“Your hand, O earthly ruler, shall find all your enemies,

Your right hand shall find out your foes. Thou shalt make them like a furnace roaring with fire;

When your face says, “Your time is up!”

Inspiration

This whole experience has been a rollercoaster for us. One moment we’re peaceful, the next we’re fearful. We have our highs and lows. Moments of deep connection and growth and moments of grief and a complete loss for any meaning. Let me remind you again, this is all normal. This is all part of this crazy journey we’re on. And let me also remind you that we’re all in it together.

Today, I want to talk about the anger that has shown up for so many of us. This “quarantine anger” has a different energy to it. Not one we’re used to. It’s like an itch we can’t scratch and that’s because, much like this virus, so much about this anger is unknown. “Why am I angry? Where did this anger come from? I didn’t know I had it in me.” I think that this anger is a result of a cluster of different things. The not knowing. The restrictions. The fear of what will be. The grief of what used to be. It makes sense that our bodies would get angry. And we have every right to be. The anger is showing up for a reason. Now we decide what to do with it.

It’s easy to release this anger on ourselves, on our loved ones, on people who don’t wear masks, on our politicians. But does the itch ever go away? Not for me. The only way to go is inward and devour those parts that are causing the anger – to tell them that “there time is up!” And the only way to do that is to face them head on. To tell ourselves that we are afraid. That so much IS unknown right now. That our lives are not going to look like what we had planned. That we are living in a reality that is foreign and maybe now all too real. We’re not actually angry at our loved ones or the people out there doing things we don’t approve of. We’re angry because this is a lot to go through.

We have enough on our plates right now. Let’s be easy on ourselves. Let’s not take out our anger on each other. It NEVER works out. Instead, recognize it, acknowledge it, feel it within you, and then release it. Rinse and repeat as many times as necessary.

I love you all. I love you when you’re happy. I love you when you’re sad. I love you when you’re angry. I love you when you’re afraid. I just love you.

Rabbi Gabi