Turn and Return

Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul.
Return to who you are, return to what you are,
return to where you are born and reborn again.
(Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach)

This Sunday evening, the month of preparation ends and Rosh Hashanah begins. We speak of the Holy Days before us, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and the ten Days of Awe in between, as opportunities for teshuvah, repentance, or more literally, return. In the lyrics above, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach beautiful captures where it is we are returning. We are not returning to a place, or to a time. We are returning to ourselves, to our souls, to who we know we have the potential to be.

For the past year, we have been observing the Year of Living Jewishly, expressed by a mitzvah (commandment) of the week. I hope your year of living Jewishly only just began and you will continue to incorporate the rituals and activities you learned about this past year. A refresher course is always available to you (you can even start over!). Each message from the past year is posted on the Rabbi’s Blog on Emeth’s website, http://www.emeth.net/news/rabbis-blog-sp-994. While the Year of Living Jewishly officially ends with this Rabbi’s Message, living Jewishly is a day-to-day, year-to-year part of who we are.

May you be blessed in the coming year with peace, happiness, health, and the love and support of family, friends, and your Emeth spiritual home.

Shana Tova,

Rabbi Debbie Israel