blogs/brentspodek

In Jewish thought, we have the ikar - the essential thing, and the tofel or secondary thing.

For instance, if you are having herring on a cracker, you give a blessing of gratitude on the herring, because that's the ikar, the important thing. The cracker is the tofel, the delivery system. As we all know, even the best cracker is not as important as the herring it conveys.

This is true about everything - not just appetizers.

We are very nearly at the Days of Awe (if you are planning on joining us, please register if you haven't already). Ellen is making sure all the melodies are right, Shoshana is getting the family services organized and I'm working on all the writings and teachings. It's all very important and it's all tofel. The entire liturgical and ritual enterprise of the Days of Awe is a delivery system.

The ikar, or essence, of these next two weeks is teshuva, getting in right relationship with our self, with others and with the Divine. Between now and Yom Kippor, which is two weeks from today, tell the people that you love that you love them. Acknowledge the aggravating things they do and then let them go. If you can't forget about them, call the person up and talk or write them a letter. Get yourself right with the people who populate your mind, even if they are long dead. From there, find that part of your soul that believes in transcendence and beauty and give it room and oxygen to grow.

On a practical level, we'll have family and adult services on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and Monday afternoon will be the potluck-dinner picnic/casting off of stale narratives known as Tashlich.

If you want a spiritual guide to the holidays, there is nothing better than This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared and if you want something quicker and digital, you might want to try 10Q.

Take advantage of all the tools - liturgical and digital, ancient and modern - to help reach the ikar. Just don't confuse the tools for the goal.