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“If not now, when” —Pirkei Avot

Now, anyone who knows me at all has likened me to the “Energizer Bunny” of battery fame. So, I believe I am in a good position to discuss this trait.

Enthusiasm in Mussar tradition speaks to spiritual energy. It says that enthusiasm is the foundation of all the traits. This makes sense because your energy level can affect everything else in your life. How can one be generous if you lack the motivation to carry through on your intentions? Are acts of loving-kindness even possible without energy?

The Hebrew term for enthusiasm is “zerizut,” which can also be translated as zeal or alacrity. Acting with alacrity means springing forward without hesitation or obstacle. It does not mean rushing forward without thought. Instead it means that no rationalizations slow you down. You don’t put off what you need to do until another time. To do that you must have defined your priorities and know what is really important in your life and what is secondary or even expendable. Then it is possible to know what is worthy of attention and what is not. Enthusiasm also requires single-mindedness. Mussar teachers have described that the trait of zerizut depends on an inner experience that is uncluttered, clear and focused.

If we look at TE through a Mussar lens, now is the time that the Temple Emanuel community must respond with “Enthusiasm.” We are about to embark on an amazing journey of building. But this is no longer a response to a future need, but a reality of our growing and thriving community. We need to do this project in one phase and without any mortgage obligations. We must raise approximately $525,000 for the project. A monumental amount for such a small community! However, under the expert guidance of Dr. Alan Kliger, 85% of this amount has been promised by some very generous TE donors and the Federation. This means that if each of our 150 member-units contributes to the project, we will reach our goal. I know this might be a real stretch for some families, but it is what we all need to do, together. Please respond with “enthusiasm” when a member of the Board or Alan Kliger approaches you. Even better yet, approach them first. Let us all find our own inner “Energizer Bunny” to meet this challenge.

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” —Max Planck

Discussing gratitude in November is really a “batting practice fastball” as they say in baseball. After all, it is the month of our most cherished national holiday, Thanksgiving. For Jews, gratitude isn’t something for just once a year; it’s a daily practice. The Hebrew term for gratitude means “recognizing the good.” The good is already there, and so it means recognizing the gifts we already have. It means focusing on the part of the glass which is full, rather than on the part which is empty (something hard for me to do without constant reminding). It is often easier to focus on what we lack, rather than on what we have. Since there is no limit to what we don’t have, we can end up very dissatisfied with life. By reminding ourselves to be grateful, we change our perception of our lives, and with that we actually change our lives too. Even when we are aware of the gifts that surround us, we can grow immune to them and take them for granted. So gratitude requires practice.

Gratitude can make us happier and healthier. Recent studies have concluded that the expression of gratitude can have profound and positive effects on our health, our moods, and even on the survival of our marriages. Mussar practice cultivates gratitude by first having the individual identify the good and then acknowledge that it is a gift and not something that is deserved. Next gratitude involves saying “thank you” for the gift and to its source. We need to do that as individuals and as communities. So, I want to thank each and every one of the TE community for their willingness to participate, give back, pay forward, lead, follow and belong to an extraordinary group of people. This High Holy Day season I started to list some of our members who have gone over and above in their contributions to the congregation, but I know I only scratched the surface and unwittingly left many people off the list. Thank you to the 73 member units who have signed up to participate in Tikkun Olam projects. That is more than half our congregation!! Expect to hear from those project leaders in the next month. Thank you to all the members who made High Holy Day pledges above their Fair Share pledges. We have commitments for $8,972 to repair TE, $4,220 to our four special projects, and $2872 toward Israeli bonds. I am so grateful for your generosity (a trait for a later column).

Spend this month practicing gratitude and say “thank you” to every person who does something that is beneficial to you. Check out what I am describing in Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis or on the website at www.mussarinstitute.org.