I Can Be Swayed

These are the Days of Awe, yes. But deep within our Machzor are moments when joy and optimism break through our anxieties. I feel fortunate to be in a minyan that recognizes those moments and celebrates them as each wave of joy washes over us. There are some in my minyan who accompany the singing with gentle swaying, arms draped over one another’s shoulders. We even have some people who are jumpers when the rhythm gets lively.

I sit a couple of rows behind a father and son whom I watch each year. The dad is not old; his son is probably in his mid-20s, and they sit side-by-side. At some point in the prayer, the swell of elated emotion is too powerful to resist. The swaying is going on in groups all around them. And then this happens: They are both standing. The father gently places his hand over his son’s shoulder and begins to sway. The son stands there like Lot’s wife. He does not, God forbid shrug off his father’s loving arm but he is immovable. They don’t know this but every year I pray that this will be the year that they will sway together.

I could easily turn this into a metaphor about God putting God’s arms around us and our willingness to sway with God. Or, with considerably more temerity, I could suggest that perhaps we might put our arms around God and invite God to sway with us. That’s not what this is about. (But you see what I did there, right?)

This is a message to me, and maybe to you, too. If someone extends their feelings towards us by extending their arm around us, let’s try to sway with them. It’s increasingly rare that we share how we feel about one another, how much we care for one another. When that care comes our way, hold onto it and hold onto them. As for me, just come up on my right side because my left shoulder doesn’t work so well. That’s not a political comment. It’s just a description of my shoulder. And I wouldn’t mind your arm being around it.