Forget About You

ME.ME.ME.ME.ME.ME ME.

No, we are not doing scales on a musical instrument, or a vocal warmup. This is usually my philosophy in everything I do. Take care of you, who else would do it for you? Put yourself first, then your partner and kids and then family and friends. Get to know what brings you up and avoid what brings you down. Find yourself fascinating, give yourself attention,  nurture your whims and trust your gut.

Then there is ego, and it could take over. We have to balance the physical with the mental, emotional and spiritual. Sometimes worship of self, of money, somebody or something, pulls us deeper into the ego. FORGET ABOUT YOURSELF, Rabbi Moshe Levin said in his Facebook Live and at 14:10, he started with how it is narcissistic to always feel bad. For instance, saying sorry all the time for yourself, or feeling sorry for everyone and everything around you, is still about you!

The goal is to be a vessel that receives light, and that is what these days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are about. Dig deep, let go, do Teshuva, which is a return to your true essence. Apologize for wrong doing, face what you want to change and reconnect with loved ones.

I am finding pleasure in the present, whether it is the awe of miracles or the release of tears when deep truths touch my soul. Chabad of Rehavia organized a trip to Hevron, to the cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, Maarat Hamachpela. Words cannot begin to describe the energy and roots that I was feeling. Prayers and tears poured out of me as I put on my Kavkazi grandmother Zina’s shawl. She is my father’s mother born in the Caucasus region, Mountain Jews from Grozny, Chechnya. Her mother, my great grandmother Yehudit is my namesake, and would always visit with separate utensils. I felt their presence, and the presence of all of my ancestors all the way back to Avraham and Sarah, what an honor to be at their resting place.

My younger son and daughter had school, however my older son is home through Sukkot. His school is in the north, and to travel for a few days made no sense. Nothing in life is coincidence, a wonderful neighbor and friend has employees that are not Jewish. She needed a Jew, and my son was available, he spent the whole day helping her and our Rabbi build a Sukkah at her house and at the synagogue. According to Jewish law, certain holy commandments need Jewish supervision, such as wine and when you build huts for the Sukkot holiday. We eat and some even sleep in these temporary structures, and invite guests to celebrate feeling God’s love and protection all around us. Jews all over the world start building right after Rosh Hashana, look around and notice people in pergolas or made of other materials, decorated and full of life all around the world, no matter what the weather.

Wishing everyone a meaningful fast on Yom Kippur,

גמר חתימה טובה