Black-chinned Hummingbird : The Fullness of Time

This is a Black-chinned Hummingbird. There’s something almost magical about these birds. Maybe it’s the frozen instant of time that arrests their movement. Perhaps it’s the perfect alignment between the flower and their beak. Or possibly it’s the hovering in place, the seeming cantilever that supports them in the perfect position. But today, pull your attention away from the bird, and focus instead on the flower. Notice the full range of blooms. Some are open and available, while others are constricted and inaccessible. As I watched the hummingbird, she ravenously worked her way through all the open flowers and passed over the others. No need to struggle. The others will become available in the fullness of time.

Jewish observance is predicated on repetition. Each Hebrew year includes a cyclical reading of the Five Books of Moses. The schedule is prescribed and calculated, providing predictable surety at the cost of spontaneity. Much of the daily and weekly liturgy turns again and again to the same themes, often invoking near-identical language. Again, variety is seen as less central than sustained emphasis. Why is this the case? Why limit our ways of seeing the world and the Divine? Given the vast scope of Jewish thought and exploration, why do we circumscribe our focus? Perhaps these questions’ premise is flawed. What if instead, it is precisely that repetition that creates our new opportunities?

There are parts of life for which we are ready. Our necessary experiences, environment, and psychology are in place. And there are parts of life that are unripe. We have more to learn, or we have yet to overcome an obstacle. It is a mistake to see our currently limited access as deprivation rather than appreciating being “forced” to experience something else. Much of wisdom lies in realizing that all paths will open to us - in the fullness of time - and that cyclicality provides new encounters when we’re ready for them. The Hummingbird draws nourishment from the flowers as they’re available and suited. We nourish our souls as we retrace our journey through our sacred sources.