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“Taking A Break”
Summer is the season when many of us have the opportunity to take a break. For some, it means getting out of town. For others, it means family time or engaging in special projects or perhaps even the unthinkable: doing nothing. Whatever the reality of our break, it means a change of routine.
I look forward to the summer not simply because of vacation (although I am very excited about my summer travels) or the decreased workload (which I’m still waiting for!), but because it is my chance to think. Now I don’t want you to get the idea that I stumble through the rest of the year with my brain turned off. But the break from routine gives me the chance to stretch my creativity - to work with those thoughts that seem to get trampled under the weight of day-to-day activities the rest of the year.
I remember the two summers I spent writing my doctoral dissertation. While I had done a good deal of research and outlining during the year, it wasn’t until the summers that I could sit down to write. It wasn’t just a matter of having more time; it was a matter of being able to think. Each summer I discovered that it took about three weeks of full-time work on that single project before the ideas that were to be at the heart of my writing began to emerge. None of the thoughts themselves were terribly different, but it was the ability to connect thoughts in new and creative ways that was the gift of those summers. Without the distractions of routine seasonal demands, I found that I was finally able to connect the nuts and bolts of my research into intricate and original ideas that were ultimately to be the unique contribution of my work to scholarship in my field.
I’m glad that I had that experience, because it taught me something important about taking a break. A break is not simply a chance to rest and get away from it all, but it is a crucial opportunity to regenerate, become renewed and refreshed.
“And on the seventh day, God rested and was refreshed.” What a peculiar thought! Obviously human beings need to stop and get rest every so often - but God? One would think that God could go on with limitless creative activity. But perhaps it is not about God resting.
One of the important tools we use in teaching is modeling. The “do as I say, not as I do” approach is much more difficult for students to appreciate than suggesting to them: “watch how I do this and then make it your own.” Perhaps God didn’t actually need the rest, but was showing us the importance of rest. Regular rest. Routine rest.
Now those of you who know me well are probably laughing, figuring that if anyone should think seriously about the benefits of regular rest, it would be me. And I admit to being among those who somewhat arrogantly assert that regular rest is important - but don’t seem to make time. Summer is different. Although still busy, there are far fewer days with lessons to prepare, rehearsals to run, or meetings to attend. It is a time without lots of deadlines. There is time to think and enjoy the creative process. There is an opportunity to connect thoughts and make discoveries that don’t seem to come to light during the rest of the year. It is a chance to think about where I am and where I might like to be during the coming year.
After several weeks of summertime creative thinking, I begin to envision new possibilities for the year to come. Energy and excitement return full force. And on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, all of the promises of the New Year burst open.
What will come during the next year? I can’t wait to find out!
B’shalom,
Andrew Bernard
Cantor
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