Cantor Vera's Corner
Cantor Vera's Message
September 2022
Dear kahal, dear community,
Last month Rabbi Micah Shapiro led us, in a beautiful evening of music sponsored by our Music Committee, through his song of t’shuvah: Hashiveini.* Hashiveini v’ashuvah; chadeish yameinu k’kedem. Help me return, and I’ll return; renew our days like before. The song’s two parts return over and over, renewing one another, encouraging us to revisit the spaces in our souls that need our attention.
Each of us is now deep into our season of t’shuvah, repentance/return/restitution, as we approach the Yamim Nora’im, the High Holy Days, together. On Tisha b’Av, “Hashiveinu v’nashuvah, chadeish yameinu k’kedem,”** voiced entirely in the communal “we,” started us on this seven-week journey of self-reflection. Rabbi Shapiro’s song invites me to think of t’shuvah as a process of both returning something (forgiveness, apology, what was taken, emotional energy), and re-turning ourselves. Turning ourselves over and over, looking closely, trying out new positions and perspectives on what we’ve done, and how we might want to go forward.
In Mishnah Pirkei Avot 5:22, we read: “Ben Bag Bag omeir: hafoch bah v’hafoch bah, d’chola vah.” Turn it [Torah] and turn it, for all is in it. Judaism teaches that just as the Torah holds us all—our stories and hopes and dreams—each one of us is like a Torah; we contain a world in ourself. Both we and Torah are worthy of our most attentive study. During Elul, in our t’shuvah, we turn ourselves over and over, looking closely and honestly. Sometimes we discover something new. It might be something that surprises us, provokes us, impresses us, disturbs us.
We cannot do this alone. Community is what makes a container for us to do this transformative self-reflection, this generative turning. Alone, we’d tremble like a driven leaf. We’d be afraid to fall, or to fall apart. In community, we know that we’re held—that while we are turning, someone else is there to catch us.
The medieval Spanish commentator Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (the Rambam) addresses the power of community to effect and elevate t’shuvah throughout the year, beyond the High Holy Days.
Even though t’shuvah and crying out are desirable all year, on the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, they are more desirable, and are immediately received, as it says (Isaiah 55:6): “Seek out God while God may be found.” [Call to God while God is close.] This is talking about someone who is doing teshuva alone. But whenever a community (tzibbur) is doing t’shuvah and crying out with a full heart, they are answered, as it says (D’varim 4:7): “[For what great nation is there, that has God so near to them] as Hashem our God whenever we call to Them.”***
We need one another. We need our community. That’s how our hearts expand. That’s how we can safely do this great and vulnerable work of t’shuvah. Spiritual and physical safety for our community go hand in hand and are achieved through the same best practices. Show up for each other; greet each other; get to know each other.
We’re not asked to peel back our protective layers alone, but to practice vulnerability and compassion with each other. When you come to services, in person and online; when you reach out to one another with a holiday greeting or ask after someone’s shalom, their well-being; when you sing, loud and proud, in community; when you reflect on our communal Elul writing prompts and know that others are doing the same; when you take a walk, share a meal, do a mitzvah, you’re strengthening our community’s connective tissue and your own capacity for chesed, lovingkindness. When, as one community, we call out together, God hears us. Our call creates the k’dushah, the high holiness, of these holy days. And we pray to be answered with strength and compassion and together to build, in these days, the spiritual tools that together we can wield all year long.
Let’s do this!
Shanah tovah umtukah, wishing you a beneficial and sweet year,
Cantor Vera
* Lamentations 5:22 and Jeremiah 31:18
** Lamentations 5:22
*** Mishneh Torah, Hilchot T’shuvah 2:6, Rambam
Last month Rabbi Micah Shapiro led us, in a beautiful evening of music sponsored by our Music Committee, through his song of t’shuvah: Hashiveini.* Hashiveini v’ashuvah; chadeish yameinu k’kedem. Help me return, and I’ll return; renew our days like before. The song’s two parts return over and over, renewing one another, encouraging us to revisit the spaces in our souls that need our attention.
Each of us is now deep into our season of t’shuvah, repentance/return/restitution, as we approach the Yamim Nora’im, the High Holy Days, together. On Tisha b’Av, “Hashiveinu v’nashuvah, chadeish yameinu k’kedem,”** voiced entirely in the communal “we,” started us on this seven-week journey of self-reflection. Rabbi Shapiro’s song invites me to think of t’shuvah as a process of both returning something (forgiveness, apology, what was taken, emotional energy), and re-turning ourselves. Turning ourselves over and over, looking closely, trying out new positions and perspectives on what we’ve done, and how we might want to go forward.
In Mishnah Pirkei Avot 5:22, we read: “Ben Bag Bag omeir: hafoch bah v’hafoch bah, d’chola vah.” Turn it [Torah] and turn it, for all is in it. Judaism teaches that just as the Torah holds us all—our stories and hopes and dreams—each one of us is like a Torah; we contain a world in ourself. Both we and Torah are worthy of our most attentive study. During Elul, in our t’shuvah, we turn ourselves over and over, looking closely and honestly. Sometimes we discover something new. It might be something that surprises us, provokes us, impresses us, disturbs us.
We cannot do this alone. Community is what makes a container for us to do this transformative self-reflection, this generative turning. Alone, we’d tremble like a driven leaf. We’d be afraid to fall, or to fall apart. In community, we know that we’re held—that while we are turning, someone else is there to catch us.
The medieval Spanish commentator Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (the Rambam) addresses the power of community to effect and elevate t’shuvah throughout the year, beyond the High Holy Days.
Even though t’shuvah and crying out are desirable all year, on the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, they are more desirable, and are immediately received, as it says (Isaiah 55:6): “Seek out God while God may be found.” [Call to God while God is close.] This is talking about someone who is doing teshuva alone. But whenever a community (tzibbur) is doing t’shuvah and crying out with a full heart, they are answered, as it says (D’varim 4:7): “[For what great nation is there, that has God so near to them] as Hashem our God whenever we call to Them.”***
We need one another. We need our community. That’s how our hearts expand. That’s how we can safely do this great and vulnerable work of t’shuvah. Spiritual and physical safety for our community go hand in hand and are achieved through the same best practices. Show up for each other; greet each other; get to know each other.
We’re not asked to peel back our protective layers alone, but to practice vulnerability and compassion with each other. When you come to services, in person and online; when you reach out to one another with a holiday greeting or ask after someone’s shalom, their well-being; when you sing, loud and proud, in community; when you reflect on our communal Elul writing prompts and know that others are doing the same; when you take a walk, share a meal, do a mitzvah, you’re strengthening our community’s connective tissue and your own capacity for chesed, lovingkindness. When, as one community, we call out together, God hears us. Our call creates the k’dushah, the high holiness, of these holy days. And we pray to be answered with strength and compassion and together to build, in these days, the spiritual tools that together we can wield all year long.
Let’s do this!
Shanah tovah umtukah, wishing you a beneficial and sweet year,
Cantor Vera
* Lamentations 5:22 and Jeremiah 31:18
** Lamentations 5:22
*** Mishneh Torah, Hilchot T’shuvah 2:6, Rambam
Cantor Vera's Video Teachings
Cantor Vera's Writings
D'var for Pesach 5780/2020 (video)
"Practicing Failure, Cultivating Resilience," d'var for Yom Kippur 5780/2019
D'var for Kol Nidrei 5780/2019
"Israeli and American Jewish Identity," d'var for 1st Day of Rosh Hashanah 5780/2019
"The Geir Without and Within," d'var for 1st Day of Rosh Hashanah 5779/2018
"Ki Hinei Kachomeir: Desiring our Yeitzer," for Kol Nidrei 5779/2018
Cantor Vera's Report on Trip to San Diego and Tijuana with T'ruah in July 2018
"Practicing Failure, Cultivating Resilience," d'var for Yom Kippur 5780/2019
D'var for Kol Nidrei 5780/2019
"Israeli and American Jewish Identity," d'var for 1st Day of Rosh Hashanah 5780/2019
"The Geir Without and Within," d'var for 1st Day of Rosh Hashanah 5779/2018
"Ki Hinei Kachomeir: Desiring our Yeitzer," for Kol Nidrei 5779/2018
Cantor Vera's Report on Trip to San Diego and Tijuana with T'ruah in July 2018