Parashat Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8
Dear TBE Community,
Tomorrow we’ll be gathering for Selichot services, after a delicious dinner catered by Brent’s Deli and a much-anticipated presentation by Marc Porter Zasada about paradigms to measure the success of our lives. The name “selichot” refers to the penitential piyyutim, religious poems recited during that service and is related to the Hebrew word for forgiveness, s’licha (סליחה), that is also used to say “Sorry!” when you bump into someone by accident or want to ask for the time.
When the Selichot service comes around each year, you know that Rosh Hashana is really approaching, regardless how unprepared you may feel. Despite its liminal beauty and inwardness, Elul can be just another busy month, with end-of-summer and back-to-school hectic, and not leave as much time for “Heshbon HaNefesh”, soul-searching and reflecting. Selichot is a chance to pause, to get in the mood, as it were, for the High Holy Days.
Many of the piyyutim we’ll be chanting are standards from the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur machzorim. Among them is the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of God:
Adonai, Adonai, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, bearing iniquity, transgression and sin, and acquitting…
It is one of my favorites, the melody and the repetition, traditionally always three times at various points throughout the Days of Awe, feel meditative and transcendent. Last year, I was invited to lead an Elul writing workshop with Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge (where also Brent’s Deli is located, come to think of it!) Over three sessions we explored aspects of the Thirteen Attributes and wrote poems or pieces of memoir inspired by text study and conversation. (I would love to do that with Temple Beth El in the future! Below, I am sharing my poem that came from those writing sessions. As often, I combine the secular with images and language from liturgy as I try to express my awe for the universe and the divine as well as the desire to keep returning, to keep refining, to keep searching, all the days of my life.
Ein Gedi in Elul
Adonai Adonai
between the mourning and the morning
between your back and your veiled face
take me under your wings
as I walk this narrow canyon ledge
spread over me your wings
as I bow down to the dusty ground
refill my bottle
quench my lips
let me feel the sheltering shade
of your loving company
climb with me to the mountain top
salt sea and date orchards below
henna flowers caress my hair
spring waters cool my feet
Adonai, Adonai
between vows and regrets
between my past and future self
help me to begin again
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Julia Knobloch
rabbiknobloch@bethelsp.org
