Here are seven things I understand about my soul:- My soul is pure. As we recite in the morning liturgy, Elohai, n'shaman shenatata bi t'horah hi. My God, the soul You have given me is pure.
- My lifelong eagerness to please and my aversion to risk live in my soul.
- My fear of failure -- sometimes paralyzing -- also lives in my soul.
- My soul sings and dances to klezmer music and to Yiddish and Israeli folk songs.
- My soul gets bruised every time I miss the mark -- with gossip, impatience, indifference, laziness, stubbornness, untruths, and the many other Al Cheits with which I batter it throughout the year.
- It is a constant struggle to protect my own soul from battery -- by me and others -- while not bruising and abusing the souls of the people I love and hold most dear. Understanding this struggle -- and working year-round to maintain a balance -- may be what it means to be a good Jew.
Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima,this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year.
