I was cleaning out the trunk of my car today, and what was it filled with? Purim costumes.
Purim was the last time that everything felt "normal." Now, outside it feels like the start of summer, and Purim seems a distant memory.
Back when the quarantine started, we hadn't even begun the book of Leviticus yet. Now, we're finishing it this weekend.
There was an article in Psychology Today that I highly recommend - you can read it here. It opens:
"After nine weeks of physical distancing, it seems clear that we are entering a period reminiscent of what researchers refer to as the Third Quarter Phenomenon (TQP). For individuals living in space, submarines, and Arctic research facilities, TQP is characterized by agitation, irritability, depressed mood, and decreased morale in the third quarter of periods of social isolation. These findings are particularly informative today.
"Initially, in response to sheltering in place orders, panic and preparation prevailed. Once people had settled in, a certain sort of honeymoon phase commenced. The novelty of staying home combined with the collective push, shared largely in social media, to find meaningful and productive ways to pass the time, led people to feel oddly calm. Now, as we face uncertainty about whether or not to alter our distancing routines, symptoms of TQP are becoming evident."
When we finish reading a book of the Torah, we all chant together the phrase, "Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek." "Be strong, be strong, and be strengthened." (You could translate this a few ways, but they all amount to this basic idea.) The concept here is that we need a lot of strength to move forward in life.
I think that the tradition is thinking of Third Quarter Phenomenon. Honestly, most of the Torah is about the Israelites wandering in the desert. The stories are largely about people who are living in a space of stress, fear, and waiting. When we finish a book of the Torah, we're reminding ourselves: we need strength in this kind of situation.
We need strength to do self-care. We need strength to move through time. We need strength to be loving. We need strength to go outside. The most basic tasks right now are not easy for us, and the Torah is telling us: it is a religious goal to have strength.
This weekend, I want you to try to feel some strength. Use it to go outside. Or use it to meditate. Or use it to read the article I linked to earlier. Think about times in your life when you have been challenged and have had to be strong. Think about ancestors or friends who inspire you.
You are stronger than you think. We all are. I know that you can face this: keep filling yourself with strength, and love, and hope.
Shabbat Shalom,
