Hashkiveinu - Let us lie down in peace

הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְשָׁלוֹם

Hashkiveinu Adonai Eloheinu L’shalom

Let us lie down in peace O Eternal our God

As anyone who has children knows, bedtime is one of those both sacred and scary times for kids.  And I think the same is true for adults.  We all have some sort of bedtime ritual, whether it is falling asleep in front of the TV, or reading a book, or practicing some sort of relaxation exercise.  Yet, the experience of going from a state of wakefulness to sleep can be a difficult time for many of us whether we are children or adults.

Recently, a dear friend who has been ill shared just how comforting an acknowledgement of God’s presence has been to her at bedtime.  During her stay in the hospital she has recited the traditional prayers before sleep not only at night but also as she was being put under anesthesia.  Praying the words, and making this part of her nightly ritual, had helped her to not only be less fearful, she told me, but also to recognize an opportunity for blessing – that God was with her as she went from wakefulness to sleep. 

These moments of connection with God, which exist in the lull between the hours of a busy day are the most precious and the most prayerful.  As we drift off to sleep, we are all linked to the divine source of life, and ask God to bless and watch over us as we find comfort and shelter in a night of rest.


(cross-posted in Moments of Inspiration -  Lafayette Journal and Courier - March 22, 2014)

Spiritual Reflection During Elul

We are now in the month of Elul, the Hebrew month that leads us into the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days.  Many Jews use this time period to think back on the year that has passed in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. A few years ago my colleague, Rabbi Debra Orenstein, introduced me to a very meaningful spiritual tool to prepare for the Days of Awe.  The custom is to use the last 12 days of the month of Elul (this year from Sept. 5, 2012 onward) until Rosh Hashanah to review and meditate each day on one month from the last year. On the day of Erev Rosh Hashanah, you review Elul, the month just gone by.

Some people will begin each day in meditation or make a quiet space to reflect on the month they are focusing on each day.  If you are in the habit of praying the morning prayers, Rabbi Orenstein suggests that you might find this to be a particularly good time to reflect.  “The daily prayers in the Amidah, asking for wisdom, forgiveness, healing, justice, a good year, and peace, among other aspirations – create a beautiful vision against which to measure the past year.”  

This reflection can be done with a study partner, a friend or spouse, or written in a journal.   You might look in your calendar – paper or electronic, from the past year to remind yourself of where you were during each of the months of last year.
Spiritual reflection can lead to a deeper self-awareness of self, of community, of the world, because it helps us to do teshuvah – literally to return to who we really are.

We also do this kind of reflection together as a community during these Days of Awe. And when you are in synagogue for all of the services of Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, if you pay close attention to the themes that run throughout the liturgy of these days, you can see the threads of self-reflection, communal confession and prayers of selichot, asking for forgiveness. But it is really to our benefit to prepare for these 10 days before they begin and then by continuing to let the questions go through you as you go through the ten days of teshuvah – return. 

My family and I wish each of you a Shanah Tova U’Metukah, a year filled with health, joy and the sweetness of life.  May this new year of 5773 be a year of health, happiness, and growth for you and your family.