We speak of trees “changing colors,” but actually these vivid hues have been here all along. They were simply masked by chlorophyll, which is green. It is when the tree quiets down, ceases its striving to harness energy and to grow, that its deeper and most vibrant colors emerge.
– Michal Fox Smart, Institute for Jewish Spirituality https://www.jewishspirituality.org/
I was strongly struck by this concept. It’s not a new thought in the world and I wrote about something similar early on during the pandemic, but as fall gives way to winter the image was powerful. I was also on my way to Zion National Park in Utah where at 5000+ feet there was a chance to see some foliage. And I was not disappointed. As I walked the lesser known paths of South-Western Utah, my soul found quietness in the gentle rustle of falling leaves, the vibrant yellows and reds interspersed with the deep forest green of the Pinyon Pine trees, and the nip in the air. The various smells permeated my nose as the sounds of birds filled the air. The solitude and opportunity for walking mediation provided me with the time and space to stop doing and simply be. Just to be fully transparent, it helped that there was not any cell reception!
We have, in many ways, been forced to slow down this year. Yet, as time progresses we are picking up speed again and returning to a life of doing. It is hard to stop doing and be. I know it is hard for me. There are so many things that vie for attention and energy. We need to raise our children, increase our retirement, improve our portfolios, go food shopping and the like. Doing is essential. But, just as the chlorophyll works all summer so that it can be in the winter, so too we need to find the balance. The challenge is that sometimes the doing allows us to hide from that which would be revealed if we slowed down just as the chlorophyll hides the colors of the leaves.
Sadly, what we hide away is often that which is most beautiful and unique about us. It is the light and color which emanate from within us that enlightens the world. In Hebrew ‘light’ is Or. Or in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) describes, among other things, the radiance of God within each of us. We contain both the Or which can be perceived with the eye and the intangible light which fills our soul and touches those around us. More recently, Mussar (Jewish spiritual practice) helps us release the light of holiness that lives within the soul. This is a theme that has slowly been returning to mainstream Judaism and the world in general.
This conversation may be new to mainstream Judaism, but a century ago the hassidic master, Sfat Emet (Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, 1847–1905) spoke about light. One comment of his that I love is on Leviticus 13:1-2 which states “The Eternal spoke to Moses and Aaron saying: If a person has in the skin of the flesh(עור) a sore …” Instead of reading the Hebrew word ‘or’ (עור), meaning skin, he reads it as ‘or’ (אור), meaning light. Only one letter separates them and the sound is the same when pronounced. Suddenly this quote is about a spiritual illness which does something to a person’s inner light. Like a wound to our physical bodies that forms a scab, a wound to our soul forms a layer hiding away our light. Both need our attention and time to heal so that we can return to wholeness.
Each week, we have the opportunity to physically bring physical light into our lives as Shabbat enters. The quietness of Shabbat is the perfect time to take a break from our doing and practice being. Try to take a walk, meditate, journal, or my favorite, take a nap. Need a half-way point? Pick up your favorite book, have a long cup of coffee with a family member or friend, pick up the phone and finally make that phone call you have been meaning to make. on Friday night, the Lecha Dodi prayer states: kumi kumi: “Wake up, wake up, Your light has come, rise and shine. Awaken, awaken; sing a melody, The glory of God to be revealed upon you.” If the glory of God is the beauty within and around us, we have the ability to stop doing and allow ourselves the time to awaken to it. Yes, I do live in the real world. Even if we can only stop for 5 minutes and really enjoy that cup of morning coffee in silence, that is huge.
It is only with the cessation of the production of chlorophyll that the colors of the leaves shine through. I hope that we all remember to stop once in a while to ask ourselves, “What kind of things/experiences/relationships make me radiant?” “What gets in the way of my inner light?” Can you feel it when your inner light is shining through? What does that feel like to you? I would love to hear your thoughts.
There are few trees in Israel that change color with the waning summer. No one would ever say “hey the trees are changing color.” Our equivalent is spring, when everyone is out and about chasing the wildflowers as they bloom throughout the country.
When something is blocking the flow of that inner light, how do you cleanse yourself — what can you do in any or all of the four worlds of body, emotion, thought, and spirit — so that your light can shine agai