Re-Beginning

 This year, I celebrated Parashas Bereshis in Washington, DC – or, more specifically, Alexandria, VA. Before Shabbos, I went to the mikveh for the first time in my life. This was all part of my “hekhsher,” and a culmination, or marking, of the growth of my own personal observance during the past several years. Yes, I see this as a culmination – but rather than an end, just as we mark each year at this time, I actually see this as another beginning, turning back to (almost) the beginning of a story, ready to grow and shape into new rituals, practices, ideas, connections, communities…

Each year as the holidays close, we celebrate creation – the creative power of G!d, the creative power of community, the creative power each of us hold individually, the creative power of the world. The first parsha of our Torah invites us to remember the vast possibilities and reflect on our place in time and space.

This past Shabbos, I did just that as I immersed. As my reading and study about the mikveh over the past several years met me in the water, I appreciated the moments to hope, to recognize, to ask, to find footing. I thought about how the mikveh has signified transformative, creative power for millennia, inviting individuals and the community to emerge differently from the flowing water. This practice ties together various religions – in various interpretations.

As I reflect on the myriad of good things in 5782, I also hold the difficulties & the need for change and re-engagement. I’m looking forward to the power of creation in 5783 and the waters of continual renewal.