Pausing Twice As Hard

Friday, October 6th | 21 Tishrei 5784

Shabbat Shalom & Chag Sameach!

My first year working for Hillel, I was the staff member in charge of all things Jewish Holidays. However, I quickly learned that there was so much I did not know about Jewish Holidays, and that became clear to my boss somewhat early in our time working together. I recall a supervision meeting where we were brainstorming ideas for Sukkot programming. I was probably already exhausted from the marathon start of the year, and my creative brain was unable to come up with anything other than a classic “Pizza in the Hut” program.

That’s when my boss took a step back and asked me, “Do you know what the holiday of Sukkot is about?” I responded quickly with the typical, “I mean, yeah. We learned about it in Sunday School. You spend time outside in a Sukkah and shake the lulav and the etrog.” This turned into a deeper conversation about the incredible themes Sukkot has to offer - everything from welcoming the stranger, to the power of joy and vulnerability, the power of home, and more.

Without asking, it was definitely clear to my boss that I had absolutely no idea what Shemini Atzeret was about either. I mean…what are the odds you’ve heard of it, or can explain it to someone new? This is my attempt: It happens at the very tail end of the Tishrei marathon - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, 8 days of Sukkot, and before Simchat Torah, the birthday of the Torah, we have Shemini Atzeret, the final day of Sukkot, that actually is happening today!

In an OneTable email I received from my sweet friend Talia earlier this week, she explained this holiday so beautifully. She explains that In Hebrew, “Shemini” means “eighth,” and the word “Atzeret” can be interpreted as “assembly” or “to pause.” Simply put, this day invites us to do what Shabbat invites us to do, too. Tonight we should pause twice as hard, before we return to the craziness of the coming week yet again. This holiday comes at an important time, during the end of the harvest festival, Sukkot, a week long gathering in Sukkahs with our finest dining utensils, to embrace the joy around us, and says, okay we have one more day to do enjoy this feeling, this celebration, this joy. To pause, and enjoy.

“This is a day of holy pausing.

The oneness that connects every living thing is saying:

Slow down and be,

And the end of the High Holidays,

An intense cycle of spiritual work,

This is our time to just be with each other for one more day”

-Adapted from the Netiovot Shalom

This is why I love the Jewish calendar. Sometimes it always seems to know exactly what I need, even before I know it myself. This week I came up for air for the first time in quite some time. I finally was able to see my need for deep rest, after almost a year of just getting through the next thing on my calendar. Finally, there’s not THAT much on my calendar (but there’s always something new, of course) - but I’m realizing there is much to benefit from having less on the calendar sometimes. To put myself back on the top of my list. To slow down and be, like the poem above says.

This Shabbat, my question for you to ponder is:

What does it look like, feel like, and mean to you to “slow down and be?”

This Shabbat, I’ll be working on discovering my answer. When you figure it out, I’d love to know what comes up for you.

Wishing you the most slow and meaningful Shabbat, and Shemini Atzeret!

Ethically,

Emily