Beth Schafer
The days after Yom Kippur always feel different to me — like the air has shifted. We’ve done the hard, holy work of looking inward, owning what needs changing, and asking for forgiveness. And now, as Shabbat arrives, there’s this subtle spaciousness inside — a quiet readiness for what comes next.
It’s a lot like what happens when I clean out a closet or reorganize a messy drawer. At first, I dread it. There’s so much I’ve stuffed in there — things I haven’t wanted to deal with. But once I commit to the task and start sorting through it all, deciding what’s worth keeping and what’s time to release, I feel lighter. The whole space breathes differently. And so do I.
Teshuvah — our work of return — is that same process for the soul. We pull everything out: the mistakes, the habits that don’t serve us well, the stories we’ve been telling ourselves for too long. We hold each one up to the light and choose what advances to the next chapter of our lives. And when we put ourselves back together with intention, there’s room for new growth, new love, new possibility.
This Shabbat is our chance to both revel and rest in that new spaciousness — to breathe deeply in the cleared-out space of our own hearts. May we use it well. May we fill it only with what matters. And may the work we began on Yom Kippur blossom into a year of deeper purpose and joy.
Shabbat Shalom,
Beth
