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Apart from my love for my wife and family, and, of course, ice cream (and now my son’s girlfriend’s cheesecake), I currently have two overwhelming obsessions:
- Writing this blog, which means dictating a ridiculous number of words.
- Preparing to lead the Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) prayers in seven days’ time, or approximately 150 hours from now.
This week, one obsession must give way to the other.
I have promised to slow down my blogging before. Usually, the promise lasts until another thought enters my head, which can take several minutes.
This time, however, I have a very good reason. I need to rest my voice.
From this point onwards, my obsessive focus must be on becoming as mentally, physically, and spiritually prepared as possible for the responsibility I have accepted towards my community.
Mentally, I need to keep my mind firmly focused on the task ahead.
Spiritually, I need time to think, contemplate, and pray.
Physically, I need to rest, avoid unnecessary risks, and, above all, stop dictating so many words.
I practised the entire service from 4 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. this morning. Technically, I am ready. Now comes the part I find far more difficult: doing less to preserve my strength and focus.
I may still blog occasionally this week. There may be one or two posts. Knowing me, there may be ten. I am making no legally binding promises.
But if the blog runs a little short, please forgive me. It is not because I have stopped thinking or run out of things to say. That particular danger appears extremely remote.
It is because I have one overriding responsibility for the next 150 hours: to arrive as prepared as I can possibly be to do my job properly for my community before G-d.
So, unusually, I will stop here.
I will rest my voice, focus my mind, and prepare myself.
Then, G-d willing, I will return next Sunday night with a big and, please G-d, positive update.
