Tuning In To Elul

(א) מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י לֹ֣א אֶחְסָֽר׃ (ב) בִּנְא֣וֹת דֶּ֭שֶׁא יַרְבִּיצֵ֑נִי עַל־מֵ֖י מְנֻח֣וֹת יְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃ (ג) נַפְשִׁ֥י יְשׁוֹבֵ֑ב יַֽנְחֵ֥נִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי־צֶ֝֗דֶק לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֽוֹ׃ (ד) גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑י שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי׃ (ה) תַּעֲרֹ֬ךְ לְפָנַ֨י ׀ שֻׁלְחָ֗ן נֶ֥גֶד צֹרְרָ֑י דִּשַּׁ֖נְתָּ בַשֶּׁ֥מֶן רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י כּוֹסִ֥י רְוָיָֽה׃ (ו) אַ֤ךְ ׀ ט֤וֹב וָחֶ֣סֶד יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִי כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֑י וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְּבֵית־יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃

Psalms 23

Translation by Rabbi Richard N. Levy

Adonai, my shepherd:

I lack for nothing--

In meadows thick with grass

You lay me down,

across streams serene You guide me.

My life You restore,

Leading me serenely in well-worn

paths of justice to glorify Your name.

Even though I walk in a valley dark with death's shadow

I shall fear no ferocity,

For you are with me,

Your staff and your walking stick--

they reassure me.

You set a table before me along with my enemies.

You rain rich oils 'round my head;

My cup? Overflowing!

For certain, goodness and the love of your covenant

Will run after me all the days of my life,

And I shall abide in God's house

For long days,

Long long days.

The Psalm speaks powerfully to us...encouraging us to ask what it would take to say with the poet, "I lack for nothing." It encourages us to be in touch with the lamb within us, with our weakness, with our need sometimes to put all of our trust in God, to imagine in times when we want most to be cared for, that God is laying us down too in sweet, unmown pastures thick with grass. The Psalm encourages us to put aside our wrestling with whether we have the courage or the wisdom to do justice, and let the words of God guide us to give tzedakah without fear that we will give away too much, to extend hospitality without the anxiety that we will be taken advantage of, to fight for the poor and the homeless and the war-torn without the terror that we will lose our job our our standing in the community. "You lead me serenely in paths of justice."--let us allow God to do that. - Rabbi Richard N. Levy, Songs Ascending
Imagine God laying you down in "sweet, unmown pastures thick with grass." The sun shines on your face. The clouds travel in the sky above your head. Your skin feels warm. Birds sing. How does your skin feel as it brushes up against the grass? Stretch out your legs and your arms. How far can they reach?
When have you felt the calm and safety that this scene hints at?
How would you pursue justice if you weren't afraid, if you knew God was with you and that you would succeed?

תהילים צ׳

(א) תְּפִלָּה֮ לְמֹשֶׁ֪ה אִֽישׁ־הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים אֲ‍ֽדֹנָ֗י מָע֣וֹן אַ֭תָּה הָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֗נוּ בְּדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃ (ב) בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀ הָ֘רִ֤ים יֻלָּ֗דוּ וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל אֶ֣רֶץ וְתֵבֵ֑ל וּֽמֵעוֹלָ֥ם עַד־ע֝וֹלָ֗ם אַתָּ֥ה אֵֽל׃ (ג) תָּשֵׁ֣ב אֱ֭נוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּ֑א וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וּבוּ בְנֵי־אָדָֽם׃ (ד) כִּ֤י אֶ֪לֶף שָׁנִ֡ים בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ כְּי֣וֹם אֶ֭תְמוֹל כִּ֣י יַעֲבֹ֑ר וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה בַלָּֽיְלָה׃ (ה) זְ֭רַמְתָּם שֵׁנָ֣ה יִהְי֑וּ בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר כֶּחָצִ֥יר יַחֲלֹֽף׃ (ו) בַּ֭בֹּקֶר יָצִ֣יץ וְחָלָ֑ף לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב יְמוֹלֵ֥ל וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃ (ז) כִּֽי־כָלִ֥ינוּ בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃ (ח) שת [שַׁתָּ֣ה] עֲוֺנֹתֵ֣ינוּ לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ לִמְא֥וֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ׃ (ט) כִּ֣י כָל־יָ֭מֵינוּ פָּנ֣וּ בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּלִּ֖ינוּ שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ כְמוֹ־הֶֽגֶה׃ (י) יְמֵֽי־שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ בָהֶ֥ם שִׁבְעִ֪ים שָׁנָ֡ה וְאִ֤ם בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀ שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים שָׁנָ֗ה וְ֭רָהְבָּם עָמָ֣ל וָאָ֑וֶן כִּי־גָ֥ז חִ֝֗ישׁ וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃ (יא) מִֽי־י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃ (יב) לִמְנ֣וֹת יָ֭מֵינוּ כֵּ֣ן הוֹדַ֑ע וְ֝נָבִ֗א לְבַ֣ב חָכְמָֽה׃ (יג) שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה עַד־מָתָ֑י וְ֝הִנָּחֵ֗ם עַל־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃ (יד) שַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ בַבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּכָל־יָמֵֽינוּ׃ (טו) שַׂ֭מְּחֵנוּ כִּימ֣וֹת עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת רָאִ֥ינוּ רָעָֽה׃ (טז) יֵרָאֶ֣ה אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗ עַל־בְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ (יז) וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃

Psalms 90

(1) A prayer of Moses, the man of God. O God, You have been our refuge in every generation. (2) Before the mountains came into being, before You brought forth the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity You are God. (3) You return humanity to dust; You decreed, “Return you mortals!” (4) For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that has passed, like a watch of the night. (5) You engulf people in sleep; at daybreak they are like grass that renews itself; (6) at daybreak it flourishes anew; by dusk it withers and dries up. (7) So we are consumed by Your anger, terror-struck by Your fury. (8) You have set our iniquities before You, our hidden sins in the light of Your face. (9) All our days pass away in Your wrath; we spend our years like a sigh. (10) The span of our life is seventy years, or, given the strength, eighty years; but the best of them are trouble and sorrow. They pass by speedily, and we are in darkness. (11) Who can know Your furious anger? Your wrath matches the fear of You. (12) Teach us to count our days rightly, that we may obtain a wise heart. (13) Turn, O God! How long? Show mercy to Your servants. (14) Satisfy us at daybreak with Your steadfast love that we may sing for joy all our days. (15) Give us joy for as long as You have afflicted us, for the years we have suffered misfortune. (16) Let Your deeds be seen by Your servants, Your glory by their children. (17) May the favor of our God be upon us; let the work of our hands prosper, O prosper the work of our hands!

"Fourth of July" by Sufjan Stevens
The evil it spread like a fever ahead
It was night when you died, my firefly
What could I have said to raise you from the dead?
Oh could I be the sky on the Fourth of July?

Well you do enough talk
My little hawk, why do you cry?
Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn?
Or the Fourth of July?
We're all gonna die

Sitting at the bed with the halo at your head
Was it all a disguise, like Junior High
Where everything was fiction, future, and prediction
Now, where am I?
My fading supply

Did you get enough love, my little dove
Why do you cry?
And I'm sorry I left, but it was for the best
Though it never felt right
My little Versailles

The hospital asked should the body be cast
Before I say goodbye, my star in the sky
Such a funny thought to wrap you up in cloth
Do you find it all right, my dragonfly?

Shall we look at the moon, my little loon
Why do you cry?
Make the most of your life, while it is rife
While it is light

Well you do enough talk
My little hawk, why do you cry?
Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn?
Or the Fourth of July?
We're all gonna die

We're all gonna die
We're all gonna die
We're all gonna die
We're all gonna die
We're all gonna die
We're all gonna die
We're all gonna die

Is this a hopeful psalm or a depressing one?...But crucial to the speculation about life in this psalm is a request that God let us know how to make our days count. This is a psalm that suggests that we experience the petitions of the poet as though they were granted in our lives: to feel God's love every morning as we awake and begin our day; to search within our afflictions for the joys that God has to show us, but that they may be covered up; to look for evidence of the work of God; to explore how we may be better servants of God...Whether this is a hopeful psalm or not depends on us--on our ability to look for God's compassionate, joy-providing presence in the world. - Rabbi Richard N. Levy, Songs Ascending
What do you think? Is this a hopeful Psalm or a depressing one? Why?
Yom Kippur is the one time in the Jewish year when we are encouraged to do the important work of facing our own mortality. We confront the fact that this upcoming year could be our last, so we better make our time count. Knowing this (and perhaps given the strange circumstances of our present moment) how do you want to take charge of your life in the days ahead?

תהילים ל״ב

(א) לְדָוִ֗ד מַ֫שְׂכִּ֥יל אַשְׁרֵ֥י נְֽשׂוּי־פֶּ֗שַׁע כְּס֣וּי חֲטָאָֽה׃ (ב) אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי אָדָ֗ם לֹ֤א יַחְשֹׁ֬ב יְהוָ֣ה ל֣וֹ עָוֺ֑ן וְאֵ֖ין בְּרוּח֣וֹ רְמִיָּה׃ (ג) כִּֽי־הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי בָּל֣וּ עֲצָמָ֑י בְּ֝שַׁאֲגָתִ֗י כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ד) כִּ֤י ׀ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַיְלָה֮ תִּכְבַּ֥ד עָלַ֗י יָ֫דֶ֥ךָ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְשַׁדִּ֑י בְּחַרְבֹ֖נֵי קַ֣יִץ סֶֽלָה׃ (ה) חַטָּאתִ֨י אוֹדִ֪יעֲךָ֡ וַעֲוֺ֘נִ֤י לֹֽא־כִסִּ֗יתִי אָמַ֗רְתִּי אוֹדֶ֤ה עֲלֵ֣י פְ֭שָׁעַי לַיהוָ֑ה וְאַתָּ֨ה נָ֘שָׂ֤אתָ עֲוֺ֖ן חַטָּאתִ֣י סֶֽלָה׃ (ו) עַל־זֹ֡את יִתְפַּלֵּ֬ל כָּל־חָסִ֨יד ׀ אֵלֶיךָ֮ לְעֵ֪ת מְ֫צֹ֥א רַ֗ק לְ֭שֵׁטֶף מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים אֵ֝לָ֗יו לֹ֣א יַגִּֽיעוּ׃ (ז) אַתָּ֤ה ׀ סֵ֥תֶר לִי֮ מִצַּ֪ר תִּ֫צְּרֵ֥נִי רָנֵּ֥י פַלֵּ֑ט תְּס֖וֹבְבֵ֣נִי סֶֽלָה׃ (ח) אַשְׂכִּֽילְךָ֨ ׀ וְֽאוֹרְךָ֗ בְּדֶֽרֶךְ־ז֥וּ תֵלֵ֑ךְ אִֽיעֲצָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יךָ עֵינִֽי׃ (ט) אַל־תִּֽהְי֤וּ ׀ כְּס֥וּס כְּפֶרֶד֮ אֵ֤ין הָ֫בִ֥ין בְּמֶֽתֶג־וָרֶ֣סֶן עֶדְי֣וֹ לִבְל֑וֹם בַּ֝֗ל קְרֹ֣ב אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (י) רַבִּ֥ים מַכְאוֹבִ֗ים לָרָ֫שָׁ֥ע וְהַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ בַּיהוָ֑ה חֶ֝֗סֶד יְסוֹבְבֶֽנּוּ׃ (יא) שִׂמְח֬וּ בַֽיהוָ֣ה וְ֭גִילוּ צַדִּיקִ֑ים וְ֝הַרְנִ֗ינוּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

Psalms 32

(1) Of David. A maskil. Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered over. (2) Happy the man whom God does not hold guilty, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (3) As long as I said nothing, my limbs wasted away from my anguished roaring all day long. (4) For night and day Your hand lay heavy on me; my vigor waned as in the summer drought. Selah! (5) Then I acknowledged my sin to You; I did not cover up my guilt; I resolved, “I will confess my transgressions to God,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah! (6) Therefore let every faithful man pray to You upon discovering [his sin], that the rushing mighty waters not overtake him. (7) You are my shelter; You preserve me from distress; You surround me with the joyous shouts of deliverance. Selah! (8) Let me enlighten you and show you which way to go; let me offer counsel; my eye is on you. (9) Be not like a senseless horse or mule whose movement must be curbed by bit and bridle; far be it from you! (10) Many are the torments of the wicked, but he who trusts in God shall be surrounded with favor. (11) Rejoice in God and exult, O you righteous; shout for joy, all upright men!

"The Ghosts that We Knew" by Mumford and Sons
You saw my pain, washed out in the rain
Broken glass, saw the blood run from my veins
But you saw no fault no cracks in my heart
And you knelt beside my hope torn apart
But the ghosts that we knew will flicker from you
And we'll live a long life
So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'Cause oh that gave me such a fright
But I will hold as long as you like
Just promise me we'll be alright
So lead me back
Turn south from that place
And close my eyes from my recent disgrace
'Cause you know my call
We'll share my all
Now children come and they will hear me roar
So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'Cause oh that gave me such a fright
But I will hold as long as you like
Just promise me we'll be alright
But hold me still bury my heart on the cold
And hold me still bury my heart on the cold
So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'Cause oh that gave me such a fright
But I will hold on as long as you like
Just promise me that we'll be alright
But the ghosts that we knew made us blackened or blue
But we'll live a long life
And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view
And we'll live a long life

Awareness that we have sinned is a painful state. This psalm describes the wicked as suffering from such afflictions--which may be as wretched as feeling our bones wearing away, or our life-juices drying up. Yet most of us are not wicked. We are a lot like the poet--a person who is basically good, trustworthy, who makes mistakes, serious enough to be considered sins. But there is only one thing worse than being aware of our sins--it is failing to be aware of them, when, in the words of this psalm, we risk becoming as morally dense as a horse or a mule, who must be restrained so that we will not harm others. -Rabbi Richard N. Levy, Songs Ascending
When you look back at the year past, where have you missed the mark? How did you try to hide this missed mark? From yourself and from God?
Both the psalm and the song argue that sharing the honest truth about our missed marks leads to a brighter, happier future. Do you agree? How can you be more honest with yourself, with others, and with God?