Often we get wrapped up in the drama of life and the myriad of details involved in managing our “selves” and our “relationships.” But “managing” is not living. Currently, while wrapped up in the details of this year’s High Holy Day preparations I had a moment of sanity. I seized this opportunity to meditate upon what these Holy Days mean to me. In the quiet breeze of sanity I heard the word “unwrapping.”
Stories are a human invention. In fact, they are what make us human. They are linguistic maps with which we endeavor to describe some aspect of reality. The most essential stories illuminate the most important question, “Why are we here?” And its very utilitarian corollary, “What should we do about it?”
The material with which we wrap our selves up is stories. They are used to control us, sometimes by ourselves, sometime by others stories direct our life energy. All of our feelings are filtered and interpreted through our stories. All of our passions are channeled through our stories.
Stories are essential to humanness, but when we are too wrapped up we are as characters in a play stuck in the same scenes with the same pathos ad nauseum. The clear view to our core being has becomes obstructed so no one know who we are, certainly not ourselves.
It is said that at this holy season the veils between the worlds thins. The material with which we are wrapped is perhaps more fragile than usual providing an opportune time for our “turning” into something new, and hopefully more authentic.
The High Holy Days at their core are a process in which we can unwrap the layers of story surrounding our heart. Some stories may be conscious, some unconscious, some seem wise and true, some seem obsolete and foolish. But, all must be unraveled, for like a tangled ball of twine we have become all knotted up inside.
Once unwrapped, we take a hard look at the naked heart. What we see may fill us with awe and fear, joy and sadness; for these are the substances that flow through the heart’s very chambers. And if we look deeply enough we might catch a glimpse of the unspeakable, the indescribable wonder that is the source of it ceaseless beating.
There is sadness in this tearing off. It is no coincidence that the word to tear and the word tear (the water of crying) are the same word. And once the wrapping is removed we may experience feelings too intense or painful for an individual to bear. Thus, we do it together because no matter how isolated and alone we feel the truth is that everything we feel others have also experienced.
We paradoxically stand alone in community. It is only at this point can we begin the process of consciously re-wrapping our heart with the living truth. We call it a holiday. And why not. Isn’t that what we do on holidays unwrap presents given to us and wrap presents up to offer another?
With these thoughts, I look forward to seeing all my friends old and still unmet this season.
L’Shanah Tova (for a good year), Jordan