Music is such an important part of my life. It makes me feel spiritually connected, helps me connect with myself and to God, and lifts my spirits. Music enhances my mood, and it’s the way I feel closest to my creator.

In the Jewish religion, almost all prayer has some sort of tune, whether it be reading from the Torah, or leading the service. There is a weekday tune, a holiday tune, and a Sabbath tune, and they are all unique and beautiful in their own way.

I was wondering why there are so many different tunes, and I think the answer is two-fold. Firstly, I think it is intended to teach us that we all have a unique tune, a unique song, a unique voice that if we listen carefully will guide us. We call it intuition.

The sages state that there are 70 different explanations to every passage in the Torah, which means there are 70 different combinations of song, all encouraging us to question, grapple, and learn what our song is.

Secondly, I believe it is to explain that most people don’t learn from reading, alone. It’s by turning our text into music that we are able to connect with it more easily. This is a reminder that when we want to teach others, we must make it interesting and we must make it exciting, for nothing is more exciting than music.

Look at a young child and how they love to sing the songs they learned in school. As we grow up, we use songs to make memorizing easier. Song is dynamic, and we can learn so much about ourselves through music.

This week, let’s pause, listen to the music, sing the song, and connect to the song. Connect to yourself using song, and most of all, take the time to make your unique music.

Accountability, Community, Unconditional Love

Asher

I want to remind all of you that you can hear more on my podcast, Showing Up. We have lots of amazing shows with interesting guests on a variety of personal development topics. It would be great if you could also rate 5 stars, review and subscribe to the show. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/showing-up-with-asher-gottesman/id1489856285y

Posted in Thought of the Week