Rosh Hoshana/Yom Kippur

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All Kinds of Jewish Stuff

Unity....The Secret to the welfare of the Jewish people has always been unity, so love your fellow Jew and maybe save a life! ......

Chilazon (Blue Thread)

HOLIDAYS

Rosh Hoshana-Yom Kippur

Chanukah

Purim

Passover!

Hear the Shofar blowing! Traditionally, the shofar is blown each day of the month preceding Rosh Hoshana, except the day before Rosh Hoshana.

Shofar Blowing

Some Thoughts on Rosh Hoshana/Yom Kippur

A Story - Amusing, but all too painfully familiar!

It was nearing Rosh Hoshana. A yeshiva asked a certain Rabbi to visit and speak to the students to inspire them to teshuva (repentance). He gave a moving speech and the students were very inspired. The next year, close to Rosh Hoshana they decided to invite the same Rabbi to talk. He gave the exact same speech! One of the students went over to the Rabbi after the talk and pointed this out. The Rabbi responded, "So - you did the same aveiros (sins)!".

Connection between Bris Milah and Rosh Hoshana/Yom Kippur

What follows are some thoughts that I had prepared just in case I was called on to speak at a recent bris.

Every Rosh Hoshana/Yom Kippur we ask G-d to forgive us, and every Yom Kippur we are forgiven. Why? I am pretty sure that I have not merited it. Certainly, I have repeated many of the sins that I supposedly repented for in previous years. I don't believe I have been forgiven on the basis of merit. It must be on the basis of potential. It is so easy to get caught up in life and the various traps that restrict ourselves and prevent us from achieving what we are capable of. We tend to become more pessimistic as time goes on. Of course, we call this being realistic (sounds so wise and mature). G-d, however, can see our potential. His view is unencumbered by the particularities of temporary difficulties. Whatever we have become, He can still see what we COULD be. And he is excited by this possibility. So excited, that He not only forgives us, but immediately calls us all together for a great gathering and a week of celebration(Succos)! This is much like a bris. The parents are beaming. There are filled with hopes. The possibilities are limitless! What has the baby accomplished? The great joy, the hopes, the celebration - all based on potential. Maybe this is a hint as to how we should approach the Days of Awe. Yes, we should feel bad over our sins and implement steps to keep away from sin. We should also feel excited over the potential. A clean slate awaits us! Hashem has faith in us (as we say in Modeh Ani when we awaken - Rabbah emunasecha - how great is your faith - meaning faith in us). Hashem is excited over our potential. Let us go with simcha to repent - there is no limit to what we can achieve. Let us ask hashem to make us like the baby - renew us with a fresh start - full of potential. And may we merit to see more of what Hashem sees in us, so we can turn that potential into a source of nachas(parental pride) for Hashem.

May you be inscribed and sealed for a healthy year filled with material and spiritual success!