Playing Hard To Get

InspirationParsha

Aug 28

"Ani l'dodi v'dodi li." I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. This is the verse from Song of Songs whose initial Hebrew letters spell out the Hebrew month of Elul, the month we are currently in.

In the book of Song of Songs, we read the poetic story of a young maiden and her beloved shepherd, and the fascinating progression of their courtship.

At times, the maiden searches for her beloved, only to find that he has disappeared. At another point, he comes knocking for her, but she hesitates to open the door. By the time she does, he is gone. The story continues with prose and poetic expression as each of them expresses yearning and longing for the other.

In truth, it seems quite dysfunctional. If you are looking for the relationship, then welcome it. Why continue to play hard to get? The question is for both the guy and the gal.

The maiden and the shepherd represent the Jewish people and our relationship with God. In fact, there are times when our own internal blockages create a dysfunction in our relationship with the Divine.

We all show up with a story and a narrative that shapes everything in life, including our perception of God and how we internalize—or don't internalize—our relationship with Him.

At one point, the maiden says, "I sleep, but my heart is awake. Hark! My beloved is knocking: Open for me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is full of dew, my locks with the drops of the night."

Our narratives and perceptions about life create much tension for us, but in this verse, we can hear God telling us that despite our stories, despite our flaws, despite our misperceptions of God Himself, He is knocking and asking us to open the door.

Find a moment, quiet your spirit, and open your heart to God's knocking. He is calling to you and to me, asking us to show up and be present in our relationship with Him. We don't have to begin with a commitment to transformative change. We can even show up in all of our messiness, and God is there to embrace us.

I hope you can open your heart and your soul to God's knocking this Elul and reestablish—or strengthen—your inherent relationship with God, now and in the new year.

Best wishes for a ksiva v'chasima tova, and for a sweet and good new year.

With all my love,

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

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Playing Hard To Get

"Ani l'dodi v'dodi li." I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. This is the verse from Song of Songs whose initial Hebrew letters spell out the Hebrew month of Elul, the month we are currently in.

In the book of Song of Songs, we read the poetic story of a young maiden and her beloved shepherd, and the fascinating progression of their courtship.

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Playing Hard To Get

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