We experience transformation through the Yamim Tovim—when we are present in mind and heart.
Month: Tishrei
Mazel: Scale
Human Faculty: Touch
In Elul, the alarm clock rang out. “Ben Adam, mah lecha nirdam?” Why are you asleep? We attempted to arouse ourselves in the Selichos.
Tishrei is when we jump up from bed, wide awake. We throw off the blanket and choose wakefulness over slumber, aliveness over deadness. We’re not rubbing our eyes while reaching for the snooze button. Rather, we move straight into wakefulness, shedding all vestiges of slumber. It’s not a coincidence that Rosh Hashanah is the only Yom Tov at the start of the month. That’s because Rosh Hashanah sets the tone for the entire chodesh. As the Rambam explains, the purpose of the shofar is “Arise you sleepers from your slumber!” There’s so much to gain! So much to absorb! Take it all in. Next comes Yom Kippur, when we’re once again reminded, through the words Hashem says to the Navi Yona: Stop running away from your mission, from your reality! When Yona fell asleep on the ship, Hashem roused him awake. The message was clear: Be where you are meant to be, in body, mind, and heart.
Saturated with Yamim Tovim that are meant to sustain us for the rest of the year, Tishrei is the time when we want to be constantly present, awake and ready to absorb the essence of every Yom Tov. The month starts with Rosh Hashanah, when we re-accept Hashem’s sovereignty, and segues through Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and Simchas Torah, each of them intended to suffuse us with another spiritual boost. What is our avodah at this time of year? To be present to the spiritual gifts so we can absorb them at their highest capacity.
What does presence mean? The answer is simple: both my mind and my heart are fully engaged in this moment. My mind is clear of distracting thoughts, and my heart is open to feel. We get to practice this experience on the very first day of the year: At tekias shofar. When the shofar blows, all is still. Everyone is uber-focused on one sound—a cry from the heart. A cry that yearns for more. More bracha, more goodness, more closeness to Hashem. The human faculty correlated to Tishrei is touch, which represents closeness and deeper connection—how appropriate for a month that is centered on increasing kirvas Elokim.
This beautiful combination of a quiet mind and a flowing heart is what enables us to experience the nochach pnei Hashem, being present to the Ribono shel Olam. (As well, it is the secret to being present to all other relationships in our lives.)
Interestingly, since presence is the essence of Shabbos, Chazal deemed it unnecessary for the shofar to be blown when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, like this year. Shabbos is intended to be a time of decreased distractions so the mind can focus exclusively on our relationship with Hashem and coming closer to Him. It is also a time when we are encouraged to feel more pleasure, whether through increased avodas Hashem, or through the seudos, zemiros, and other emotion-inducing activities that Shabbos invites into our life.
Want to tap into the spiritual propensity of this month? Allow yourself to be awake, one moment at a time. It is the only way to amass the riches that this month is here to give us. We don’t want Tishrei to pass over us; we want it to penetrate into our bones and carry us through the year.
Here’s how to maximize the potential of this month:
1.
Once Per Day This Month.
Make presence your focus for just one minute (the more, the better, but start with this). The good news is that while presence is most easily achieved when our environment is conducive to it—such as a quiet room or a calm place—it is a state we are able to reach anywhere, anytime, as long as our mind and heart are in it. So, either choose to go to a quiet place, or make up your mind to experience presence wherever you find yourself, fading out the sounds and sights around you.
2.
Quiet Your Mind.
Yes, Tishrei tends to be especially busy for most of us—which only makes this exercise even more of a necessity than a luxury. You may find that your mind is overflowing with thoughts about this and that, tasks that need to get done, opinions on those around you… Take a deep breath and allow all racing thoughts to quiet down, to fade into the background.
3.
Choose One Singular Experience to Focus on.
Be fully present to this particular experience.
For just one minute (at least), channel all your thoughts and all your emotions toward this one singular spiritual experience relating to the Yom Tov you’re preparing for or are currently in. You may choose to have your moment of “wakefulness” when you’re engaged in a mitzvah or minhag relating to the chag, such as while dipping the apple in the honey, doing kapparos, or watching the hakafos. Your focus becomes the internal experience: what thoughts you have around this experience and what it feels like in your heart. This, and only this.
What best enables us to be present in this experience is to use the tool of visual imagery. As Rav Dessler, among other sefarim teaches, our imagination has the power to bring a scene to life both in our mind and our heart. For example, if you’re in the process of cooking or running “just one more” errand before Sukkos, or you’re already sitting in the Sukkah, tune out the sounds and sights around you and simply picture that you’re currently in Hashem’s embrace. As Shlomo Hamelech writes in Shir Hashirim, “His left hand is under my head, and His right arm embraces me.” Close your eyes (even figuratively) and just picture that. Breathe into it. Wow, what a moment! Allow yourself to feel the love, feel the togetherness, to be overwhelmed by the warmth of His embrace. That, my dear sisters, is presence. That, my dear sisters, is being awake.
Doing this exercise is especially beautiful during a month when 1. The mind races non-stop through our oversized to-do list and 2. We may be more emotionally triggered than usual by those around us. It’s the positive, flowing emotions that we want more of. What a gift!
In its root language, the word Tishrei means beginning. May this be the start of a beautiful new year, dear sisters. A year of increased simchah, more fulfilled relationships, and more presence. As we beseech on Rosh Hashanah, “[Hashem], create for me a pure heart and a spirit that is steadfast renew for me…”
When we are blessed to be “awake,” we get to experience life in full color. Every Yom Tov, every ritual, takes on layers of meaning and fills us with such purpose and joy. By giving ourselves the gift of presence as we live through Tishrei, we’ll look back and see how much we’ve enjoyed, grown, and connected to the spirit of the time. That’s true living. A simchas Yom Tov to you all!
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