After a powerful Shavuot, we find ourselves in a tender, potent time known as the Shivat Yemei Tashlumim—the seven days that allow us to spiritually "make up" any missed opportunity from the holiday. These days serve not only as a bridge from Shavuot but as a mirror to the deeper question: Are we letting the light of Shavuot take root within us?

Shavuot is called “the day of Matan Torah”—the giving of the Torah—but in truth, that giving continues as a download, an energetic transmission, into our being and into the world. The question is whether we are integrating it, anchoring it like the verse in Beha’alotcha, where Aharon is commanded to kindle the Menorah “until the flame rises on its own.” That is our work now: to cultivate the fire within until it becomes self-sustaining.

We were lit on Shavuot. Each of us received a spark, a teaching, a shift. Whether we felt it clearly or not, it arrived. Now, we are invited to move from spark to flame—from inspiration to embodiment.

From Reaction to Observation

This time also invites us into a profound inner awareness. Each choice becomes a litmus test: Do we default to old patterns, or do we bring the awareness and presence needed to make a new choice? Growth does not come through judgment, but through observation and compassion. As the Sages teach, the light of Torah is not about perfection; it is about process, alignment, and returning to wholeness—especially in our low places.

One practice we explored was simple yet transformative: adding the phrase “and I love that” after naming something we typically judge in ourselves. “I always burn the omelet… and I love that.” This softens resistance, shifting us from shame to love—and from fragmentation to integration.

Perak Shira and the Song of Creation

Our conversation moved into the mystical realm of Perak Shira, the ancient text describing the song each creature sings to G-d. This is not metaphor—it is an invitation. We are surrounded by a cosmic symphony, yet often deaf to it. When we attune ourselves through love, presence, and intentionality, we begin to hear it again.

From the croaking of frogs to the silence of trees, creation is singing. When we join in—through awareness, blessings, and gratitude—we harmonize with the universe. As one participant shared, even reading Perak Shira in English has shifted her relationship with nature and with her body. The words create resonance.