Are you a perfectionist? Coz it’s a verb.
This is our Weekly Overview of Below the Bible Belt - chapters 21-25 in Va’Yikra, exploring the pitfalls of perfectionism. These almost last chapters of the book focus on holiness, perfection and utopian dreams.
What does it mean to a perfect priest, body and soul, and why does the tradition disqualify those of us different? When does the perfect offering - a meal, a gift, a sacrifice to whoever become the burden of too perfect at the expense of what’s here and now? Sacred time and sacred stories, holy names and high fences that keep us apart — perfect can sometimes become a trap. But isn’t perfect also a verb? An aspiration? Just like Leonard Cohen reminded us earlier this week - perfect is what happened when we let things break:
“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.”
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Shabbat Shalom.
Every Friday, we will be recapping what we learned this week Below the Bible Belt. Be sure to follow on Instagram and subscribe to our Substack to stay up-to-date as we embark on this journey together.
Weekly Overview of Below the Bible Belt