My Fallen Letters

My Fallen Letters

This morning, for the first time, I attended the weekly meditation group of renowned Old City author and teacher, Sarah Yehudit Schneider.
Sarah Yehudit started off with a selection from her book PurimBursts. The following teaching, in particular, was met with audible “wows” from the women present:
“Heichal HaBrocha adds a beautiful twist to his interpretation of the verse גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתך/’Open my eyes and I will behold the wonders of your Torah.’
He splits the word for wonders (נפלאות) in half so that it reads as two words, נפל אות, which means, literally, fallen letter. The translation of the verse now becomes: Open my eyes, that I will behold the fallen letters of your Torah (that are concealed within every moment, thing and person around me).”
So I (who was among those who had emitted an audible “wow”) spent the following 45 minutes of silent meditation pondering fallen letters. All the things falling short of their awe-inspiring potential. In my life. And all around me.
I thought of the unrealized potential for connection with my children.
I thought of the unrealized spiritual potential resulting from my sloppy observance of certain mitzvot.
I thought of the unrealized potential of Jews around the world who aren’t aware of the treasures contained within Judaism (and I pondered whether I, in my own way, might be one of them…)
I thought of the unrealized potential of millions of moments of my life, passing as quickly and unnoticed as grains of sand through an hour-glass.
And I thought, tears forming in my eyes, how in Hashem’s eyes, my soul is as dear, as precious, as a letter in His holy Torah. With earthshaking potential (largely undetected by me). And how eagerly He is waiting and yearning for me realize that, to rise up.

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