am as grateful for the time to share with her!  Love to all.

Psalm for Wednesday and the Book of Esther

The Psalm for Wednesday is not the easiest psalm to recite.  Filled with calls for Divine Retribution and violent justice against those who oppress, it does not seem to trust human rulers to do their jobs. Crying out to the Holy One, in recent days and weeks, we have seen violence done in the name of God, hatred and malice among and between faithful of many traditions.  We have seen genocide against Christians and Jews in the Middle East and some of the last remaining Jews of Yemen (whose community has been there for 2000 years) fleeing to Israel.  Brussels, the seat of European government, has seen its supposedly multicultural and multiethnic city bombed and broken by terror and regular terror attacks in Israel have impacted tourism and everyday life.  Tonight we read the Megillah-the Book of Esther-where God’s name is never mentioned yet whose presence fills the book.  Mordechai and Esther play their holy roles and bring God and goodness amidst the chaos and the evil.  Haman is the most evil character of the story, bringing hatred and violence, yet Achashveros, is not exactly a good guy either.  Concerned only with his own pleasure, firing his first wife for being a proto-feminist (she didn’t want to dance naked on command), he signs on to the massacre of the Jews, and only allows them to defend themselves after realizing it might affect HIS life (with the death of his beloved wife).

We can easily cry out to God:

“1 O LORD, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.

2 Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth; render to the proud their recompense.”

(1917 JPS translation from: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et2694.htm)

Yet, one of the lessons of the Book of Esther, is that we have to act, too.  We depend on God, yet do God’s holy work HERE, NOW.

“16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”

The answer to the question is God--but the answer is ALSO us.  For we have God within us.  In my first interfaith chaplaincy class, students spoke about “being Jesus in the room.”  At first it sounded absolutely absurd to me, the theology did not speak to me.  Yet over time, I found so many moments when my timing was impeccable.  I found so many times when I thought my words failed me and they hit just the right note.  We all have within us Godliness.  We all have within us the possibility of a better world.  What are we doing to activate that?  How do we bring not just God’s retribution, but God’s love?

From the Jewish perspective, it’s much easier to NOT be Jewish!  Non-Jews only have 7 Noahide Laws, while we have 613 Mitzvot/Commandments.  The last of those Noahide laws demands a court system, a justice system.  It must be functional.  It must be equitable.  It cannot treat the rich and the poor differently.  It cannot treat people differently based on color or faith.  We were strangers in Egypt, so we MUST remember the stranger.

Our system of justice has major flaws.  Different drugs result in harshly different sentences.  Money allows some to face far easier terms than others.  The bail/bond system allows some to return to their normal lives while facing trial and others to remain imprisoned--losing their jobs, their lives, and even their children.  Worldwide, we do not know how to resolve terrorism.  Are we in a clash of cultures or do we ALL need better education?  How do we balance the need to remember that every soul was created in God’s image--even if that soul wants to kill us--AND remember that no one’s blood is redder than ours--that we have a right to self-defense AND should not kill innocents.

Wednesdays, we end Psalm 94 with the opening of Psalm 95, reminding us that Shabbat is coming (as it is a psalm of Kabbalat Shabbat) AND that we should sing before God, offering our Thanksgiving.

How do we offer our thanks in an imperfect world?

How do we fix the justice system?

How do we find justice for terror’s victims?

How we stop terrorism?

Do we use an iron fist or fill our quiver with love?

None of these questions have satisfactory answers.  Yet each Wednesday we ask them.  We sing the Psalm, cry out to God, and hopefully continue to improve our answers.  Justice should be swift, but mercy must also be in our arsenal.  In the interim; let us find love in all of our hearts; let us share God’s presence with all those around us; let us find hope in the words of the prophet Micah.

ח  הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם, מַה-טּוֹב; וּמָה-ה' דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ, כִּי אִם-עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת, עִם-אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

8 It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1806.htm

Amidst the violence, the hatred, the misery in this world; there is also much love, justice and peace.  Let us build up the latter so the former does not even triumph.

So much going on, yet there is still so much hope!

In the last few weeks we have seen tremendous upheaval in so many aspects of our lives, yet it is the loss of Robin Williams that prompts me to write this post.

• Anti-semitic outbreaks world wide have threatened our sense of security as Jews.
• Blood libels have been repeated by leaders of Hamas.
• Hamas has sent rockets into Israel, starting a war that took many lives and is still unresolved.
• Within our own community there have been several deaths, losses, shivas in close proximity.
• Student loans and job security are a questions for many.
• Mental Health concerns are not dealt with well in this country and remain stigmatized.

Depression and other forms of mental illness are common in our world.  They can be aggravated by every one of the stressors mentioned above.  In our country, we have a problem of inadequate mental health care AND a stigma for using such care.  Mental illness is ILLNESS.  It is not a character flaw.  It does not make a person defective.  It means they have a challenge to overcome or to manage.  Through therapy, through medication, through proper treatment, the majority of people with mental health challenges lead productive, happy and successful lives.  

One way to reduce the stigma of mental health care is to acknowledge that it is also useful for people in difficult times of their lives.  When someone is grieving, dealing with a trauma, or having a career or life difficulty; therapy, counseling, talking to a clergy person can be very helpful.  Having a non-anxious, non-judgmental person help you talk through whatever challenge you are going through can be very helpful.

In my own life, like many caregivers, I have check-ins with a therapist/counselor.  By discussing the challenging cases I see, I get assistance reminding myself of the importance of taking care of myself.  By talking to someone else, I am better able to help my community, my family, my friends and myself.

The hardest part of depression is the that when someone is in the middle of a depressive episode, they simply cannot imagine getting out of it. It can feel isolating.  A person may feel trapped, alone, without any support--even when those around are trying to help.  Yet, with the proper support, great strides are possible.  As the Talmud says, "A prisoner cannot free himself from jail."  Someone who is depressed needs the help of others to break through--yet they need to recognize the possibility of improvement.  It is not easy, but it is possible.

It does get better, but it can seem impossible at the time.  Life is worth living.

I could now include many, many biblical and rabbinic sources on the wonder and meaning of life.  While those might be happy to some, the most important number is below.  As always, I am here for you, too.

For more information, see:

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7.

If you feel you are in a crisis, whether or not you are thinking about killing yourself, please call the Lifeline. People have called us for help with substance abuse, economic worries, relationship and family problems, sexual orientation, illness, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and even loneliness.