Friday, October 15, 2021

Tishrei, Cheshvan and Lech Lecha

Wow! Welcome back! 

It has been an intense time this past month. Tishrei, the month with a zillion holidays (okay, not a zillion - but it felt like every other day was a holiday - yeah, okay that's true). We reconnected with Gd and family over Rosh HaShanah/Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. On Simchat Torah we finished our yearly reading of the Torah and started anew.

We're now in Cheshvan. The month after Tishrei. No holidays to celebrate. Some of us are breathing easier because we aren't making 20+ full blown meals in one month. Lol. Personally, I enjoyed the holidays, but it was definitely a marathon of cooking.

What occurred to me after finishing the month of intense connection and walking into a month of "nothing" - reminded me of something my child's speech language therapist with my child. She did intensive work with him for a few months, then gave him a month to let the work he did with her 'gel' and work on it on his own.

Elul (the month before Tishrei) and Tishrei are intense. We spend much time apologizing to friends and family for possible mistakes and how we may have mistreated them. We think about our connection to Gd and how we want to improve for the coming year. And now we're in the time of Cheshvan - the month without holidays. This is the time we want to take the work we did back in Elul and Tishrei and let it 'gel' - revisit our goals for the coming year. 

This week's parsha is Lech Lecha. The parsha where Gd tells Avram to 'go for himself' - to set out to the Land that He will show him. Where are we going? What goals have we set for ourselves? Start small - every step we take counts. No matter how small a step it is - it creates stamina for the next step we take.

Have a great Shabbos everyone!