by Cantor Emma Lutz
The daily reading of Psalm 27 is a custom throughout Jewish communities before, during, and after the celebration of the new year. Our sages encouraged a routine reading of this rich, conversant psalm for a total of fifty days: twenty nine days during the month of Elul (our current month leading up to Rosh Hashanah), through the ten Days of Awe and four days following, and into the subsequent weeklong festival of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah.
Although we are encouraged to read Psalm 27 throughout this entire holiday season, its words are perhaps most meaningful during this month of Elul—a time of hopefulness, receptivity, personal creativity, healing, and practice and preparation leading into to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
לוּלֵא–הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב-יְהוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים
Had I not the faith to see the goodness of God in the land of life… (Psalm 27:13)
The psalmist reminds us that there is so much sweetness promised to us in the year to come if only can open our eyes to see it. The opening word of this particular line—“luley” (lamed, vav, lamed, aleph) or “had I not”—identifies that we may be reluctant as we approach the possibilities presented by the year to come. However, when we flip this word—aleph, lamed, vav, lamed—it becomes Elul, the name of this month of preparation. We do not have to be ready for this new year overnight, but rather, our tradition encourages us to do the work of opening ourselves little by little, day by day (with the help of the reassuring words of Psalm 27). Our reluctance to transition and change is natural—we may feel anxious about the year to come or regretful about the year that has passed. And yet, deeply embedded in our psalm is the message of Elul—another year is approaching, and we have the opportunity to set these days specially aside to process the year we traveled and to prepare for the goodness that is to come.
I hope that five minutes a day with the words of Psalm 27 will serve as encouragement and inspiration to you throughout this holiday season. Wishing you a meaningful Elul.
