Jewish Summertime
At Ashreynu we take some summer downtime from most services and events. Yet during this time, we hopefully carry with us – and draw upon – the great and powerful Jewish energy, meaning, honor, delight, support, spirituality, dignity, concern, learnings, artistic endeavors, connections, and joy we have accumulated, lived, and shared.
So while we may pause some Jewish activities, in being Jewish there is no downtime, for it is the very substance of who we are. As the Talmud teaches (P’sachim 50a), לְעוֹלָם יַעֲסוֹק אָדָם בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת – a person should always engage in Torah and mitzvot – i.e. Jewish living! So how in downtime do we maintain that sense of connectivity with our Jewish being and living, with our Ashreynu community, with the Jewish People and Israel, with each other?
Allow the moments of pause, breaks, and rests to be as holy and meaningful as the constancy of your regular activity is (or should be!). Find or create openings and opportunities to infuse with Jewish essence and substance what might be seen as downtime. Maintain Jewish connections, Jewishly nourish the mind, body, and soul, and purposefully encounter and engage the ongoing nature of Jewish life and living. As Torah’s ‘V’ahavta’ passage teaches us (D’varim 6:7), ...בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ – we should do all this when we sit at home (downtime) and when we walk along the way (uptime), when we lie down (downtime) and when we rise (uptime).
Spring, summer, autumn, or winter, uptime or downtime, here or there, whatever the circumstances (gratifying, challenging, tense, enjoyable), always remember and celebrate with great pride the vast and magnificent past, present, and future of the People of Israel.
All of this is wholly doable! Over the summer period, during ‘downtime,’ while embracing the big picture as your anchor, framework, foundation, and springboard, choose lots of smaller moments to mindfully do mitzvot, to maintain your Jewish connections, to live your Jewish lives!
Have a wonderful Jewish summer!
Bivracha,
Rabbi Pearl