Song for the Day: It’s Quiet Uptown - The Unimaginable from the musical, “Hamilton”
The theme for this week’s lessons is forgiveness. A popular song that comes to mind for me is from the musical, “Hamilton.” Alexander Hamilton and his wife come to be reconciled after some difficult challenges in their marriage.
When I was looking for this, I came across another song based on the Hamilton version. It is by some Jewish youth preparing for the season of forgiveness in their faith practice. It was the fall of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. For some background on this season before you listen to the song, this article from the website “myjewishlearning.com”
Elul is the last month of the Jewish year and the final month prior to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. This is a month in which to spiritually prepare for the High Holiday season of reflection and repentance.
Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and personal stock-taking, known in Hebrew as cheshbon hanefesh — literally “an accounting of the soul.” This process is conducted in preparation for Rosh Hashanah when, Jewish tradition teaches, all of humanity is called to account and a divine judgment is issued. The customs associated with Elul are all intended to help cultivate the proper mindset for this preparation.
Perhaps the best-known Elul tradition is the blowing of the shofar (a conch shell) every weekday after morning services. As on Rosh Hashanah, the daily shofar blasts are intended to rouse us from complacency and jolt us into repentance.
Here is their version https://youtu.be/nNXYtGSnh5I
Let us pray. Thank you for the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation, made possible through your Son.
We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen