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When is a sunrise more than a just a sunrise? I asked myself this question after every Sunrise Selichot on the Beach we have had together at Shaarei Kodesh. Waking up at 5 AM isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it.
Our tradition has a beautiful teaching about the sunrise. The rabbis asked when one can put on their talit in the morning. We have to keep in mind that most humans woke up either before or during the sunrise. If one wakes up before sunrise, can they put on their Talit and start praying? The rabbis decreed that there must be light to start the morning prayers; the question is, how much light? The Talmud offers an interesting teaching.
One opinion states that “dawn” is defined as “when one can recognize the face of a friend” (Babylonian Talmud Berachot 9b).
On the the high holy days, most of us return to shul all at the same time. Next week, we will search for others and recognize our fellow chaverim’s faces. May you see the light of God as you see the face of your fellow chaver/chavera!
We hope you can join us this Sunday morning at 6 am for our musical Sunrise Selichot service, which will be led beautifully by Cantor Hadash, our chavera and Yoga instructor, Shayna Skarf, and me. I will add guided mediations and kavanot to the liturgy, and Shayna will teach us to use our bodies to literally 'move' with our prayers. For those joining us, please bring a water bottle and a yoga mat or large towel.
Seeing the world come alive, the sunrise, and slowly lighting up the faces around us is always a Divine and soulful experience; I hope you can join us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Baum
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