When we observe the period of shiva, the seven-day mourning period following a death, it is customary to sit on low stools. The mourners literally are brought low by the death of a loved one.
Thus, at the end of shiva, we say that one "rises from shiva."
In so many ways, the isolation that we are feeling in these days of physical distancing is like shiva.
We are lying low....waiting.
For many of us, it's impossibly difficult to be so far apart.
And so we talk about what we'll do when we rise.
We will go out.
We will visit friends.
We'll eat in restaurants and get our nails done.
"Rise" is on the BlogExodus list because of the rising that didn't happen in our bread. It's like we need to rise up in other ways to counteract the flatness of our matzah.
And so it is right now.
We talk about what we'll do when we rise from our isolation.
But, let us talk about how we will rise RIGHT NOW.
We rise together when we check in on our loved ones.
We rise together when we send meals to the staffs of our local ERs.
We rise together when we help others to heal.
We rise together when we join in virtual song, prayer, story, learning.
We rise.
Higher and higher.
Right now.
We rise.
What's #BlogExodus? Read more here.
2 comments:
This post is featured in A Jewish Grandmother : Corona Lock-down Boredom, Try Reading Blogs, my most recent blog carnival aka roundup. Glad you're still blogging in these "interesting times."
Beautiful and uplifting. Thank you! Stay safe and healthy, and may we rise up together to celebrate, very soon!
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