Weightlifting

Yesterday I participated in my first Reform Liturgy Workshop at school. My role was hagbah, or lifting the Torah scroll after it's been read.

Don't be fooled by the picture, hagbah is no easy task when the scroll is perfectly balanced between the two rollers. However, as we are nearing the completion of this year's reading, the Torah was almost totally balancing on the right side.

After three shaky practices, I walked up to the front of the room hoping and praying that I wouldn't drop it. The punishment for dropping a Torah scroll is a 40- day fast. Eeek.

But much to my surprise, I lifted it high enough for everyone to see and even showed the required three colunms of writing. It wasn't scary, or impossibly difficult, just took some practice and determination.

Mid-lift I couldn't think about the "weight" of Torah. The physical weight of lifting it high before my classmates. The academic weight of studying it and it's many commentaries. The spiritual weight of knowing that this text is somehow more mine than it was just three months ago. The weight of knowing that this is my future, and no matter how heavy it is, it is mine to carry.

It may sound depressing (and terriably cheesy), but it's encouraging really (and very true) . I already know I can lift it. It just takes practice and determination.

G'mar Chatima Tovah- may you be sealed for a good, healthy and happy new year. Love to all who are reading!