Pearls of Elul 5786 - Day Eight

August 20 | 7 Elul

One of the images our tradition offers us during the High Holidays is the Book of Life.

Here’s a reflection from actress and comedienne Gilda Radner, of blessed memory, from her book It’s Always Something:

I wanted a perfect ending,

So I sat down to write the book

with the ending in place before

there even was an ending.

Now I’ve learned the hard way,

that some poems don't rhyme,

and some stories don't have

a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Like my life, this book has ambiguity.

Like my life, this book is about

not knowing, having to change,

taking the moment and making the

best of it, without knowing

what's going to happen next.

As the New Year approaches, does this passage resonate for you? What (else) comes to mind when you think of the proverbial Book of Life?