L’shana tova! Happy New Year! May each of you be inscribed in the Book of Life!
Rarely am I disappointed about being Jewish–but one thing I have always envied my Christian friends for is the devotional. I has always been so jealous of the format of the devotional. It seems like a way to interact with the scripture in an accessible, meaningful context. If I had the education, I would love to construct some kind of devotional for 20-something Jews, a way to bring the vast array of heady Jewish writing into the hands and minds of my fellow Jews. But I don’t, so I’ve been on the side lines, green with envy of my Christian friends.
So imagine my pure elation when my amazing rabbi, during her phenomenal sermon this morning, tells us that our shul is going to send a monthly email with a Middah; a character trait we are challenged to incorporate into our lives. Accompanying the trait will be a series of passages both from the literature and outside of it to support our ventures. In other words, IT’S A MONTHLY, JEWISH DEVOTIONAL! A personal challenge put forth with textual context and support. I am thrilled.
As I undertake this journey of middot, I hope to see and feel changes in my life. Most importantly I want to feel closer to God.
For the month of Tishrei, we are focusing on judging everyone favorably. Stay tuned: next post I’ll discuss my interaction with this trait and honestly, it could not be more timely.
And You Shall Love 