Staying on a Spiritual High, by Rabbi Chai Posner

“Are you still on a high?”

That’s the question many have been asking me in the past few weeks since the installation. And the answer is, ABSOLUTELY … and I intend to stay there! But it isn’t only me. I’ve heard from so many people who have told me that the Installation Weekend Shabbat and evening were “magical.” That’s a unique word to use — not one I would expect. And yet I’ve heard that very same word from several people. And I agree. In fact, I’d love to simply bottle that magic and sprinkle it on everything we do at Beth Tfiloh. While we certainly can’t host another rabbinic installation any time soon – at least I hope we don’t! – I do believe that there were several key ingredients that contributed to the special experience, that can and will be recreated. Joy. There was palpable joy in the air. From the singing and dancing, to the hugs and congratulations, it felt so good to be celebrating together. While this would have been true at any time, after two years of social distancing and restrictions, we were all so primed to come together and celebrate with each other. I felt very much like the celebration was a fulfilment of the verse “החְמשְׂבּ ’ה־תא וּדְבע”, serve God with joy. And we all need more of that. God. I felt God’s presence with us as we celebrated. I chose to speak about God’s presence in my life, and stressed that God’s presence in Beth Tfiloh will be a priority of my rabbinate. It wasn’t by accident that the very first words we sang and danced to were “Thank You Hashem.” I asked Rav Shlomo to play that song because I wanted it to be very clear that Hashem is the source of our joy and our gratitude. I still have chills and smiles when I think about how the entire sanctuary broke out in song and dance, with the words “Thank You Hashem.” That was one of best moments of my life. We all need to feel God’s presence in our lives more often and to speak about God more openly. Inspiration. How can we describe inspiration? I’m not sure. But I know I felt it that weekend. I think this is actually what people are referring to when they say the experience was magical. There was a feeling in the air of something holy, something important, something beyond just us as individuals. On a deep level we all want to connect with something bigger than ourselves that makes us want to be even better versions of who we are. We are all looking for inspiration, and Beth Tfiloh is the place to go to find it.

STAYING

BY RABBI CHAI POSNER ON A

STAYING SPIRITUAL HIGH

Music. Music has a unique power to inspire and to uplift. It’s the second half of the verse quoted above – serve God with joy… “הננְרבּ וינפְל וּאֹבּ – come before God with joyous song.” Music goes deeper than speech. When a group of people sing together, they connect on a level beyond words. We all need to sing together more often, more intentionally, and with more passion. Authenticity. This was the part of the installation that I was most concerned about. I was confident that everything mentioned above would go well. I was less sure of my own speech. I spent a very long time trying to figure out what message I wanted to convey with my first words as your newly installed rabbi. Usually, I don’t sit down at my computer until I know what I want to say. But in the weeks leading up to the installation I started and restarted the speech several times. Until one evening when the words just poured out from a place I can only describe as my soul. It was me putting myself out there. Telling my story. Not sugar coated or filtered. Just me sharing what the moment and the journey has meant to me. Me being real. I wasn’t sure how this would be received. Were people ready to hear some of my deepest thoughts? Would they judge me or accept me? Would they understand what I was trying to convey, or was this all just too personal? The response has been more positive than I could have ever imagined. Not only were people ready for this, they were looking for it. I have received dozens of emails thanking me for speaking from the heart, and for sharing my truth. There is enough “fake” out there. In here, at BT, we need to be real. Real with ourselves and real with others. The spiritual and emotional high of the installation is some of what I was referring to in my speech that evening when I spoke about raising BT higher and higher. And in the weeks since, the staff and I have been working hard to ensure that we continue going in the right direction. I have to admit, it is hard work. Endless, really. But it is work with a purpose, and that keeps us on a high. I left that special weekend feeling more supported, more loved, and more driven than ever before. I also left that weekend more convinced that my vision for Beth Tfiloh going forward, is exactly the Beth Tfiloh that people are ready for. Joy, God, inspiration, music, authenticity. There’s more of all of that to come. Am I still on a high? I sure am, and I hope that you are too!