Earth Etude for the 10 Days - It's Not too Late to Turn Toward the Possible

by Maxine Lyons

As Elul approached, I collected many quotations and articles on the theme of how to turn toward "the possible" in our lives, inspired in large part by Rabbi David Ingber’s message to his NYC congregation, Romemu. I often participate in their “zoomagogue" as he affectionately refers to it. One of his thoughts struck me particularly:

Romemu’s theme this year is AWAKEN: POSSIBILITY. The Hebrew word efshar holds the power of the possible, of that which is yearned for but not realized. It contains a sacred value, hope, and the unwillingness to resign in the face of unseemingly impossible and insurmountable obstacles…our collective prayer is for the possible, the small opening by the simple but profound word efshar: it is possible or perhaps, doable.

I found other instructive practices to reach realistic and spiritual inroads in my quest for the possible as well. And I’m finding that this personal “turning" toward the more elevated ways to perform my teshuvah expands my efforts for renewal and change as I evolve in my deep dive into what awakening to the possible can mean for me. 

Maxine Lyons enjoys sharing her understanding of the benefits of Jewish and Buddhist meditation practices, engages in racial justice activities, and is a perennial learner as she gardens in any available space around her home in Newton!