Pushing through the Clouds
It seems like that kind of week. Looming deadlines, last minute issues, trying to get everything done before the end of the school year. A feeling in the air of mixed anticipation and exhaustion. Friends, family, and community members expressing the same sentiment: A little bit of June gloom has seeped into life and there is a natural wistfulness for the sun to shine through the clouds.
Sometimes, our mental and spiritual quotient is spent on Monday and Shabbat feels very far away. The question becomes, “Where does one refuel?” How do we sustain our spirit when the tank feels a bit empty?
At morning minyan, my eyes wandered to the following piece of Midrash: Rabbi Yitzhak said, “Two things are in God’s hands—the soul and justice…Says the Holy One: ‘You watch out for justice and I will watch over your souls.’” Meaning, God is looking for ways to feed our hearts and inspire our minds. The openings for resurgence exist all around us. We need to train ourselves to be ready for refueling.
But the nourishment of our souls seems conditional. God holds us…only if we are willing to hold each other. Or rather, perhaps God is teaching us a lesson. It is when we do God’s work, pursuing justice for others when our souls feel most satiated. Persisting through each day with the purpose of bettering this world might be the very best way to feed a hungry spirit.
Waiting for the gloom to rise requires way too much patience. God reminds us: push through the clouds…then you will see the sun.
Shabbat Shalom
