As I write this I learned Gloria Steinem just died. She was a phenomenal woman who did so much as a feminist to make things better. One of her most lasting pieces of advice was “Be in the room.” When the world makes so much available online, nothing compares — so she explained — to gathering in real time. In a room together. I love this, and have seen the sparks that fly when we do gather in person. Nothing beats it. And with Rosh Hashanah around the corner I love this pearl of wisdom from her. Let’s be in the room together.
Shabbat Netzavim is this week:
כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא. לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה. וְלֹא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבׇר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה. כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ
Surely, this mitzvah, this idea of repentance that I compel you to take on this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and teach us and make us do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and teach us and make us do it?”
I love this verse. Many love this verse because, in a nutshell, it reminds us that Jewish life and commitment do not have to be difficult or beyond our reach. We read it as we enter the season of the High Holidays, always with the hope that we will make meaning from it, whoever we are. It is a reminder that we can shape this Jewish life and soul work into what we need it to be.
This is our last Torah reading before Rosh Hashanah and in the evening, we will gather again for Selichot. I love this quiet, candlelit opportunity this Saturday night — the last one before Rosh Hashanah — to remind ourselves what this is all about.
I hope you might join us for some soul-reckoning, a reminder of the tunes you probably love and the changing of our scroll covers to white in such a deeply symbolic act. Sometimes ritual just writes itself.
Wishing you well on this 22nd day of Elul.
Shabbat shalom,
Rebecca
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