“Arise! Shine Your Light!”

“Kumi, ori, ki va oreich; u-chevod Hashem, alayich zarach.”
“Arise, shine, for your light has dawned; The Presence of God has shone upon you!” To paraphrase the next verse or so, Isaiah prophesies a time when the world will be covered in darkness, but the nations of the world will walk by our light, which is a reflection of God’s light.

Later in the haftarah, Isaiah 60:19 further inspires us, “No longer shall you need the sun for light by day, nor the shining of the moon for radiance [by night]; For HaShem shall be your light everlasting.” 

I’ve been reflecting in Elul as one ought to do. I’ve been working hard to prepare [professionally] for the High Holidays while also being sure to prepare [personally] for the High Holidays. In my daily journaling, one thing I’m coming to terms with is how hard things often seem to be. All year has been trauma after trigger after tragedy since October 7, and the world does seem to be covered in darkness. And what’s worse, I’m not sure I’ve fully processed the Pandemic and all the emotional baggage incurred then. And on top of those two major historic, communal traumas, I am not immune to my own personal challenges. And I know that’s true in varying degrees for us all. 

So when do we get to the comforting light Isaiah described? How do we shine? It’s right there in the first verse. Our light has dawned, and it is a reflection of the Presence of God shone upon us. One of my Elul journaling prompts, from Rabbi Simon Jacobson’s “60 Days” noted the connection between the Hebrew word for face (Panim) and innermost (p’nimi). We might ordinarily think of a face as being the outside, surface level. But our faces are the reflection and gateway to our innermost selves. When we allow ourselves to live authentically, albeit vulnerable at times, we let the light of our souls shine through. Our smile and our words come from the mouth. Our eyes can smile too, and our tears can make our eyes shimmer. Our ears that listen deeply demonstrate our presence with each other. Even our cheeks can glow or blush letting some of our innermost self be on the surface. 

I think that’s the idea. For this High Holiday season, we need to return to ourselves. We must find ways to express the innermost holiness and light that is uniquely ours, and is a reflection of God’s presence. We need to live into, and up to our humanness – which is flawed, but also the best representation of God’s divine image in this world. We need to act with integrity, and honesty so that our light can shine forth a path through the darkness. It is that eternal light in our soul which can never be extinguished. 

And one last thought: If you need a reminder of your shining light between now and the next time we read Ki Tavo, look no further than Kabbalat Shabbat.. In the 5th verse of Lecha Dodi, we sing “Hitoreri, hitoreri, ki va oreich kumi ori!” a reference to this very passage and weekly affirmation that our light has shined, we must arise and shine it.