I Believe in What I Do (#BlogExodus, Day 1)

I’m having one of those rabbinic days.  I met with a mother this morning to discuss her son’s upcoming bris.  I’m honoring the memory of a 97-year-old woman as I conduct her funeral this afternoon.  And then I have a rehearsal with a young man for his approaching bar mitzvah.  It’s these days that span the life cycle that remind me of why I do what I do. Especially on a day where so much of my time is focused on preparation for these events, not even on the events themselves, I’m reminded of why I think these moments are important.

Because I believe in all of this.  I believe that these ritual moments, scattered throughout our lives, really work.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that there’s any sort of magic that goes along with them - or that marking these moments Jewishly has any sort of cosmic impact.  But I do believe that these moments have power.  That by taking part in these ceremonies, we are able to elevate our existence for a moment - and that we are able to find comfort, or joy, or meaning, or understanding, or insight in a different way.

I know that by welcoming a new child, a family celebrates a change in its life, but by taking part in the ritual of b'rit milah, that family is able to consider that child’s life in a different way, as the family members give themselves the opportunity to reflect on their hopes and dreams for that child. I realize that in the act of turning 13 as a Jew, one becomes bar or bat mitzvah.  But by celebrating that moment, our young people have the chance to own the prayer service in a new way and to make our tradition their own, as they grasp Torah in a new way.  And I know that everyone dies, and that every family mourns, but I feel strongly that Jewish mourning rituals are both cathartic and comforting and that they help to shape a challenging time in a powerful way.

Similarly, I believe that holidays do the same thing for a year that life cycle events do for a lifetime.  Pesach is coming--and as I prepare myself and my home and my seders, I find myself beginning to consider what meaning the holiday will hold for my life this year…and how the importance of the message will live out in my own life, in my own celebration.

As I reflect on the beginning of the month of Nisan, I celebrate the new month, and the opportunity to create sacred time--and to find meaning in both preparation and celebration.

#BlogExodus is a Passover blogging project that began on the first day of the Hebrew month Nisan and will continue until Passover. It was started by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, who encourages individuals to participate on their blogs and/or their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Learn more about how you can participate.

Originally posted at off the rekord: Ramblings and Reflections of a Reform Rabbi