Tashlikh Podcast 5781 Rabbi Phil Bressler

Tashlikh Podcast 5781 Rabbi Phil Bressler Shanah tovah! Thank you for downloading this self-guided Tashlikh podcast, presented by Beit Am – the Jewish community of Oregon's Mid-Willamette Valley. I'm Rabbi Phil Bressler As we enter the new year 5781, we face unprecedented challenges in the form of COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires that have made the air outside hazardous and unhealthy. Gathering together in person for High Holiday services OR the ritual of Tashlikh just isn't safe this year. That's why we've prepared this audio guide – to support you in carrying out your own ritual, in a way that's comfortable and safe for you. No books or printouts required – just your phone or mp3 player, headphones if you like, and something symbolic to cast into the water. Before we begin, here are some suggestions for how to create a mindful and meaningful experience: Look for a natural body of water that you can access easily. Tashlich involves symbolically casting off your sins into a body of water like a river, spring, lake, pond, or well. Most people prefer natural, flowing bodies of water because it gives the effect of your sins being swept away by the current. Remember, it’s acceptable to perform Tashlich even if you can see the water only from a distance. If you can, find a body of water with fish living in it. Fish have a special symbolism for Tashlich. Just as fish can suddenly find themselves caught in nets, so too do we humans sometimes unintentionally find ourselves caught in bad habits or situations that lead us to act in ways we regret. Although Tashlikh is traditionally performed on Rosh Hashanah, if you’re unable to perform the ceremony on Rosh Hashanah itself, or if the area near the water is too crowded to allow for social distancing, you can still do Tashlich any day during the Days of Awe until Yom Kippur. Many of us have cast crumbs of bread into the water for Tashlikh in years past. However, we now know that bread can be harmful to ducks who ingest it. Instead, consider casting corn or peas (canned, frozen, or fresh), seeds, oats, or rice. Small stones or twigs also work nicely. Our feathered friends thank you for your consideration. Can’t leave home at this time? If you can’t access a body of water, run water from a faucet into a sink or bowl, or use an outdoor hose. You can use dissolvable paper and write down a misdeed or regret from the past year and dissolve it in the running water. If you don’t have dissolvable paper, sprinkle salt or sugar into the running water as you would bread into a pond. Examine what you’ve struggled with in the past year. The High Holy Days are a period of introspection, and Tashlich invites you to reflect on your behavior throughout 5780. The word for “sin” or “mistake” in Hebrew is cheit. It comes from the language of archery — to sin is to miss the target. All of us have times - many times - when we fail to live up to our best intentions. Whether you “missed the mark” by acting knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself during this period of review. Take a meditative walk. After you’ve thought about your actions over the past year, take some time to consider how you can improve in the upcoming year. Many Jews recommend taking a walk and meditating to think of ways that you can change your behavior. Keep in mind, however, that the goal of Tashlich is to move forward in the year, rather than to dwell on the past. With these suggestions in mind, you can pause the recording here and take the time you need to prepare, and travel to wherever it is you plan to go. When you're ready, press play once again and listen or sing along with me through these preparatory melodies. Eli, Eli Hanna Senesh, David Zehavi אִלל,יי, אִלל,יי O Lord, my God Eli, Eli של לאא י,יגםמִל ר לעעולםם I pray that these things never end shelo yigamer l'olam היחול ועהייםם The sand and the sea hachol v'hayam ר,י שע רוש לשל הימיי,ים The rush of the waters rishrush shel hamayim קבערי הישםמיי,ים The crash of the heavens b'rak hashamayim תעפ,י לית הםאםדם ם The prayer of the heart t'filat ha'adam Return Again Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul (x2) Return to who you are Return to what you are Return to where you are Born and reborn again (x2) Individual Reflection Start to think back through this past year. Let images enter and exit your mind. Small moments, meaningful moments, smells, pictures, and faces. Think back to last Rosh Hashanah. Where were you at the last High Holy Day cycle? What goals did you have for the coming year? Move now through last fall, the winter, spring, and summer. What benefits did you reap this year? What changes did you make in your life? What patterns did you break? What new work did you take on? In what ways did you bring light and goodness into the world? What joy came into your life this past year? What did you struggle with? What issues or difficulties did you overcome? What learning did you do this year? What effect did it have on you? Think about losses in your life this past year. In what ways did you grieve? Tashlich means “you shall cast away.” The act of throwing bits of food can be a letting go ceremony – releasing unneeded parts of ourselves, patterns that no longer serve us. What have you taken on in the past year that you are ready to release? What is feeling obsolete? What are you carrying around that no longer nourishes and can be let go? Prepare now to cast whatever you've brought with you into the water, but hold onto it for one more moment. You can pause the recording here if you need to. Casting Reach into your pockets and grab whatever small items you've brought to throw into the water. Take a deep breath in. When you let go of them, breathe out and watch them wash away. Only do this when you feel ready. It might take you longer than some other people to prepare for this moment, but don’t feel rushed. As you cast into the water, repeat the following words after me in Hebrew and then in English: הישע ל,ייכומִל עללִליכלםאל ת־כםל־פ,ישע עִליכלם I cast away from myself all my Hashlichu mei-aleichem אלשל ר פעשיעעתל ם בםם ויעלשו לםכלם .transgressions לִלב חםדם ש וע רוחי חלדםשם ה ,et kol pisheichem I will create within myself a new heart and a new spirit. asher p'shatem bam, va'asu lachem lev chadash v'ruach chadasha Reflection A poem for reflection as we watch our past drift away. At the Water's Edge by Elizabeth Tragash On this sacred day Many are the regrets and sorrows when the old year slips away that weigh upon our souls, we prepare to meet the year ahead, let us cast them into the moving waters we stand at the water’s edge so we can strive to become our pockets lined with dust and bread, all that we were meant to be. symbols of our shortcomings and regrets. Great is our remorse Many are the regrets and sorrows for the energy we spent fighting that weigh upon our souls, instead of trying to make amends, let us cast them off into the moving waters for the times we could have lent a hand so we may begin anew. instead of keeping our hands by our sides, for the times we looked away from those near and far Great is our regret who need our help and caring, for the harsh words we have spoken, when we turned away from the places in the world the tender words we left unsaid, in need of repairing. for the anger we let smolder, the compassion we withheld, Many are the regrets and sorrows for our greed and jealousy, that weigh upon our hearts and souls, our lack of generosity. let us cast them into the moving waters for all that we could have done, so we can begin to build bridges all that we have left undone. connecting us one to another. Thank you for joining me on this journey through the Jewish ritual of tashlikh. May the new year 5781 be a year of sweetness and blessing for you, for our community, and for the world. I hope you'll sing with me one more song – a song of uplift and renewal for the year ahead. L'shanah tovah u'metukah! Concluding Song Psalm 96 Julie Silver Shiru l'Adonai kol ha-aretz Sing unto God all the earth a new song, Shiru l'Adonai shir chadash I will sing unto God a new song. Sing unto God and we'll all sing along, All the earth a new song unto God..

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