Chodesh Tov! Are you familiar with Psalm 27? It's customary to recite it every day, starting now, from Rosh Chodesh Elul, until the end of the Tishrei holidays. 14 verses written by King David, which we say to strengthen ourselves in these days and to fill ourselves with faith, calm, and optimism. It's an important chapter worth delving into, and here's a brief explanation of just the first verse:
”Of David. God is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? God is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?”
King David knew countless troubles. He experienced persecution, challenges, and wars throughout his life, almost without pause, and he dealt with them. He reminds us that in the face of all the anxieties and the real and imagined enemies that surround every person, there is God, and He is a source of light, salvation, and strength: “God is my light and my salvation... God is the stronghold of my life.”
This holds true as an empowering message for the entire nation in the face of enemies and threats, and it's equally true for a child who's anxious about the start of the school year...
So it's certainly possible to feel fear, and one needs to respond to reality, but there's a call here not to let fear paralyze us, not to let it run our lives. *”Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?”* — so declares King David, who knows that no one can take from us this anchor that exists within us.
You're invited to add Psalm 27 to your routine starting now. Chodesh Tov!
