At this ti
me of the year, we are in the midst of the Days of Awe. This is a particularly appropriate time to think about this Mussar trait in relationship to our community. So, have you noticed what has happened at TE in the last year? I believe it is nothing short of awesome.
Awe has been defined as the feeling of being overwhelmed by a reality greater than yourself and greater than what you encounter in ordinary life. For a moment you are over taken by an awareness that life is astounding in its reality, vastness, complexity, order, and surprise. A glorious sunset, a whale surfacing, the beauty of the forest, the wonder of the human body, and the birth of a baby are among the things that will trigger awe in all of us. Jewish tradition encourages us to pay very careful attention to the awesome experiences that punctuate our lives. Awe is not just another one in the spectrum of emotions: it is considered a key to wisdom and understanding. And with practice and attention, we can be in awe daily. Whether it’s awe of nature, awe of our responsibility in the world, or awe of the people in our lives, we just need to wake up and take notice.
So, I am in awe of our community that has come together with creativity, ingenuity, cooperation, and wisdom to create a beautiful new building, a vibrant school, and a caring community of friends: a legacy for the future.
Alan Morinis suggests that the phrase to contemplate for this Mussar trait is, “The beginning of wisdom is awe.” I certainly have the awe; now I hope I will have the wisdom to continue to move us forward as a congregation. This coming year we will consolidate our community, we will venture into the world of energy conservation with solar panels as “TE Goes Green,” we will continue the work of repairing the world, we will study more, and we will continue to enjoy each other’s company. But, we also have some hard tasks before us: we need to say goodbye to the House which has served us so well, we need to get used to smaller space, and we need to meet our expenses. I am confident we have the strength to do all this and much more.
I wish you a healthy, happy, uplifting awesome High Holyday season. Let your membership in TE foster your capability to experience awe.