Welcoming the Dark

Dear Friends,

I was reminded of this piece that I wrote a few years ago to welcome the month of Kislev and so am sharing it again. May this new month which just began, reveal blessings that dazzle our awareness and call us to shine.

The month of Kislev urges us to welcome the darkness,

to welcome the darkness

as a friend, a teacher, a guide.

The mind can say no.

The heart can constrict in fear

and darkness will come anyway.

What if we enter this new season with curiosity

and consider it a gateway to mystery,

where imagination flourishes,

intuition is nurtured,

and messengers, in many guises, appear.

Kislev, the darkest month of the Jewish year,

calls us to break through what the rational mine insists upon,

to see beyond habit, expectation

and all we have declared impossible.

Cultivate a courageous imagination,

kislev calls,

and lift your eyes to what darkness will reveal.

The psalmist sings:

Light shines in darkness, lights of graciousness, compassion and justice shine.

Psalm 112:4

May this month

open gates of mystery,

revealing new pathways and possibilities.

May it inspire our vision and insight

and nurture our souls with joyful courage.

Love and Blessings to all.

Rabbi Yael