Great Egret : The Sheltering Tallit

This is a Great Egret. I was well-positioned to watch him flying down the creek, and the camera locked focus, yielding a number of quite lovely - but ordinary - photographs. This particular offering - atypical for me - was the most compelling of the set. The bird’s face is hidden. You don’t see his eyes. The tie between subject and observer isn’t there in the usual way. And yet. Those large white wings, seemingly draped over the bird. The individuated feathers at his “hands.” His arrow-straight body as he soars through the air. And the white, white against a field of gentle blue. As I prepare myself for Yom Kippur, everything about this photo spoke to me.

Tonight is Erev Yom Kippur, beginning the Day of Atonement. On this night - only - we traditionally wear a tallit, a fringed prayer shawl, that is otherwise worn during the daytime. Omitting myriad nuances: the tallit is a white shawl with knotted fringes at the corners. The fringes and knots reference the 613 Biblical mitzvot and serve as a tangible reminder of our spiritual imperatives. The colors, white and blue, recall the purity of our atoned state and the princely prerogative of a royals-only dye. Donning the tallit, we drape it over our heads, creating a separate space for ourselves, even in the midst of our entire community.

Erev Yom Kippur is palpably unique. The sanctuary is crowded. Everyone is here. The sense of community is greater than any other day. Fellowship comforts us even as we contemplate the sealing of our fates, praying that we merit to be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life. Tonight, profoundly, pleadingly we argue our individual case before the Judge. The tallit creates a silent shelter within our lovingly abuzz community. The tallit’s gentle wisp of impenetrable division is the brilliant reconciliation between our individual and communal needs. This photograph too, separates the viewer from the Egret, but we also experience its irresistible draw.