EMBRACE OUR BLESSINGS

 

  As I stepped into the Sukkah, on the third day of Sukkot, I recited the Ushpezin of the day and with overflowing hearts our family welcomed the Patriarch Yaakov- our Patriarch who represents Emet and Galut. In many ways we can identify, greatly, with Yaakov, for many of our trials and tribulations are due to our Galut, very similarly, to the tribulations that Yaakovexperienced.

  Therefore, my search for greater meaning to the Yom Tov of Sukkot will give us the Chizuk to weather the storms of Galut and to forge ahead more enthused and more spiritually enhanced.

  As we enter our Deras Arai, our home away from home, to the outdoors of an alienated society, we experience, very similarly, Yaakov’sepisode of the night under the stars when he had the vision of the ladder stretching from earth to the sky, and the angels assuring him that he will be protected by Hashem. It is the same protection that I felt as I walked into the Sukkahwelcoming our Patriach of Truth assuring all of us that, in spite, of the fact that we are experiencing our night of Galut we are assured that our Torah oriented way of life will prosper and live on.  

    Permit me to share, at this time, the following words of inspiration

 

"Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses”

“Focus on your character, not your reputation”

“Focus on your blessings, not your misfortunes”

“At all times embrace your blessings, and make every today worth remembering.”

These words are so important to assure life is worth living and gives life a meaningful direction that will bring honor to mankind and honor to G-D.

   

   Rashi explains that we are, indeed, blessed with the words of Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, on Yom Tov, as was recited byAharon,וישא אהרון את ידיו אל העם ויברכם,"And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them".  The Birkat Kohanim has a very special meaning for the Jewish People, as a Nation. It is a blessing that is to be absolute and unconditional. As we study the Hebrew words of the Bracha, we notice that even though the blessing is for the entire nation, the words are in the singular form. This expresses an amazing idea in Judaism. Though we are a nation of many, we must see ourselves as one integrated whole, as "One Persona". 

  Achieving this unity we can be confident that the last part of the Bracha וישם לך שלום, the blessing of Hashem for our nation with peace, will be forthcoming.               

 Peace can only prosper if we see our Nation as one integrated whole, with brotherly love extended to each other, leading us on the path of becoming a true עם אחד, under the rubric of our strong belief of הי אחד ושמו אחד. 

   With this אחדות, we can face any adversary that may step in the path of our Nation’s success, and thereby assuring a brighter future for our Jewish Nation. 

   This is our message for our people's survival. Our future is a glorious one if we continue to have love in our hearts and compassion in our deeds. 

    These attributes are to be transmitted to our children and grandchildren, as the Torah states;

 " והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך" "Teach and make known the ways of our Torah to your children and to your grandchildren." This is, truly, one of the most important Mitzvot of the Torah, a Mitzvah of והודעתם, of transmitting our Ways of Torah to the next generation. Our survival depends on the success and the strength of our Mesorah's influence on our next generation. This was Yaakov’s legacy to his children, and to K’lall Yisrael.  His name was changed from Yaakov to Yisrael, to assure our survival and our continued Blessing in our Galut. As we step in to the Sukkah of our Galut, let us welcome our Yisrael- Yaakov  to our temporary home with benevolence, friendship and love.

    Let us continue to emulate G-D's ways of 

אהבת עולם ואהבה רבה, to each other and in doing so, we will herald the time of the coming of our Mashiach in our time. With this in mind, we will then turn our Sukkah into our true Mikdash Me’at, when the S’hchenah will bring the Ananei Hakovad to rest upon all our homes.

 

SHABBAT SHALOM 

AND 

CHAG SAMEACH

ROSH HASHANA

   During these days before Rosh Hashana,the constant refrain is "Change", or, better yet, it is time to do "Teshuvah". This concept is a meritorious one, but the fulfillment of being able to Change, for many, is not an easy task. In fact, in today's society I find that many are just not able to grasp the idea of improving themselves through Change and surely find great difficulty to begin the process of Teshuvah.

   For many, actions seem to be in total opposition to this idea of wanting to Changecertain aspects of one's behavior.  I asked a student why he wasn't applying himself more studiously to his school work, and his reply was simply, "Rabbi, Whatever.”  When I inquire of an adult regarding their actions and/or their situation in life, very often the reply is, "It is what it is". 

  Are these life's answers for everything, 'Whatever and It is what it is?' I hope not!

  These phrases are so negative and can be so damaging to our growth, our betterment, our Change and surely for our Teshuvah. 

   I once read that these answers can be referred to as " Tautophrasal Evasion",defined as, "I am not spending anymore effort on this matter, and nothing is going to change, so just get used to it." 

   I can just imagine this attitude when we go to a Doctor and we ask him, "What can we do about the situation?" and he responds, "Well, it is what it is". 

   These two responses, 'Whatever and It is what it is,' are the most devastating expressions in our human lexicon.  They make life so helpless and even hopeless. That is not what Judaism prescribes for life, especially during this period of beseeching the Almighty for a new year of health and prosperity. 

   Surely, we can say "Que sera, sera-Whatever will be, will be.” However, in doing so, we are taking our G-D given qualities and options to better ourselves, taking them out of our hands and thrusting them to the wind. This is not an option and I, personally, refuse to act this way. 

   As we prepare for Rosh Hashana, let us work to replace the "It is what it is" with "It will become what it ought to be". This is the true idea and directive to achieve the ultimate act of Teshuvah. 

    This is extremely true as we embark on a more observant road in our Judaic way of life and in the way we act to one another. Yes, we need to remove the oft time quoted words, "It is better than nothing", for that is just as bad as "It is what it is and whatever." 

  Now is the time to take responsibility for our actions. Now is the time that certain attitudes need to be changed. Now is the time for Teshuvah,  that will make our lives more meaningful and make us more responsible. 

     With these thoughts in mind, we can better understand the opening words of this week’s Torah reading.' You are standing, all of you, before Hashem", and then the Torahgoes on to enumerate everyone, from the leaders, to every member of the Jewish people. This is done to emphasize a most important idea in Yahadut, that when we stand before G-D , we are abe to see ourselves as equal, and not  to look upon one another  as more superior, for Hashem’s love of Am Yisrael, is one of inclusivity, and never exclusivity.

    It is with this feeling of togetherness, and brotherly love that we present ourselves to Hashem on Rosh Hashana, a time of V’tain Kavod L’amecha,  Bestowing honor on the Jewish People , as a unified and a United Jewish Nation. These are times that we must change our venue and begin to realize we are all together in the same boat of life and if we act inappropriately, to cause a hole to emerge in our Judaic Boat, it will only result in our failure.

 The beauty of life is to know we have G-Dgiven capabilities. Let us begin to use them as we approach this new year of 5780. Let it be a year of change and a year of improvement that will lead us to a year of Bracha and Yeshuah. 

      Wishing all my blog friends a year of  שנת חיים וטובים. 

 

            

  

         

 

WHAT DEFINES US

 

 
" WHAT DEFINES US ?"

                                                                                                                                                      

הי מלך הי מלך הי ימלוך לעולם ועד                                                                   Before I begin let me make note that we recite   

This is not depicting the game of thrones for our Melech is מלכי המלכים and there is no game of thrones with our מלך. 

      Now that I got your attention permit me to continue with my thoughts:

 When I was in the Rav’s shiur he reiterated the importance of  נעילה. In essence, He said that  נעילה encapsulates all of the previous T'filos. In fact,  one cannot daven  נעילה  if he missed any of the other T'filos because עצומו של יום depends on the T'fila of  נעילה and it is only when we recite נעילה does our atonement  takes place. This may be logical in thought ,but in my opinion it all depends how we approach  נעילה that will verify and bring about the true atonement. The question we need to answer is, "What attitude is required to achieve this Kapara? I will answer as a Jew always does with a question. 

If I were asked, and it is rhetorical, "What word would I choose from the entire Torah that can enunciate our faith and our true essence? I would select the word that Hashem uses to Adam after he sinned in the garden of Eden - that word is  איכה- where are you? 

I am sure you understand that our infinite G-d knows where we are. The question is not pertaining to the geographical or physical location of Adam for G-d knew exactly where he was, but rather He wanted Adam to know who he was and what his essence was and how he saw himself in the scheme of things.  Remember the answer that Adam gave to Hashem when he asked him what he did and why he went against the word of G-D? He replied, "I am not responsible for what took place" and he went on to blame חוה and she in turn, blamed the snake and even the snake blamed G-D Himself, for it was G-D who brought חוה to him. 

This is my question to all of us - "Where are we after these days of repentance, as we prepare for the Holiest Day of the year? Where is our איכה, where do we stand at this most crucial hour seeking G-D'sassurance for a year of Blessing  and Life. It is interesting to note that at the beginning of the שמונה עשרה, we say ,

זכרנו לחיים מלך חפץ בחיים

And at the end of the Amida we say                                                             

  וכתבנו בספר חיים טובים   

                             Why at this juncture of the Amida, do we use the word                טובים                             ?                                                                                                                                                                 

   My answer is, "At the beginning of ourT'filos we have no specifics of what will make our lives truly good.  It only after we mention all the Brachot, דעת, סליחה,רפאנו, that we begin to realize our goodness. Therefore, only, after the Amidah, do we realize what a good life is all about, and that we are truly Blessed."

 

As a student of the Rav, I am inclined to see man as a dialectical being. Let me clarify, what I mean by dialectical, as it reflects man in two mutually exclusive ways.  

In the first place, man is an important being, for he was created with great intellectual and spiritual capabilities, as Tehilimsays,ותחסרהו מעט מאלוקים. We were created slightly less than Angels. We embody a divine element that allows man to be in proximity to Hashem, we are then עומד לפני הי. And on the other hand, Judaismsees man weak and at times helpless. On Yom Kippur we merit to have a glorious rendezvous with G-D, as a reward for spending an entire day in prayer in imitating an angelic being and beseeching Hashem, humbly, to bestow His Blessings upon us. We, then, feel confident that we are standing  לפני הי- resulting in being acclaimed by Hashem  תטהרו - we are inscribed in the Book of Life.

          With this feeling of being close toHashem, we begin to glow with the aura of being a blessed child of G-D, imbued with greater spirituality, and confidence in a life of Bracha, Mazal and Nachas , walking into the future with this Bracha on our lips.

בספר חיים ברכה ושלום, ופרנסה טובה, נזכר ונכתב ונחתם לפניך,אנחנו וכל עמך בית ישראל, לחיים טובים ולשלום