There's an old joke.
New Year's is always January 1. Thanksgiving is always the last Thursday in November. But Jewish holidays are never on time. They're always "early" or "late"! (You can groan now)
Rosh Hashana will begin this Friday night, and it lends the question: What are we doing to prepare?
Selichot and Shofar
Those of us of Sephardic (Spain, North Africa and Middle Eastern) descent have been saying Selichot since the 1st of the month of Elul. Those of us of Ashkenazic descent began the same this past Saturday night.
All of us have been sounding and hearing the shofar on a daily basis for the last three and a half weeks.
What's Next?
One who truly believes that Rosh Hashana is a Day of Judgment has a lot to be concerned about. Does anyone really think he or she is perfect?
One of my favorite stories concerns a member of a certain synagogue (to remain nameless to protect the innocent) - and Yes this is a TRUE story - who approached the rabbi with a particular concern he had. You see, he was one of the few who was to serve as the chazzan/ ba'al tefillah (leader of the services) on Rosh Hashana, as the synagogue had multiple services and no offical cantor.
He told the rabbi, "I have a real problem saying the "Chazzan's Prayer" before Mussaf, in which it says הנְנִי הֶעָנִי מִמַּעַשֹ נִרְעַשׁ וְנִפְחַד מִפַּחַד יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּאתִי לַעֲמֹד וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן לְפָנֶיךָ עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוּנִי. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינִי כְדַאי וְהָגוּן לְכַךְ.
["Here I am, impoverished of deeds, trembling and frightened from the dread of Him Who is enthroned upon the praises of Israel, I have come to stand and supplicate before You for Your people Israel who have sent me, although I am unworthy and unqualified to do so."]
"Rabbi, I am not a pauper of deeds - I do so much. And I am not unworthy and unqualified. I've studied the prayers and know all the right tunes. I have a real problem saying those words."
"Then I have a real problem with your leading the services," answered the rabbi.
Brilliance of the text
Most people readily admit there is much to improve in themselves. This writer included. Alas, most New Year's resolutions do not last for a very long time. We are the way we are, and continue to be the way we are because it is very difficult to change.
So at least the prayer book gives the chazzan the words to say to express the reality of his existence, that he, like the rest of us, is an imperfect human being. And though he, like the rest of us, is unworthy to serve as the defense, together we're going to make a dern good try of it.
A Possible Approach
While these next few days are not yet Rosh Hashana, maybe we can begin our process of getting ourselves into the mindset a little earlier.
I have an uncle who has always - referring to his weight - been a self-proclaimed yo-yo. We'd see him at one family gathering, and he'd be 30 pounds overweight. He'd go on a diet and by the next gathering he'd be thin as a rail. Next time, overweight again. Up and down, like a yo-yo.
He once said, "There's nothing like a doctor who can give you a good dose of 'yiras shamayim' (fear of heaven - a.k.a. reverence for God). Seriously, when a guy tells you 'If you want to live to see your grandchildren you have to lose 40 pounds (and keep it off), get some exercise and stop some of your really bad habits' you learn to listen very quickly."
Amazingly, he's kept it off and has been an average size since then.
I don't know if it's really יראת שמים (fear of heaven), or fear of death, or fear of not seeing
grandchildren. (He now has a couple of grandchildren, and I hope he enjoys the nachas they give him for a long time.) But something lit a fire under him, and he changed!
So here it is: instead of making a resolution to change (which won't work), we need to light a fire under ourselves to inspire us to want to change.
Recession-Proof
The economy has put a lot of people in a position that they are rethinking priorities. Some are out of work. Some are looking for jobs. Some are lost and need direction.
These challenges are all opportunities. Whether the fire lit under us be our children, our grandchildren, or just the drive to want to live a fulfilling life, many of us will embrace it and hit it head on.
My offer to you - To Light the Fire
My market is not HR. Sad to say, I don't do hiring.
But I learn Torah with people. I have a car, and I have a flexible schedule. I can come to your place, your turf, on your time, and open your eyes to new texts and new areas of Torah study you may have never seen before, never enjoyed before, or never saw from a perspective that makes sense to you.
We'll challenge protocol together and look for answers until we're either satisfied, or really really disturbed and challenged by the things we've found.
It's not a resolution which won't work. It's lighting a fire for which someone else (in this case, I) will stoke the coals for you. You just need to want the fire to stay lit.
New Year's is always January 1. Thanksgiving is always the last Thursday in November. But Jewish holidays are never on time. They're always "early" or "late"! (You can groan now)
Rosh Hashana will begin this Friday night, and it lends the question: What are we doing to prepare?
Selichot and Shofar
Those of us of Sephardic (Spain, North Africa and Middle Eastern) descent have been saying Selichot since the 1st of the month of Elul. Those of us of Ashkenazic descent began the same this past Saturday night.
All of us have been sounding and hearing the shofar on a daily basis for the last three and a half weeks.
What's Next?
One who truly believes that Rosh Hashana is a Day of Judgment has a lot to be concerned about. Does anyone really think he or she is perfect?
One of my favorite stories concerns a member of a certain synagogue (to remain nameless to protect the innocent) - and Yes this is a TRUE story - who approached the rabbi with a particular concern he had. You see, he was one of the few who was to serve as the chazzan/ ba'al tefillah (leader of the services) on Rosh Hashana, as the synagogue had multiple services and no offical cantor.
He told the rabbi, "I have a real problem saying the "Chazzan's Prayer" before Mussaf, in which it says הנְנִי הֶעָנִי מִמַּעַשֹ נִרְעַשׁ וְנִפְחַד מִפַּחַד יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּאתִי לַעֲמֹד וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן לְפָנֶיךָ עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוּנִי. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינִי כְדַאי וְהָגוּן לְכַךְ.
["Here I am, impoverished of deeds, trembling and frightened from the dread of Him Who is enthroned upon the praises of Israel, I have come to stand and supplicate before You for Your people Israel who have sent me, although I am unworthy and unqualified to do so."]
"Rabbi, I am not a pauper of deeds - I do so much. And I am not unworthy and unqualified. I've studied the prayers and know all the right tunes. I have a real problem saying those words."
"Then I have a real problem with your leading the services," answered the rabbi.
Brilliance of the text
Most people readily admit there is much to improve in themselves. This writer included. Alas, most New Year's resolutions do not last for a very long time. We are the way we are, and continue to be the way we are because it is very difficult to change.
So at least the prayer book gives the chazzan the words to say to express the reality of his existence, that he, like the rest of us, is an imperfect human being. And though he, like the rest of us, is unworthy to serve as the defense, together we're going to make a dern good try of it.
A Possible Approach
While these next few days are not yet Rosh Hashana, maybe we can begin our process of getting ourselves into the mindset a little earlier.
I have an uncle who has always - referring to his weight - been a self-proclaimed yo-yo. We'd see him at one family gathering, and he'd be 30 pounds overweight. He'd go on a diet and by the next gathering he'd be thin as a rail. Next time, overweight again. Up and down, like a yo-yo.
He once said, "There's nothing like a doctor who can give you a good dose of 'yiras shamayim' (fear of heaven - a.k.a. reverence for God). Seriously, when a guy tells you 'If you want to live to see your grandchildren you have to lose 40 pounds (and keep it off), get some exercise and stop some of your really bad habits' you learn to listen very quickly."
Amazingly, he's kept it off and has been an average size since then.
I don't know if it's really יראת שמים (fear of heaven), or fear of death, or fear of not seeing
grandchildren. (He now has a couple of grandchildren, and I hope he enjoys the nachas they give him for a long time.) But something lit a fire under him, and he changed!So here it is: instead of making a resolution to change (which won't work), we need to light a fire under ourselves to inspire us to want to change.
Recession-Proof
The economy has put a lot of people in a position that they are rethinking priorities. Some are out of work. Some are looking for jobs. Some are lost and need direction.
These challenges are all opportunities. Whether the fire lit under us be our children, our grandchildren, or just the drive to want to live a fulfilling life, many of us will embrace it and hit it head on.
My offer to you - To Light the Fire
My market is not HR. Sad to say, I don't do hiring.
But I learn Torah with people. I have a car, and I have a flexible schedule. I can come to your place, your turf, on your time, and open your eyes to new texts and new areas of Torah study you may have never seen before, never enjoyed before, or never saw from a perspective that makes sense to you.
We'll challenge protocol together and look for answers until we're either satisfied, or really really disturbed and challenged by the things we've found.
It's not a resolution which won't work. It's lighting a fire for which someone else (in this case, I) will stoke the coals for you. You just need to want the fire to stay lit.
So send an email - avi.billet@yu.edu - or pick up the phone and call our Boca office at 561 852 3152
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