Rabbi Debra OrensteinDay 2 - Birthday of the World, again
The anniversary of Creation is on Rosh Hashanah, but that anniversary also occurs, in another sense, each and every day. Jews declare in prayer each morning that God “in beneficence, daily renews the enactment of Creation.” The High Holidays are about rebirth, even more than they are about birth. Only God creates ex nihilo. We human beings restore, renew, recommit, reinvent, and are reborn – when we reawaken and remember.
Yesterday, you recalled and recorded moments of awe from the last 12 months. Today, review that list, and see if you can reclaim the awe, anew. Look for themes or commonalities among the moments of awe. Is there a type of experience or an inner mood or mindset that tends to trigger awe for you? What were your feelings or observations during moments of awe? How did you relate to yourself, other people, God, and/or the universe?
Can you deliberately revive those inner attitudes in this new and precious moment?
The answer is yes. With no changes at all in the external world, awe can be reborn in you.
