Faith in the Time of COVID
In our recent “stay at home” retreat, 83 rabbis and cantors from across the country learned together on Zoom. Our theme was Faith (Emunah) as a spiritual practice. It is a way to be curious about what, or who has sustained our faith this past year during COVID.
Our inspiring teacher, Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed, scholar of Jewish Mysticism in Jerusalem, presented Israeli poets who give words to the longings in our hearts.
“Zelda” was a great mystic poet who was born in the Ukraine in 1914 and died in 1984. She is still beloved in Israel, and she is our primary focus.
What has it been like for each of us during this past year? We all have our stories, and they are alike and different in unique ways. After one year, I know I still have faith, but its embers are struggling to light my inner fire – the heart of my soul.
Zelda did not start publishing her astonishing poems until she was 56 years old. This poem about faith reflects how I feel, although it was written almost 50 years ago.
You Hid Your Soul by Zelda (1967)
You hid Your soul from me
And within me there no longer is the sound
of the full river,
that overflows its banks.
My life has been severed from song
and I shall stand in the cleft, confounded,
without sun
without moon
and without candle.
You have hidden Your soul from me
And the bread on the table is dry
and has grown stale.
We chant the 10 Commandments this Shabbat and it is a Holy time - an opportunity to renew our faith. Join us as we explore our inner lives and share our experiences of Emunah – of being held and carried by God or a loved one. Who holds us and who do we hold? Let’s open up our hearts together.
Looking forward to sharing Shabbat together this Saturday,
Rabbi August
