Dear chevrei (friend),
I am in preparation mode. We, as a community and as an entire Jewish people, are in preparation mode. Today is the 39th day of the Omer, that 49-day period from Passover to Shavuot when we prepare to receive Torah. And our 10th graders are preparing for their confirmation on the eve of Shavuot. But how exactly do we all prepare? Are we really just waiting for something to happen at a later date—Shavuot in 11 days? A new Rabbi joining our community in a few months? The beginning of Summer? The High Holidays to come in the fall on Labor Day? The end of the pandemic?
The Jewish answer is clearly, “No.” The best way to reach those milestones is to prepare. So, for now we count the Omer. Our tradition gives different qualities to each day and to each week of the Omer. This is not just an exercise. Each day may seem in so many ways, just like the one before it. But what makes each day unique is more than a number. Each day, we actively participate in life, actively engage in preparation. We must count and take account in order to be present in each day, each moment.
This concept relates to our prayer as well. It is easy to see the keva of our prayers, the fixed nature. The prayer book is a printed publication. The words do not change day-to-day. But the prayers must be recreated anew each and every service. The words only become prayer when we say them aloud or in our hearts. That’s what I love about music as well: unlike many other art forms (painting, photography, writing), music requires active creation every time we engage in it. We may sing the same songs, pray the same words, but each time we create them anew for that day. We don’t just count, but we take account of each day, each moment.
Looking forward to Shabbat,
