Blessings for a New Month

Rosh Hodesh by Laya Crust

Elul and September, 5776…2016

Elul and September started at about the same time on the calendar this year.

In Judaism there is a beautiful prayer we say as we greet each new month:

May it be Your will, Lord our Gd….to renew for us this coming month for good and blessing. Grant us a long life, a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical health, a life marked by reverence for heaven and dread of misdeeds, a life without shame or disgrace, a life of richness and honour, a life with love for Torah and reverence for good, a life in which our heart desires are fulfilled for good.

“Joy” by Laya Crust

September is a time of new beginnings. Students of various ages begin school and university. Employees say goodbye to the summer and start their work knowing autumn and winter are approaching.

Elul is a different type of beginning and ending. It is the beginning of looking forward to Rosh HaShana, the Jewish new year. It is a time of reflection and self improvement. The letters of the month of Elul (אלול) are the first letters in the words אני לדודי ודודי לי, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” So- Elul is a time of love…not just for our husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, but a time of giving love to those around us.

I was in the airport yesterday. A gentleman moved his luggage and then moved himself so a friend and I could sit together. I thanked him and we had a lovely conversation. At the end of the conversation he gave me his card.

As we go forward in September and in Elul, let’s remember the prayers for the new month. Let’s try to be happier, feel blessed and share our blessings with those around us. And thank-you, Chris Rudge, for your daily commitment to Random Acts of Kindness.

Have a good month filled with love, health , peace and fulfillment.

Laya

Days of Joy

art by Laya Crust

Parsha- Terumah (Exodus 25:1 – 27:19)

Haftarah-  Kings I,  5:26-6:13

This year the month of Adar began on the evening of February 9, 2016. And, we don’t have one Adar, but 2 months of Adar. Yes- it’s a Jewish leap year, a year when we add another month so that our lunar calendar lines up, more or less, with the solar calendar. It’s an interesting topic and you can read about it at  Months of the Jewish Year – My Jewish Learning  or for a more mind boggling explanation you can go to Leap years , an article from wikipedia.

Terumah might just be a perfect reading for the beginning of Adar. The parsha deals with the instructions Gd gives for building a holy sanctuary. The haftarah parallels this with a description of the work King Solomon instituted for building the Beit haMikdash, the Temple in Jerusalem.

At the beginning of the parsha Gd says, “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me contributions; you shall accept contributions for Me from every person whose heart so moves him.”  (25:2) The gifts Gd is referring to are precious building materials for the sanctuary .

The wording is precise, “אשר ידבנו ולבּו”.  “Those with a willing heart” are invited to contribute to the building of this important sanctuary.  The building materials are given with generosity and joy. Resentment won’t taint the sanctuary of prayer and guidance. The idea of giving with generosity and joy rather than giving through coercion or compulsion (like many taxes and levies) fits nicely with the joy of Adar.

Adar is called the month of joy, and so having 2 Adars means we get to celebrate 60 days of joy. What could be better? My friend Esther Gur gave a talk in which she discussed the meaning of “simcha” (joy or happiness) in the month of Adar. My interpretation of what she said is that joy or happiness is not the simplicity of laughing at jokes. It’s not the fleeting pleasure of drinking a good glass of wine; or buying a new book, piece of clothing or electronic device.  “Simcha” is related to fulfillment. When we create something beautiful or do something good- doing it from a place of generosity not from a feeling of duty- we feel “simcha” or heartfelt joy.

In these two months of Adar I hope you give yourself the opportunity to do things you really love and give you great satisfaction. Enjoy and HAPPY ADAR!

Have a Shabbat Shalom

Laya

P.S. The painting at the top is based on a ketubah from 1853 Istanbul, Turkey. It shows boats floating on the Bosphorous River. I f you want to enlarge the image at the top or the ketubah below you can click on them.