Rabbi Paul writes…

Exfoliate or medicate. Those are the answers to the question: how then do I repair my dry, brittle elbows?

It never mattered to me that my elbows were, as my wife Michelle pointed out a number of times, dry and brittle. My elbows were not high on the list of parts of my body that led me to worry, wonder or wish they were different. That may be the result of my privilege as a male not to have to worry so much about my skin. (In fact, if you miss the significance of that statement, listen to America Ferraro’s speech toward the end of the new Barbie movie about what women have to think about and deal with every moment of every day.)

Still, I learned that if I wanted to address this dry elbow situation, I had two main avenues available to me: exfoliate and medicate.

Exfoliate meant I could get a pumice stone and, every day before or after my shower, I could rub it across my skin to remove the dead cells.

Medicate really meant I could put some cream on my dry skin, healing the skin to repair itself.

Two options, not mutually exclusive: remove that which is dry and brittle and/or find a salve that could treat the problem.

To be a rabbi, preparing for the Jewish High Holy Days is to see a potential sermon or inspirational article in every moment of every day. From dry elbows, what can we learn?

Hmmm, exfoliate or medicate: might these also be two options to deal with our souls when they become dry and brittle? Yes, there’s a teaching in there.

As the High Holy Days approach, we come face to face with that which is dry and brittle and broken — in our hearts, in our souls, in the totality of our being. The Holy One invites us onto a path of repair. Will we accept the opportunity to exfoliate and/or medicate our souls?

Five suggestions:

1. Identify those areas in need of repair, and decide what you can exfoliate, removing it from the forefront of your lives.

2. Figure out what your soul seeks — solace, attention, or sympathy — and medicate. Not with pills or drugs. But with meditation or therapy or retreats or prayer.

3. Recognize the signs of burnout and turn to those who can help you turn to a more meaningful, productive, and rewarding path.

4. Sign up for any of the courses or projects offered by our partners. Find them lower in this enews. Good for the soul.

5. Take a leap of faith and bring faith into or back into your daily life. You might come to temple for prayer, or learning, or community, or to explore your deeper purpose in conversation with your clergy.

The dryness and brittleness need not be endemic. A little exfoliation or spiritual medication might be just what you need to repair what’s broken. The High Holy Days are calling you home. Do the repair before you get there, and the journey may be that much sweeter.