At the beginning of the Jewish New Year I said I wanted to pursue my spiritual studies by attending a weekly Torah study class. However, my life, or rather my schedule, once again did not allow this to happen.

I have recently cut back on how much nonfiction book editing I am doing; I’ve hired a staff of editors to do it for me, so I can pursue my writing. Recently, though, a manuscript came across my desk that I knew was meant for me to edit. It’s a year’s worth of Torah commentaries.

Each year Jews read the whole Torah. We also read commentaries on the portions for each week. We study them. We figure out what they mean. We try to apply them to our lives. This book has a special focus on applying the teachings of each Torah portion to our lives.

This book offers me a way back into my religious and spiritual study. I wished for it. I got it…even if it means taking on the editing myself.

Have you wished for something and gotten it?

Actually, I have way too many other things going on in my life to worry about the garden. I won’t even be around most of the summer, so I don’t plan on planting anything new. I just wanted the weeds gone and the sprinklers set up.

Besides, last summer the sprinklers went on the fritz without me knowing it and many plants died. Also, the gophers found a lof of other plants extremely tasty and ate them while I wasn’t watching.  That’s what happens when you are too busy to tend to a garden. Gardens need care and attention.

As I was pulling weed after weed and bemoaning the loss of so many beautiful plants, I began thinking about Shavuot. I was asked to teach during the all night learning session at Chadeish Yameinu, my Jewish Renewal community, but I declined. I had been up until 2 a.m. two nights in a row, and they wanted me to teach at 2 a.m. I couldn’t do it. So, I didn’t even attend.

Shavuot marked just one more holiday I have missed, one more Jewish event I have not attended, one more day when I have not been able to focus on my spiritual practice or on my spiritual or religious studies. It marked one more day when I was too busy to pay attention to the garden of my soul.

Like any garden that goes untended, the garden of my soul also has begun to grow weeds and the plants ahve begun to die. I’ve forgotten some of the lessons I once knew, and bad habits, like gophers, have begun to live there and kill off the good habits. This has happened because I’m not paying attention; I’m not focusing on keeping the garden healthy and thriving.

It’s time for me to make time to weed, till, fertilize, plant, water, prune the garden of my soul. It’s time for me to take time — make time — for the spiritual side of my life once again.

For it’s the soul that actually gives us life. Without that, we become like a plant a gopher has eaten. The unseen part – our roots – are gnawed away, and the seen part – our body — withers away and dies.

Yes, it’s time to begin weeding the garden of my soul and then tending to it with love and care. How about you?