Parashat Re’eh | Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17

We make choices every day.

Some are small enough that we barely notice them. Others change the direction of our lives. We choose where to focus our attention, how to respond to the people around us, what to hold onto, what to let go of, when to speak, when to listen, and how we want to show up in the world.

This week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, begins with a powerful reminder that choice is always before us:

“See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse…”

The Hebrew word re’eh means see.

As we prepare to enter the month of Elul, I find myself thinking about what it means not only to see the choices before us, but to envision where those choices might lead.

The Choices Before Us

Moses does not tell the Israelites that their path has already been determined. He reminds them that what they choose matters.

As I wrote in one of my journals, we don’t get to choose what happens to us. There are so many things in life over which we have little or no control. We cannot control the actions of others. We cannot prevent every loss, disappointment, or unexpected turn in the road.

But we do get to choose how to respond and react to what happens.

We can choose which values guide us.

We can choose how we use our words.

We can choose to nurture meaningful relationships.

We can choose to ask for forgiveness when we have caused hurt, and to work toward repairing what has been broken.

We can choose where to invest our time, energy, creativity, and love.

And when we realize that a choice we have made is taking us somewhere we do not want to go, we can choose again.

The possibility of choosing again is one of the gifts of Elul, the month of spiritual preparation that leads us toward the High Holy Days.

Here’s my prayer for this week’s parasha.

Illuminating Choices

May we celebrate the opportunity
to choose what matters to us,
and may we be blessed with the ability
to make wise and healthy choices.

May we recognize that joy and sorrow
are not mutually exclusive,
and may practicing positivity
help us live with intention, purpose, and joy.

May we be blessed and bolstered by kindness
and have the opportunity to be a blessing to others.

May we feel connected to community
and take the time to appreciate and acknowledge
those who make a difference in the world.

May we choose our thoughts and words with care
so that all we say
and all we do
is a reflection of our best self.

May we find light in the darkness,
and may the light of our souls
illuminate a path for others.

Welcoming Elul

This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim Chodesh Elul, when we bless the approaching new month. Rosh Chodesh Elul begins Wednesday evening, August 12.

Elul is traditionally a time for cheshbon hanefesh—an “accounting of the soul.” Jewish tradition gives us an entire month to pause before the High Holy Days, look at where we have been, notice where we are, and consider where we hope to go.

There are many spiritual practices that help prepare us for this journey. In many communities, the shofar is sounded on weekday mornings as a spiritual wake-up call, and Psalm 27—Adonai is my light and my salvation—is added to daily prayer. We place greater emphasis on prayer, tzedakah, and acts of kindness, and begin the work of teshuvah: examining our choices, seeking forgiveness, making amends, and returning to what matters most.

I don’t think of cheshbon hanefesh as a spiritual report card. For me, soul-accounting means taking an honest look at the whole landscape of our lives—our growth as well as our mistakes, our blessings as well as our challenges, the choices that have strengthened us and the ones we may want to reconsider.

Re’eh means “See.”

Before we can change direction, we need to see where we are standing.

And as Elul begins, perhaps we are being invited not only to see where we are, but to envision where we hope to go.

A Blessing for the Month of Elul

As the month of Elul begins,
may the sound of the shofar awaken us to return—
to God, to community,
and to who we are at our core.

May we have the courage to look inward,
the strength to release what no longer serves us,
the humility to ask for forgiveness,
and the ability and desire to make amends.

May this sacred season of soul-accounting
help us see where we are,
envision where we hope to go,
and begin the new year
with open hearts and renewed purpose.

May our Elul journey be filled with
reflection, introspection, and soul growth
and lead to a year of meaning,
connection, and abundant blessings.

ENVISION: An Elul Guided Journaling Practice

One of the ways I prepare spiritually during Elul is by putting pen to paper. Over the years, I’ve created many journaling pages and creativity exercises to help explore the process of teshuvah and prepare for the High Holy Days.

This week, in keeping with the invitation of Re’eh to see—and to envision where our choices might lead—I invite you to spend some time with these questions:

As you look back over the past year, what moments or experiences stand out as most meaningful to you?
Where have your choices been aligned with your core values—and where have you missed the mark?
Who or what has helped shape the person you are becoming?
As you envision yourself a year from now, what do you hope will be different—and what choice can you make now to begin moving toward that vision?

You don’t need to answer every question at once. Choose the one that speaks to you, sit with it for a while, and see what arises.

Creativity Practice

I often find that combining words with color, pattern, and imagery opens a different doorway into reflection.

As you begin your cheshbon hanefesh practice, use this page as part of your reflections. On each stone, add a word, phrase, color, pattern, or symbol representing something you want to carry with you as you move toward the new year. You might include a value you want to live more fully, something you’ve learned, a relationship you want to nurture, something you’re ready to release, or a hope you want to move toward.

You can fill all the stones at once—or add a few each day during the first week of Elul.

Honoring Those Who Helped Shape Us

A Gift in Andy’s Memory

One of this week’s questions asks us to consider who or what has helped shape the person we are becoming. I invite you to create a commemoration for someone whose life deserves to be celebrated and remembered.

Through August 15, use the coupon code REMEMBER15 to create and download one memorial design at no charge.

CREATE A FREE COMMEMORATION IN MyZenScribe.com

Choose a design that reflects the interests of the person you are honoring, upload a photograph, add their name, life dates, and a meaningful message, and then save, download, and share your creation.