- Clergy
- Shabbat
נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי, יֹאמַר אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
Nachamu, Nachamu ami, yomar eloheichem
Comfort, Comfort my people, says God…
Tonight begins Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort, named after the first few words of the Haftarah portion this week: Isaiah 40:1-26. Shabbat Nachamu directly follows the somber commemoration of Tisha B’Av (9th of Av), a day of mourning for the Jewish people, as we recall the destruction of the first and second temple, and immerse ourselves in the extent of human suffering in our world, which in the last ten months, have seemed rather endless….But tonight we take a deep breath and we attempt to let go of our sorrow and our pain.
There are seven Shabbatot between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah. These are referred to in our tradition, as the seven weeks of consolation. Having experienced the depths of human trauma and suffering on Tisha B’Av, we are now propelled on a one-way track towards our holiest time of year. A time of teshuvah, of repentance, of reflection, of turning ourselves back towards God. A time to recover our Godliness.
But how do we find comfort and where do we find God amongst the neverending suffering that surrounds us?
As this week’s Haftorah reminds us, we cannot wait for God to console us. We need to be there for each other. It’s our job to comfort one another in times of tragedy, and when we do that, we bring a little bit of God’s presence back into what can seem like a very broken world.
The presence of God is in those who gather for shiva, so a mourner can say kaddish for a loved one, and not be alone. Holiness dwells in those who bring a meal to a house of mourning to say “we are thinking of you.” The arms of the divine are felt in the warm embrace you give to a friend when their whole world feels like it is falling apart.
We find comfort, even amidst our greatest suffering, in our acts of love towards one another.
Nachamu, Nachamu ami, yomar eloheichem…Comfort, Comfort my people, says God….
Because lord knows we all need it.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Lisa Peicott