Stanmore Shul Yomim Noraim Booklet 5781

YAMIM NORAIM ACCOMPANYING

BOOKLET

INCLUDES TABLE OF PAGE NUMBERS

MAKING YOUR HIGH HOLY DAYS MORE MEANINGFUL

The Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue Yamim Noraim Accompanying Booklet

Intro From Rabbi Fine

This booklet is presented in honour of the 80th birthday of Helen Kravatsky by Merrick and Shelley Wolman and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Michael, Lisa, Zachary and Isla Wolman, Jared, Rachel and Jolie Wolman and Dean Wolman.

prayers and High Holy Days rituals a bit more understandable, palatable and meaningful, but at the same time preserve and retain their everlasting genuine meaning.

Written by Rabbi Daniel Fine and edited by Jacqui Rudoph

The glory of a Divine religion is that it is eternally deep and promotes timeless truths. The challenge is that as societies change it can be difficult to relate to these themes and messages.

Therefore, in order to relate to Judaism and Torah themes one can either bring Torah down to the people or bring the people up to the Torah. This booklet aims to do a bit of both - to make the

The Hebrew for High Holy Days is Yamim Noraim, which is normally translated as Days of Awe. The Malbim (1809 – 1879), however, translates this as Days of Vision. The High Holy Days are a time to stop looking at the world with a narrow lens and appreciate its depth, spiritual core and Divine purpose. Ultimately, this booklet aims to elevate and bring a sense of meaning to your High Holy Days: days of sight, insight and real vision. The days are about faith and belief - belief in Him and belief in you.

Wishing you a Shana Tovah, a sweet new year, and may we all be inscribed in the book of life.

Enjoy the booklet, Rabbi Daniel Fine

Contents

The Intro

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS EXPERIENCE

• ROSH HASHANAH

• YOM KIPPUR

6 The Intro 7 A Rosh Hashanah story Speaking to the King 9 Dictionary Definitions:

@High Holy Days 101 10-12 Dictionary Definitions: @Rosh Hashanah

46-48 Dictionary Definitions @Yom Kippur 49-52 A Yom Kippur Celebrity Story - singer Alex Clare

ESSAY SECTION 14-16 Is a Murderer Better than a Philanthropist?

17-22 Teenage Engagement 23-25 How do we know that God exists?

26-27 Holiness at Home and Away 28-29 The Next World PERSONAL 30-32 A second Rosh Hashanah story

- the Grand Symphony 34-35 Rosh Hashanah: Practical Tips 36-37 The Shofar: Practical and Significance 38 Things You Might See on Rosh Hashanah PRAYERS SECTION 40-42 A Guide to the Prayers

TABLE OF PAGE NUMBERS 43 Table of page numbers

Rosh Hashanah: First Day 44 Table of page numbers

Rosh Hashanah: Second Day

ESSAY SECTION 54-55 Real Spirituality - Where is the Mountain?!

56-58 Yom Kippur - Body and Soul 59 Grabbing opportunities Exploring Jewish Text 60-66 The Seven Wonders of Jewish History PERSONAL 67-68 Speech - The Secret Yom Kippur Weapon 68-69 My Yom Kippur Checklist 70 Yonah - Inspiration Grounded 71 Things You Might See on Yom Kippur PRAYERS SECTION 72-75 A Guide to the Prayers 76-77 Table of Page Numbers: Yom Kippur EPILOGUE

Most of us have had a ‘why me?’ moment -

angle to others but you are following the

when you feel utterly incapable of dealing

same action - the head moving to and fro

with a challenge or situation that you have

like everyone else - so too with the High

faced. Depending on the situation and your

Holy Days: we all come at it from different

own personality, you sit there despondent

angles, but there is something to gain for

and completely overwhelmed, until you

everyone

slowly realise that you can drag yourself out of and rise up to, and even perhaps take

This booklet was designed to allow people

advantage of the challenge by standing up

to get the most out of their High Holiday

to it.

experience - in understanding the prayers, in shedding new light about the significance

Imagine being led into the world’s most

and meaning of the day, and to try and provide

difficult maze without any map or guidance

an inspiring, user-friendly companion to take

- you’d spend hours looking around and be

you through the services. Comments and

absolutely lost, not knowing where to turn

questions are always welcome: rabbifine@

and consigned to ‘going with the flow’ and

stanmoresynagogue.org.

basic trial and error.

Bon appétit!

The High Holy Days are a labyrinth! They

Rabbi Fine

can be long, arduous, confusing and to some people irrelevant.

What’s more,

P.S. Feel free to take this booklet home

there are so many different types of

to read at your leisure; remember to

people who attend High Holiday Services

bring it for your Yom Kippur.

- some are more intellectual, some are more emotional, some enjoy the prayers, some enjoy contemplation, some are more traditional and some less traditional, some are more familiar with the services and some less so. Yet we come because we feel there is something to be achieved here - it is almost implanted into the national consciousness of a Jew that there is something important to be gained from the High Holy Days. Just like at a tennis match, you might be sitting at a different “The Day of Atonement is the peak of forgiveness.” Rambam

A Rosh Hashanah Story SPEAKING TO THE KING – AS SHARED BY RABBI MARC LEVENE

I would like to share one of the powerful stories that I know. I heard it from Tzvi Sperber. He is an inspiring tour guide and educator who lives in Israel but grew up in the Kenton Synagogue community and Bnei Akiva and has guided many JRoots and US Living & Learning community tours.

Shortly before Yom Kippur several years ago, Tzvi was listening to an Israeli radio talk show while driving home one evening. The topic was life stories. Mel, an elderly man with a thick European accent had phoned in, wishing to tell his story. It was so absorbing that Tzvi had to pull over to listen to it.

Mel was a young boy in Germany when he and his best friend Wolf were tearfully sent by their parents on the Kindertransport to England to escape the coming conflagration.

As they waved goodbye, they did not know when their parents would follow.

HIGH HOLY DAYS & ROSH HASHANAH

After reaching these shores, Mel and Wolf were placed in an orphanage together.

They tried their best to adapt to their new surroundings and culture, especially difficult given that Great Britain was soon to be at war with their home country. It was vastly different from where they came from. They spoke German, sounding like the enemy. The fate of their families, unknown to them, plagued them with fear and anxiety.

Understandably, the orphanage wanted the children to adjust as well as possible to the UK. One particular day, all the children were told to wear their finest clothes (from

the little they had managed to bring) and to make sure to look as presentable as possible. A special treat was in store. They soon found themselves at a local parade on the High Street to honour King George VI and Queen Mary, who would be riding through the parade. Each boy from the orphanage was given a Union Flag to wave as the Royal couple passed by.

It is hard to imagine the excitement the boys felt at this rare treat, coupled with a sense of awe at seeing the King and Queen.

Finally, the Royal couple came into view and the boys together with what seemed like the whole town, waved their flags furiously.

Suddenly, squeezing through the hustle and bustle of the crowd, Wolf ran into the street and darted for the Royal carriage. Scurrying round the guards, he jumped onto the running board on the side of the carriage and, for a fleeting moment, spoke to the King and Queen, before some soldiers pulled him off amidst a slight commotion. Realising that this young boy was no threat, the soldiers returned him to the embarrassed orphanage staff who had seen this breech of protocol unfold in front of their very eyes.

Wolf, although just a young boy, knew what he had done. He was far from home with no family to turn to. As he tried to enjoy the rest of the parade, Wolf, who was now guarded by a teacher to stop any further incidents, feared the worst kind of punishment.

German was still his first language.

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Dictonary Definitions HIGH HOLY DAYS 101

Sensitive to this and to the plight of these boys, the head of the orphanage asked Wolf to explain this embarrassing incident as best he could. Yet Wolf would not discuss it with anybody, not even his close friend. He just would not explain himself in any way, it was just too painful. Now he had to wait for the consequences.

A few weeks had passed. Hoping against hope, Wolf had started to feel that the incident had been forgotten, until he was abruptly called into the headmasters’s office for an important meeting.

Standing intimidated in front of this commanding figure, he was told that as a result of his behaviour at the parade, he was to be expelled from the orphanage. He had no idea where he would go or what he would do. No family, no friends in a foreign country at war with his.

Before dismissing Wolf, the headmaster looked at the small, withdrawn child and asked again what he had said at the Royal carriage. As the question reverberated in his ears, Wolf realised that this was his last chance, his last card to play. Maybe he could save himself. Overcoming his embarrassment, in a quivering voice, he answered softly.

“I just asked the King and Queen to help find my parents and family. I miss them more than I can say, I cry every night for them.

Surely the King, the most powerful man in the land, could help me? Surely he could

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help them escape to England just as they helped me?”

For a few moments, an eternity for Wolf, the headmaster stood frozen to the spot.

Finally, without saying a word, he opened the door to his office. Standing in the doorway were Wolf’s parents. The shy, withdrawn child shrieked in joy as he leapt into his parents’ embrace.

There was a long silence on the radio, too, as Mel finished the story. Finally, the now elderly man broke down in heart-rending tears. “I had an opportunity to speak to the King, but I didn’t take it.” Mel never saw his parents again.

Each Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish people throughout the world, whether the most or least observant, can come together to crown G-d as the King of the universe.

From that time until Yom Kippur, it is as if He is ‘on parade’, giving us an opportunity to break out of our usual routine and strengthen our connection to Him and to those around us. Yom Kippur is the climax of that parade. Let us use it and our prayers to have a ‘conversation’ with Him, rather than staying silent. Talk to God, about yourself, about the year ahead, asking for His help to help you build a good year ahead in which you can do something to add your impact onto the story of the Jewish people.

We can make these days so meaningful and life changing, but just do not miss that opportunity to talk to the King.

What are the High Holy Days?

The High Holy Days are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and spans two days (the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishrei), whilst Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement and is on the 10th of Tishrei. They are both special days but very different in reason, format and structure What are the differences between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - they look very similar 2me?

On Rosh Hashanah we have a festive meal, we blow the shofar and we do not mention sin. On Yom Kippur we fast, we atone for sins and the shofar is blown just once at the very end of the day.

Why are RH and YK so different?

Now you are asking! In short, on Rosh Hashanah we go back to the essence of who we are and what we want to be. That goes beyond any given action - we talk about the world’s agenda, our plans and who we really are. On Yom Kippur we then align those visions with our everyday actions - we correct our ways and start living our intended pathways and dreams again.

“The two happiest days of the Jewish calendar are Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur.” Mishnah, Ta’anit

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Dictonary Definitions ROSH HASHANAH

What is Rosh Hashanah then?

Rosh Hashanah is on the first two days of the new Jewish year - they are days of judgment and also a Yom Tov (festival)

I don’t get it. If it’s about judgment of past deeds shouldn’t it be the last day of the previous year?

Exactly the point! Rosh Hashanah is about deciding your direction - about where you are in the present; your past deeds are corrected on Yom Kippur.

Why then is there no mention of judgment in the Torah?

Gr8 question! The Oral Law is full of references to this day as the Day of Judgment, but the Torah does not give the day this title; for the central theme of the day is accepting God as king. The judging element is an extension of His kingship - a king calls his soldiers into account (Maharal, 16th century).

“On Rosh Hashanah we are not judged on our past deeds or our future plans; we are judged on the present - what is our attitude and conduct on Rosh Hashanah?” Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe

Dictonary Definitions ROSH HASHANAH

Why is RH 2 days?

The technical reason is that RH is the start of the month, and this created difficulties for the central Beth Din to verify, declare and publicise the festival.

Rav Dessler (d. 1953) proved a deeper element here: there are two days of judgment in which the first day is a strict judgment where one is judged as an individual, whilst the second day sees us judged as part of a unit of the Jewish People.

What do we do on RH? Aside from the unique prayer service, the focal point if the day is the shofar, ram’s horn, which we sound 100 times.

Why 100 and what’s the idea of the shofar?

The shofar is the ‘spiritual prayer-blast’ that is so potent and piercing that it does not require words. It takes us back to Abraham’s shofar of the Akeidah (the binding of Isaac) and to the shofars sounded at the giving of the Torah and ultimately to the shofar which will sound in the future at the time of the Messiah: it thus encompasses past and future, and individual and national destinies as a vehicle for our reflecting and reframing of our lives. Nice!

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein

Dictonary Definitions ROSH HASHANAH

What’s the prayer service on Rosh Hashanah?

Aside from the special Torah reading, we have a mammoth mussaf service that contains three main sections: malchuyot, (crowning God as king), zichronot (remembrances/judgment) and shofarot (the shofar sections). These correspond to three fundamental principles - Hashem’s existence, His involvement in our lives, and His Torah.

What else happens on RH?

We eat a festive meal like during other festivals, in which many have special foods such as a pomegranate, apple and honey, a fish-head, etc. as an omen for a good year ahead: each is accompanied by a prayer to sensitise us to this. Many have a widespread custom called Tashlich, where we recite a special prayer by a river to symbolically remove our sins and recall the Akeidah, where Avraham had to cross a river on his way.

DEPTH CHARGE

A SELECTION OF ESSAYS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO DEEPER By way of apology, these essays should really be much longer and more comprehensive, with a full bibliography and full sources. However, keeping things short to cater to interest and people’s time constraints were important factors. For further reading please see a list of books and websites at the back of this booklet.

“In spirituality, the searching is the finding and the pursuit is the achievement.” Dr. Abraham J. Twerski

Is a Murderer Better Than a Philanthropist?

THE CASE FOR FREEWILL Consider the following statement, from a USA Today column: You may feel like you’ve made choices, but in reality your decision to read this piece, and whether to have eggs or pancakes, was determined long before you were aware of it — perhaps even before you woke up today.

And your “will” had no part in that decision.

So it is with all of our other choices: not one of them results from a free and conscious decision on our part. There is no freedom of choice, no free will. And those New Year’s resolutions you made? You had no choice about making them, and you’ll have no choice about whether you keep them.

An extreme opinion (one I have only been genuinely faced with once in my years of teaching), but an opinion. Taken too far to the extreme you get something along the lines of the following argument: The defence did not really question the facts related to these events, or challenge the authenticity of the documents proving Mr E’s involvement in the crimes. The systematic defence line was to play down Mr E’s role in the whole process by depicting him as a small cog in the machinery of murder, an underling who had no choice but to carry out the orders he was given by his superiors.

The above was the Yad Vashem transcript of the defence argument from the Eichmann trial. No freewill means no responsibility and no culpability.

On Rosh Hashanah we speak about change.

This means choosing to change, to become

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better. Choice equates to freewill. Yet do we really have freewill? Our background, the way we were brought up was not chosen (by us). Often our friends influence our decisions. Often we go with the flow. Where is our freewill? In case mode, consider the following: Claude Charon was a very successful politician in the separatist government of the Parti Québecois in the Canadian province of Québec when his constituency awoke to an unbelievable headline on 24 February 1982. Charron had been caught shoplifting at the local Eatons department store on 30 January. The total amount of the items stolen: $120! Charron was earning $74,000 a year in his cabinet post and when he resigned, his income immediately dropped to $42,000. In 2001, actress Winonna Ryder tried to make off with thousands of dollars of clothing and hair accessories.

She was 30 at the time of the shoplifting.

Her theft had the hallmarks of kleptomania: Ryder did not need the items and the theft was extremely awkward: almost a plea for help. She later blamed the theft on painkillers. She was fined over $6,000.

comfortable thing and doing what’s right, or perhaps between short-term pleasure and long-term satisfaction. So long as there is a 1% option to do good, freewill still exists. It might be a tremendously difficult decision, and there might even be genetic predispositions pointing towards the bad decision (as in the kleptomania cases), but as long as you can make a decision, as long as good is an option somewhere, there is freewill. In Biblical terms, Esau was born with a natural propensity to serving idols. And Jacob was a budding righteous Jew. But they could each have ignored or harnessed their natural urges and qualities freewill was very much alive. Of course, God is understanding; He gets it that a decision is difficult, and understands that we don’t always get it right.

Second is Rabbi Dessler’s (d. 1953) freewill ladder concept. Imagine a huge ladder whereby the lower rungs symbolise lowly actions - murder, theft and the like. Whilst the upper rungs represented lofty ideals and spiritual achievements - giving lots of money to charity, prayer, etc. Rav Dessler’s concept is that we spend our lives slowly going up and down the ladder, according to our freewill decisions. For a regular person, if one sees a frail old person crossing the road there is no temptation to knock them down and steal from them. That rung on the freewill ladder is below us - there is no challenge in this area, and neither are we rewarded for our decision not to inflict harm on this pensioner. Similarly, there are higher rungs that are not our challenge either - Torah study for many hours is commendable, as is giving hundreds of

If one does have kleptomania, does that obviate any freewill? Is the person accountable for having stolen? There are two critical Jewish ideas here.

First, freewill does not mean an even balance or an evenly poised choice. Rarely in life do we have decisions where there is an equal 50-50 pull for good and bad. Most decisions are more difficult and complex than that.

The most rewarding decisions require real internal struggle, a battle between doing the

“A person who takes a walk of 100 feet and a person who walks 2,000 miles have one major thing in common.

They both need to take a first step before they take a second step.” Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

“Don’t be afraid of discovering that the ‘real you’ may be different than the ‘current you.’” Rabbi Noah Weinberg

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Teenage Engagement: from jumping out of planes to the mud challenge GUEST ARTICLE BY RABBI YITSY DAVID, CHAZAK thousands of pounds away to charity each year: but those might be beyond us. Our freewill point is our current rung on the ladder - our current challenge in life - this is where we are really at in life. And we spend our lives slowly going up and down that freewill ladder. A good decision moves us up one rung to the next challenge, whilst a bad decisions propels us one rung downwards.

Therefore, freewill exists in a more limited sphere - our feewill exists on our individual rungs.

The frightening (or empowering) followon from this is that you might have two people who are at very different points on the ladder but one has made more progress than the other. Supposed a son of a serial killer decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps. Despite tremendous temptation and pressure from his father to kill once a month, this son kills only once a year. Or the son decides not to kill at all - instead he steals from people.

He has moved up the freewill ladder from his point of origin. Now take a person who is the son of a philanthropist. The father routinely gave £1million a year to charity.

The son inherits the father’s fortune and doesn’t want to give anything - but due to fears over his reputation he begrudgingly sets up a standing order of £50,000 a year to charity, which runs on autopilot. Which person is better for society? The son of the philanthropist. But which has achieved more; which has moved their flag or actually risen on the freewill ladder? The son of the serial killer. And he will receive his apt rewards for conquering his challenge on his level.

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Normally, we move up and down one rung at a time. Yet there is one single, small decision that can impact several subsequent rungs.

This is the decision we make in choosing which social crowd we place ourselves in. Defined narrowly, this is our decision over which friends will influence us. More broadly, these are the general influences we allow into our lives which shape our decisions. This is one ‘small decision’ but one which has a tremendous impact and affects where we will be on the ladder many times over.

In many ways, rigid classroom education

that both my students and I learned from

is becoming increasingly tested; many

experience. The jump itself was enthralling;

students are now audio learners, visual

12000 feet in the air, free-falling at

learners, experiential learners or non-

120mph, seeing the vastness of the land

academic learners. Yeshiva University (New

below you while gliding through the clouds.

York) now offers a course for educators

We didn’t just see the beauty and wonders

in what they call Experiential Education,

of Hashem’s world, you actually felt that we

empowering educators with the vital tools

were a fundamental part of it.

As Jews we believe in freewill. Rosh Hashanah, judgment, accountability and self-perception would be pointless if we had no freewill. We would be actors with prewritten scripts. Yet let us utilise this freewill to make meaningful and positive decisions.

Let us not give up hope of genuine change, and let’s try and call the shots on who holds sway over our selves.

“One question is always relevant: How can I use this to move forward?” Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller

required to ensure that experiences are holistically approached, thereby engaging

There were many lessons learned from

students who are unreachable in the regular

our skydiving rendezvous, but there is one

formal education system. I thought it may

in particular I would like to share. By far

be interesting to share and explore some of

the most common question I have been

the more ‘informal educational experiences’

asked, (apart from “why on earth would

I have had over the past year (not to fear, it

you jump out a plane?” and what were you

was all safety checked and okayed with

thinking?!”) Was – “were you scared?” The

parents etc. first!).

answer, without wanting to sound macho, was NO! I really wasn’t. I thought I would be.

Skydiving

I thought that maybe at the beginning of the experience then when we were being

At the beginning of this year I gave some of

strapped together, when we got on the

my sixth-form students a difficult challenge

plane or when we took off, but no. Then I

which I hoped would provide them with the

thought maybe I’d be scared when we were

encouragement and incentive required to

actually sitting on the edge of the plane

focus more on their last year at school. The

door, looking 12000 feet down to the land

reward, for those who succeeded would be

below us, I thought then that I would be

an opportunity to do something they had

terrified to jump. But I wasn’t.

always wanted to do… throw their rabbi out of a plane! Well sort of... I promised them

Allow me to explain. As an inexperienced

that we could go sky diving together and

sky diver, one can’t just jump out of a plane.

that I would jump too!

You have to be strapped to an instructor which is called tandem jumping and you can

One may think, what benefits can be

do almost nothing yourself. Instead, the

gleaned from such experiences? But, I can

instructor pushes you out, guides you, pulls

personally attest to the incredible lessons

the parachute, directs you to the landing

“In Jewish history there are no coincidences.” – Elie Wiesel

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and even lands for you. You just have to

else was in complete control, someone

the millennial generation who often plump

concentration is the only way to achieve

make sure not to get in the way. You only

I completely trusted, who was trained

for instant, looking for the easy route out.

those results. Many express how they wish

need to trust him, one hundred percent,

and experienced, to whom my life was as

We look for the quick and easy solutions

they would have invested the necessary

with your life, which is almost an anomaly

important as his won that there was no

without having to get our trainers dirty in

efforts from a few months back.

when you think about it. How can you trust

reason to be afraid. How could I be scared! I

the process.

an absolute stranger with your life?!

knew I just had to let go and let him do what he needed to do.

When I thought about it I came to the

taking the easy route and avoiding the hard

ropes, tyres and walls.

but the only way through it is perseverance

following realisation. Yes he is experienced,

There are two critical lessons here in

in fact he has done this a thousand times.

terms of teens. First, teens need a sense

You can try and avoid it for all of about 3

When I quizzed him, he had all the answers,

of trust and security. They want and need

minutes, but very quickly you realise the

safety precaution, the lot. Ultimately

a relationship with their family and a role

only way you are going to get through this

So often, we sell ourselves short and

however I realised, that yes my life is in his

model whom they trust. We must be careful

is by getting dirty. There’s no other way. For

prevent ourselves from manifesting the

hands, but HIS LIFE was in his hands too.

to cultivate this.

the first few minutes you feel the adrenaline

unlimited potential that lies within because

pulsing through your body, you’re energised.

we simply “can’t be bothered”. What

If G-d forbid he had to make a mistake, we

which is the most valuable lesson for young people to learn.

were both going down. He cared for my life

Second, I realised that skydiving is in fact

But after the first kilometre run, followed by

happened to the “no pain no gain!?” mantra

at that moment, as much as he cared for his

a perfect analogy for Emunah: trusting in

a muddy pool of freezing water, you think

of the last generation? Sometimes, the

own. So I knew with great conviction that

Hashem. If we only believed that Hashem

to yourself, ‘why on earth am I doing this

greatest things in life only come through

he would do absolutely everything he could

can, that He wants to, that He cares about

to myself?!’ You look around you and think

hardship and struggle (think: exams,

to ensure our safe arrival back on land,

us more than we even care about ourselves,

‘maybe I better turn around and find an

marriage, raising children, earning a living)

because we were in it together 100%. This

that He’s in control, we wouldn’t feel afraid

alternative route, skip an obstacle maybe.’

- if we aren’t willing to put in the effort we simply can’t expect the results!

of what lay ahead. Of course it is easier

Then suddenly you realise there’s only one

This now answered my reasons for trusting

said than done, but jumping out of a plane

way through, if you want to complete the

him fully. But I was still perturbed by what

profoundly enlightened me about my

challenge you have to just bite the bullet

Having never run a marathon before, The

I wasn’t afraid which seemed almost

relationship with Hashem and allowed me to

and jump in!

Nuts Challenge showed me how important

ridiculous to me?

experience what real trust in G-d looks and

it is to pace ourselves. We don’t have to

feels like. It is also motivated me to keep

The journey of life is not always easy and

become great overnight. In fact, Judaism

There’s a difference between a sky dive and

striving to strengthen my relationship with

sometimes we think the easy way out

espouses

a bungee jump. A bungee jump, YOU have

Him even more.

is the right way out. But if we want to do

organically. We understand that greatness

what we came to do, to get the results

isn’t achieved through doing one heroic act

we can achieve, we need to push through.

but is rather achieved through committing

to jump. A skydive, you are strapped to guy who jumps for you. I did nothing. I just leaned

The Nuts Challenge: Perseverance

back and waited for him to push us out the

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In the Nuts Challenge there’s no way of Think: 7 kilometres of mud, water, hurdles,

the

necessity

Unfortunately though, many teenagers only

ourselves

plane and before you even realise you are

Teens nowadays, in fact most of us

realise this too late on the game. The week

consistent good deeds.

– falling over the clouds, flying through the

nowadays, are not willing to put in the

before exams is just too late to suddenly

sky. But it was once I realised that someone

required effort or get our hands dirty. We are

realise that hard work, revision and

“A righteous man falls down seven times and gets up.” – King Solomon, Proverbs, 24:16.

to

doing

of

many

“If you don’t know what you’re living for, you haven’t yet lived.” – Rabbi Noah Weinberg

growing

small

but

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Teenage Rebellion

words, the way we say things affects the

unfortunately

It’s

children as ‘ours’. We don’t see them as

response we elicit. Nowhere is this more

paradoxically amazingly simple and yet

separate to ourselves. And there we can’t

We have touched upon trust, we have

apparent than in parenting teenagers. Our

seemingly impossible at the same time.

let go. We think that because we birthed

portrayed

two

words fall on deaf ears. Our sentiments are

should hold us in good stead for an almost

often ignored. The more we lecture them

The answer is NOTHING. We have to do

and minds. We must step away from this

inevitable teenage stage...

on what they should be doing, they further

nothing. As parents we naturally care

powerful and influential idea that has been

away from that path they steer. The more

and love our children so much. We feel a

the underpinning and certainly the downfall

‘Teenage Rebellion’ sounds like such harsh

we try to help, to guide, to encourage, the

responsibility for them and therefore feel

of parenting.

terminology, but unfortunately we are

more they argue, lock us out and run further

the need to help (or “but in” as they would

used to it. Of all stages of parenting, this

away. As someone quipped, to a teenager,

say) in every situation. However, at this

As terrifying as it is, when we take a

is one of the hardest, and every teenager

a ‘danger, no diving here’ sign is punctuated

time in their lives, it’s not going to help. In

step back, something magical starts to

goes through it. It’s a phase, and as Rav

and read as ‘danger, no?! Diving here!’

fact it’s counterproductive! It is so hard

happen. In our letting go, we start to see

to keep quiet and not get involved, but

a different picture. As one mother put it:

perseverance.

These

Wolbe writes in general, the more we

an

easy

one.

them, that we essentially own their body

realise that certain stages or situations

The parental road of a teenage parent

sometimes it’s the only way. It doesn’t

“Once I realised that my children were not

are expected and natural, the easier they

is

and

mean that a parent stands idly by while their

mine to do what I wanted with, I was able

are to cope with. Upon entering the “teens”

misunderstood. Western parenting models

teenagers experiment, explore and throw

to start seeing them as ‘real people with

something physiologically alters in their

might ask us to discipline them harshly

their education down the drain. Of course

real wishes and different minds’. It was an

brains. Their brains are being reshaped and

or may require us to sit down and try to

a parent has a right to set boundaries

incredible experience for me. I saw them as

reconstructed. One of the many outcomes

‘lecture’ them into understanding what it is

and try and save them from going too far.

individuals, not just my kids that I needed

of this change is insecurity, the search

that they now need to do.

But ultimately the more we overbearingly

to tell what to do all day. It was the most

impose our rules, the less effective it is.

liberating parenting advice anyone has ever

temperamental,

emotional

for a new identity, and thus changes in personality.

In the 1970’s Richard Bandler and John

Essentially the message we are continually

given me. Just to let go….”

giving our children is: “You are not good

Wayne W. Dyer, author and parenting expert

enough. You need to improve.”

has repeatedly tried to give over this idea.

Only then will we start to see them as

He states that:

people. Only then will we start to respect

Grinder founded a methodology called NLP or Neuro-linguistic Programming. It

What a disastrous message to give our

is an approach that links our neurological

already fraught and unsure teenagers!

“Your children are not your children. They are

stop seeing ‘us in them’ but rather seeing

processes (our brain) to linguistics (the way

We are supposed to be imbuing them

the product of life’s longing for itself. They

‘them for who they are’. This is pivotal in

we speak) with our behavioural patterns

with a sense of confidence, helping them

come through you but not for you. You have

crossing the rocky road of a teenager’s life.

(programming). NLP works on the premise

understand their place in the world. Instead,

to sit back and allow them the space to

that we are programmed linguistically to

we join the rest of society by taking part in

advance in their own time.”

do the opposite of what we are told and it

this constant admonishment and asking

goes on the explain the delicate balance

them to do better.

between the language we use and the persuasive powers it yields over us. In other

20

not

So what can be done? The answer is

“I do not want followers who are righteous, rather I want followers who are too busy doing good that they won’t have time to do bad.” – Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

their thoughts and ideas. Only then will we

Don’t fight them, listen to them. Don’t argue with them, ask what they think the

He explains that one of the biggest problems

solution is. Don’t tell them what they should

we have in parenting is attachment to that

be doing, tell what they are already doing

which we think is ours. We think of our

great. Just giving them that unconditional

“I don’t speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don’t have the power to remain silent” – Rabbi A.Y. Kook

21

How do we know that God exists?

GUEST ARTICLE BY RABBI DANIEL ROWE love, the knowledge that as a parent you

siblings, is unfair and wrong. Let’s believe

If things - finite physical things - have

point in the past did the universe become

will always believe in them, be there for

in our children, let us see their qualities and

not been around forever and they didn’t

infinitely old? And I’ll give you another way

them and accept them, no matter who

abilities. Let us encourage them to pursue

create themselves and they got here, then

to think about this - can even space be

they are or what they become, purely and

these talents and keep things positive.

something not finite and not physical had to

infinitely big? The truth is, in physics you

solely because they are your child, is truly

create them. In other words, if somebody’s

could model space in theory, it doesn’t have

powerful.

going to deny that there’s an infinite,

some kind of limit.

non-physical, non-extensional creator, or And given that they are their own people,

even doubt there’s a non-physical, non-

But what do we mean when we use the

please, please, do not compare them to

extensional creator, they have to be able to

word infinite? We get confused because

other children.

claim one of the following. Either the sum

there’s at least two different English

total of all finite, physical things is infinitely

meanings to the word “infinite”. One is like

I have asked hundreds of students the

old, there was never a beginning;

and

the numbers. When we first came across

following two questions and the vast

therefore, the universe, or things before the

infinity, it was probably in a classroom. A

majority all have the same answer:

universe have added up to an infinitely old

teacher drew a number 1 on the board,

age. Or they’re going to have to say there

followed by 2, followed by 3, followed

Q: what’s the first question your parents

was a beginning when there was no space

by dot, dot, dot. And they did this little

ask when you arrive home after receiving an

and no time, but it created itself or didn’t

squiggle and called it infinity which means

exam result?

have a creator, just got here.

is that the numbers go on, and on, and on.

A: What did you get?

Therefore,

In fact, there are really no numbers. All three

there really is, is a starting point, call it one

possibilities: a) An infinite creator meaning

or call it zero, and a successor function.

Q2: what’s the next question every parent

a non-physical creator, not in space or time,

Add one and then whatever you get, add

asks?

b) time, space itself is infinitely old, or c)

one and keep repeating that. And when

that there’s a beginning to space and time

we do that squiggle at the end, we mean

and everything like it, but it just had no

that that number algorithm can be applied

creator, it just created itself.

indefinitely. There’s no final stopping point.

A2: What did everyone else get?

there’s

only

really

Yes, sometimes we have reason for asking

22

We do not mean that you at any point

this and sometimes those reasons are

So, let’s explore those possibilities. Can

suddenly get something that’s infinitely big

valid, but it relays a very clear message

something be infinitely old? And the short

or infinitely many of these things.

- your success is only success relative

answer, I think, is no. Why? Because you

to everyone else’s. As parents we have a

cannot get so old that you add your age up

As the opposite of finite, infinite means

duty to our children to understand their

and it hits infinity. Which numbers can you

without finishing limits or boundaries. So,

true potential and the unique amazing

add together to get infinity? You’re adding

does this blob or sphere have no boundaries?

person they really are. To compare them

ages, you’re getting older. At which point

No, it’s got boundaries. Is it ever going

to class-mates, friends or worst of all, to

do you become infinitively old? At which

to shed its boundaries? No, it isn’t. It will

Teshuva insists that we can liberate ourselves from our past, defy predictions of our future, by a single act of turning . . . as long as we do it now Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

23

always have its limits and its boundaries. In

and therefore there must once have been a

and time, right, it can be infinite provided it’s

God can give is Himself. So, there must be

fact, when it’s getting bigger and bigger and

beginning.

not very, very, very old or very, very, very big

a possibility of connecting to God Himself.

or very, very, very clever. It’s just not just in

And therefore, there must be the possibility of a relationship with God.

bigger, it gets more boundaries and limits.

It doesn’t get less finite, if anything it gets

Okay, so what about God?

Why isn’t

shape, space, time or anything like that and

more. And it doesn’t matter how big it gets,

God infinitely old? So now you’re at the

that’s the argument that if finiteness and

it’s going to get nowhere near shedding

beginning, you’re at a point where there’s

the universe and all things like it once had a

How we get that is a much bigger topic; but

its boundaries and limits. And here’s the

no space and no time. Could it create itself?

beginning and they once did not exist if you

anyone reading this is thinking about that

amazing thing, it will be all possible sizes,

Of course not. There isn’t even a space for

like, then their creator must be something

already.

but it will never be infinitely big, which

an event to occur in. There isn’t even a time

that doesn’t have beginnings, ends, ages,

shows you that all possible sizes are not

and a framework of change for change to

sizes, et cetera and that’s the argument for

Rabbi Rowe holds a BA in philosophy from

infinitely big. They’re always finite. The

take place in; something has to start it. And

an infinite God.

University College London (UCL) and an

minute you get into space, no matter how

that thing can’t be finite or physical because

far you push or extend, you never cross over

we’re at the beginning of finite physics.

from finiteness to infinity.

MPhil in philosophy from Birkbeck College.

Now if there is a creator that’s not in space

He was a tank driver in the 401st Armoured

and time, that’s not finite, that doesn’t

Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces.

BIGNESS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH

So, the idea is an infinite being. But we just

have spatial, temporal existence, it is not

Rabbi Rowe studied for almost a decade in

INFINITY.

said you can’t get infinitely old? And the

going to gain anything from space and

Israel in various Talmudic institutes and is

answer when we talk about an infinite being,

time like us. There’s nothing we can give

considered one of the most dynamic Jewish

If something is big and gets bigger and

we do not mean a being that is very, very,

it, it’s not lacking in the ways that we are.

speakers in the UK, teaching in campuses,

bigger and bigger, it can be indefinitely

very old and is now infinitely old. What we

So, creation is not there to take. Therefore

communities and schools across the

extendable, but it will never become infinite

actually mean is something else. Think about

the motivation of creation can’t be for

country. He is the executive director of

or get to anything similar to infinity. And

this: what is the only number in the number

God’s benefit in the taking, it’s got to be

AishUK and helps run FJL too. He recently

you could imagine a similar thing travelling

series that has no edges, no boundaries and

creation as an act of giving and sharing.

debated atheism with Professor Grayling.

across time in both directions forwards and

no limits? Zero does not move into space

And therefore, in Jewish philosophy and

backwards. It can cover every possible age,

or time is not limited. Now, zero is just a

other philosophical systems, the purpose

and yet it will never be infinitely old. And the

negation, but imagine a being that has no

of creation is not God taking but what God

same with any dimension, even ones we

space and no time. You don’t need space or

gives to the world. But we enter it and then

can’t even imagine. If they’re extensional,

time to be a being, we just happen to have

we die. Abraham understands that there’d

if they’re divisible, if you can expand within

it. But if you did not have space or time, did

be no point in a gift that ends with death

them, then you can never be infinitely big.

not move into space or time, that we’d call

and therefore death cannot be final. If this

Bigness has nothing to do with infinity.

an infinite being. That has no beginning, no

creation is a gift, then death is not final. But

end, no limits, and boundaries. Anything

most importantly of all, if God created the

So, you can’t have a universe that gets

like space or time has to have a beginning

world out of love or out of giving, then there

infinitely big, you can’t have a universe that

and all the multiverses that might have

must be the possibility to absorb that gift

gets infinitely old, you can’t have a set of

proceeded our universe has to have a

and the greatest gift of all, the greatest gift

events before our own that is infinitely old

beginning, but the thing that creates space

24

“People often avoid making decisions out of fear of making a mistake. Actually the failure to make decisions is one of life’s biggest mistakes.” – Rabbi Noah Weinberg

Who is wise? One who learns from every man… Who is strong? One who overpowers his inclinations…

Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot… Who is honorable? One who honors his fellows.”

– Ben Zoma, Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1

25

Holiness at Home and Away

BY RIVKA ZEIDMAN

Written in memory of my brother

On Shabbat, we stop our creative mastery

Yonatan ben Zev, who passed away just

over the physical world, reminding ourselves

after Pesach 2018

that there is only one Creator.

What is holiness?

Integration

Yom Kippur comes to mind – a day we

to grow up as proud Jews relating positively to God and Torah, we must demonstrate

For young children, singing through some

that we have a relationship with God. At

prayers with a few words of explanation

every junction, happy or sad, God can be

is the starting point. Through whispering

part of our picture. When we succeed, we

Holiness then, is attained when the

shema at bedtime, or saying a bracha slowly

thank God. When we struggle, we ask God

spend praying, fasting, contemplating our

soul guides the body and they act in

before eating, or calling out to God for

for help. When we do this, our children

potential and how we are going to reach it.

synchronicity. In order to do this there will be

one’s needs and thanking Him when things

see that no one is ever alone. There is no

Interesting, then, that Rosh Hashanah is

times of fasting and prayer which orientate

go well, a seed is planted deeply into their

physical world without its spiritual guiding

part of the process of creating holiness. A

us. There will also be times when it is fairly

unconscious. They know that God exists

Force. We integrate soul and body, spiritual

day when we spend half the time in shul, and

easy to integrate the spiritual and physical:

because they saw us speak to him daily.

and physical, God and self.

half the time at home, a day when we wear

a Shabbat meal, perhaps. And then there

This is incredibly powerful.

special clothes and eat festive meals. How

will be times, when we feel the pull of the

is that holy?

physical sphere so stronglythat the call of

As children mature, there are increasing

spiritual groundwork that is necessary

spirituality is almost forgotten. For some of

possibilities for discussion of the meaning

before Yom Kippur. We begin the Days of

Body and Soul

us, these times may be when we are home

of prayer in general. This requires CJD

Awe as humans (Rosh Hashanah), we then

God created us as a hybrid: we are

with the kids, trying to sort out boredom,

– Continuing Jewish Development. For

temporarily become angels (Yom Kippur),

comprised of body and soul. The goal is not

arguments, lack of sleep, lack of schedule,

example,

and we hope our angelic children will follow

to identify with the soul, leaving the body

nappies, teenagers… the list goes on. This

questions such as: How could God need our

behind. Rather, the goal is for our soul to

is the real test of who we are spiritually.

prayers and if He does not, why pray?

lovingly guide our body, elevating it to the

Judaism is not a religion, it’s a relationship

Torah’s spiritual standards. Thus we have a

- between myself and God, which then

There is another level to the prayer-

multitude of mitzvot which revolve around

reaches into the other realms: myself and

parenting relationship. When our children

mundane actions. By commanding us to

my husband, myself and my kids, etc.

experience our gratitude for all the gifts

enjoy physical pleasures within limitations

26

most mundane moments.

On Rosh Hashanah we lay the physical-

exploring

with

our

children

suit.

that we have, it engenders in them a feeling

we allow our souls to be in control of the

Prayer and Parenting

of appreciation, which can naturally lead

material world instead of our bodies being

Davening (prayer), is not reserved for shul

to thanking our Creator. When our children

taken over by it. For example, by making

only. In fact, the Talmud tells us “Rachmana

see us being grateful they follow suit. When

a blessing before eating, we pause before

Liba Boei” – ‘God desires our hearts’. This

our children see us express appreciation to

filling our stomachs, and remind ourselves

means that we are meant to express our

Hashem, they develop similar sentiments.

that God gives us food. By keeping the

deepest hopes and needs to the One who

laws of kosher, we show that we do not eat

has the power to address them. Prayer is a

The most powerful parenting tool that we

whatever we want, rather whatever God

clear demonstration of our relationship with

have is role-modelling. If we want our kids

allows (self-control and awareness of limits

God, connecting the physical to the spiritual.

are crucial concepts for children to grasp).

It is an easy way to bring spirituality into the

“The siddur is the map of the Jewish heart. Through its words we retrace the steps taken by countless generations of Jews as they turned from their private hopes and fears to journey towards the presence of God. ” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

27

The Next World According to research there are certain key

goodness upon others. Remember, Divine

reward is fully spiritual (this is also why the

True goodness exists beyond recognition

words to avoid when advertising - these are

goodness is the best (and longest-lasting)

Torah only hints to the Next World - for we

or even feeling good about ourselves. True

words that will deter a consumer and render

gift one can receive - it is much better than

would not be able to understand a spiritual

goodness is about doing what’s right, for no

the advertisement ineffective. If anyone

anything our physical world has to offer

world with our only-physical constructs).

other reason than it’s the correct thing to

can remember the “You are never alone with

(we know this from the transcendental

The resurrection world is simply a means

do. All other positive feelings are welcome,

a Strand” advert that flopped massively

moments of joy we have in life).

of creating a phase of physical creation

but ultimately they are bonuses.

due to conveying associations of loneliness with that (brand of) cigarette.

whereby

physical

world

reaches

Much like in any worthwhile relationship, the

perfection - people behaving perfectly

partners need to be compatible. Therefore,

in accordance with Hashem’s initial plan.

I have wondered for a while now why as

in order to make us compatible with Him,

The Ramban is of the opposite view - that

Jews (or in many Jewish talks) we tend

He gave us chances to earn our reward (we

the main world is the Resurrection: for

to fail to mention two major elements of

have freewill, just as Hashem has). This

main reward involves both body and soul.

our religion: God and the Next World. One

is why our physical world was created. In

The post-death world of souls is simply a

can attend a talk about Pesach and the

short, this world was made as a means of

temporary measure whereby body and soul

freedom theme will be mentioned and

us earning our reward in the Next World:

separate and are both cleansed individually

hammered home, with little mention of God

this world is the hallway and the Next World

before being put back together again when

or the Next World. Similarly, one can attend

is the banqueting suite. Of course, in this

the Resurrection arrives.

a session about Judaism and the Modern

world too, there are healthy by-products of

World, where a lecturer extols the social

us following a Divine path.

psychology virtues of humility and religion -

28

the

After all of this, you may (correctly) ask why are things not clear? If the Next World is so

without mentioning God or the Next World.

What is the Next World though? There are

important why is this issue not cleared up:

So, we have one article about God in this

two phases beyond our current physical

how can there be room for debate about this

booklet. And here is one about the Next

world. There is the world after death,

central issue? The answer is that we do not

World. Though in fairness, there is a best-

known as the world of souls. This is what

do good things because we want the reward

selling five-volume book that also doesn’t

happens when body and soul part company

or recognition - we do good things because

mention the Next World a lot.

after one’s allotted time on this earth. Yet

they are correct and truthful. The Western

there is also the period of the resurrection

world has blurred the distinction between

It is clear from many works of Jewish

of the dead, techiyas ha’mesim. This is a

good and things that make us feel good.

philosophy, as well as parts of our Oral Law,

post-Messianic period in which the dead

that the purpose of the world’s creation is

are brought back to life. Which is Olam

so we earn our place in the Next World. Put

Haba, the Next World? Well, in truth, both

more accurately, God is absolute goodness

are referred to as the Next World - and

(why bad things happen to people is a

our commentaries debate which is the

question we will have to deal with another

main one. The Rambam’s view was that

time); and total goodness means bestowing

real reward is the world of souls - for real

“If I am not for me, who is for me; and if I am (only) for myself, what am I. And if not now, when?”

– Hillel, Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14

“If we had lived in the second millennium BC, the millennium of Abraham, and could have canvassed all the nations of the earth, what would they have said of Abraham’s journey? In most of Africa and Europe, they would have laughed at Abraham’s madness and pointed to the heavens, where the life of earth had been plotted from all eternity ... a man cannot escape his fate. The Egyptians would have shaken their heads in disbelief. The early Greeks might have told Abraham the story of Prometheus ... Do not overreach, they would advise; come to resignation. In India, he would be told that time is black, irrational and merciless.

Do not set yourself the task of accomplishing something in time, which is only the dominion of suffering.

On every continent, in every society, Abraham would have been given the same advice that wise men as diverse as Heraclitus, Lao-Tsu and Siddhartha would one day give their followers: do not journey but sit; compose yourself by the river of life, meditate on its ceaseless and meaningless flow.”

Thomas Cahill, The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. 29

A Rosh Hashanah Story #2 THE GRAND SYMPHONY, AS TOLD BY RABBI PESACH KROHN

Rabbi Moshe Plutchok is a teacher in Derech

incredible diligence. “It’s inspiring,” Rabbi

A century ago lived a great symphony

“You promise to be perfectly quiet?”

Chaim Yeshivah of Brooklyn. Like many who

Plutchok told him. “You have this terrible

conductor, an Italian maestro named Arturo

Toscanini asked.

live in New York City throughout the year,

illness, yet you come here every day and are

Toscanini (1867-1957), who led concerts

he and his family spend the summer in the

so upbeat about the learning.”

all over the world. He was known as an

mountains in the Monticello area, in central New York State.

“Rabbi”, the man said, “I’ll tell you the truth.

Toscanini had a biographer who would

“Then you can come.” The next night, the

The ArtScroll Gemara is carrying me. Now

interview him periodically over the years as

biographer came and sat quietly while

There, he attends what is known as a

that the Gemara is in English, I am finally able

a part of a major book he was writing. One

Toscanini listened to the concert, which

“learning camp,” located in Camp Morris. He

to understand it. And if I don’t understand

evening, he called Toscanini and told him

lasted almost an hour. Finally, when it ended,

and other rabbis, who teach in the various

something I ask the Rabbis here. It makes

that he would be in town the next night,

the biographer remarked, “Wow, wasn’t that

camps for Jewish youth in the area, have a

me feel very special. It enables me to feel

and asked if he could come to the house

magnificent?”

kollel [advanced Talmudic study for married

I can make a connection to the legacy of

to interview him. Toscanini answered that

men] where they study Torah together in

Torah and the Jewish people. That’s what’s

he could not because he would be doing

the afternoons.

carrying me.”

something special that would require absolute concentration; he could not be

Toscanini said “Not really.”

“Why not?”

One day a number of summers ago, Rabbi

One day, near the end of the summer, Rabbi

Plutchok saw a businessman walk into the

Plutchok walked in and saw this man sitting

study hall, brandishing an ArtScroll Gemara,

on the side of the room, looking sad. “Is

“Maestro,” the biographer said, “what are

including 15 violinists. Only 14 of them

the most popular of the translations of

everything ok?” he asked. “No, Rabbi not

you doing that’s so special?”

played.”

the Talmud into English. As a beginner, and

really,” he replied. “The illness is progressing

studying in English instead of in the original

and I was thinking, What difference does

“There is a concert being played overseas. I

The biographer thought he was joking. How

Aramaic-Hebrew, he was a little out of place,

it make if I learn? Who cares? You and the

used to be the conductor of that symphony

could Toscanini know from 6000 miles

but nevertheless made to feel certainly

others are all accomplished Torah scholars.

orchestra, but I could not be there this year.

away, over shortwave radio, that one of the

welcome by the Rabbi regulars. The man sat

Your Talmudic studies make a difference. As

So I’m going to listen on a shortwave radio

violinists was missing? The biographer had

down and learned with great enthusiasm.

for me, I don’t understand everything it says

and hear how the other conductor leads the

his doubts but didn’t want to say anything

When he had a question he would go and

even in English translation. When I ask my

orchestra. I don’t want any interruptions

and went home.

ask others, even if they were younger than

questions to the rabbis, I understand most

whatsoever.”

him, until he got an answer.

of what they say, but not all. I’m not on your

Rabbi Plutchok got to talking with the man.

interrupted.

“They were supposed to be 120 musicians,

The next morning, though, he had to find

level, Rabbi. What’s the difference if I learn?

“Maestro, it would be my greatest pleasure

out for himself, so he called the concert

Who cares? “

to watch how you listen to a concert played

hall overseas, asked for the music director

by an orchestra that you used to lead. I

and inquired as to how many musicians

The man told him that, unfortunately, he had

30

“Yes.”

absolute perfectionist and had few peers.

an advanced stage of liver cancer. Rabbi

Rabbi Plutchok felt terrible for the man, but,

promise I won’t say anything. I’ll sit on the

were supposed to have been playing the

Plutchok was amazed, because this man

incredibly, just the night before he had heard

other side of the room, quietly.”

night before versus how many had actually

came to the Study Hall every day in such

an amazing story on the radio. He decided to

shown up. The concert hall director told

an upbeat manner and always learned with

share it:

him that there were supposed to have 120

“It’s not how much or how little you have that makes you great or small, but how much or how little you are with what you have.”- Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Horeb, vol. 1, pg 46)

31

Making it real - Achievement musicians, including 15 violinists, but only

The man embraced Rabbi Plutchok and

14 had shown up!

could not thank him enough.

The biographer was amazed. He returned to

That winter, Rabbi Plutchok happened to

Toscanini and said, “Sir, I owe you an apology.

meet the son of this man and asked how

I thought you were just making it up the

his father was doing. The son told him that

other night. But please, tell me, how could

his father has passed away. However, he

you know that one violinist was missing?”

added, “Ever since my father returned from the bungalow colony, every time he opened

“There is a great difference between you

his Gemara he would say, “I am performing

and me”, Toscanini answered.” You’re a

for the Conductor of the World Symphony!”

part of the audience and to the audience everything sounds wonderful. But I’m the conductor, and the conductor has to know every note of music that has to be played.

When I realized that certain notes were not being played, I knew without a doubt that one of the violinists was missing.”

Rabbi Plutchok now turned to the man and said, “Maybe to regular people it doesn’t make a difference if you learn, but not to God. Not to the Conductor of the World Symphony - Who knows every note of music that is supposed to be played, Who knows every word of Torah that is supposed to be learned, every line of tefillah that is supposed to be prayed - to Him it makes a difference!”

“What is the Jew?...What kind of unique creature is this whom all the rulers of all the nations of the world have disgraced and crushed and expelled and destroyed; persecuted, burned and drowned, and who, despite their anger and their fury, continues to live and to flourish. What is this Jew whom they have never succeeded in enticing with all the enticements in the world, whose oppressors and persecutors only suggested that he deny (and disown) his religion and cast aside the faithfulness of his ancestors?! The Jew - is the symbol of eternity. ...

He is the one who for so long had guarded the prophetic message and transmitted it to all mankind. A people such as this can never disappear. The Jew is eternal. He is the embodiment of eternity.” - Leo Tolstoy

32

(What is the Jew? quoted in The Final Resolution, pg. 189, printed in Jewish World periodical, 1908)

For those who have tried to run family meals involving children, they tend to go along the following lines. Just as you think everything is fine, everyone is settled and the children are eating well, something happens. It could be one child poking fun at the other, it could be one child spilling the juice or one child taking the juice away from the other.

Something happens. The other week one of my children decided to nonchalantly move to the couch in the middle of the meal (it is a stage boys tend to go through from age ten until twenty-five!). I tried to gently encourage my child to return from exile to the table, to rejoin his family, but he was having none of it.

“What harm am I doing; I’ll come back soon,” he said. My reply was simple: It’s not about doing something wrong - it’s about missing out on being with the family.

Though it still appears on my laptop as red underlined mis-spelling, Scrabble enthusiasts will have found a new word and a slowly-growing phenomenon, “sologamy”.

Sologamy is self-marriage, marrying oneself.

Mainly done by women (according to online research), this involves a wedding day as normal - the white dress, the flowers, guests and function. The only thing missing? A groom! Gabrielle Penabaz from New York has officiated at 5000 sologamy ceremonies, and others offer a pre-sologamy course to make the most of the special day. Though you might scoff at sologamy, I wonder if it will one day make Jewish inroads - will we see synagogues offering sologamy ceremonies?

After all, once upon a time Ashkenazim did not have batmitzvah ceremonies. Now we do.

Baby blessing ceremonies were new to me.

Now we have them. What about sologamy

ceremonies?! What’s wrong with them?

After all, it’s a chance for some celebration, it might be good for mental health - some re-commitments too. The answer is that there could be nothing wrong with it (though the manipulation of what a marriage really is does somewhat cause consternation). But there’s definitely nothing right with it.

Children often use the “fault” yardstick when evaluating their actions: is what I am about to do going to get me in trouble?

The eleventh commandment is “don’t get caught”. But to mature people, life is not about avoiding blame. It’s about achieving.

Imagine designing a house with one thing in mind: making sure not to contravene any building regulations. You would have forgotten about your dream kitchen, your living room and garden! We don’t grow in life by avoiding negatives, we grow by positively achieving. And parenting is not about enforcing don’ts either, it is about encouraging the dos. Sadly, when it comes to Judaism, many people see a long list of don’ts - Shabbat is a list of what we may not do, Yom Kippur even more so. But the don’ts are simply to get us in the right spiritual zone for the dos. When we make our financial plans for life, we focus on positive aims and goals. When we make our family or parenting plan we do the same. And when we can make our spiritual plan, we should be doing the same too.

After 120 years on this earth, when we leave this world, we won’t smile with pride about all the negatives we avoided - it is our positive achievements that we will take with us.

“If a Jew doesn’t make Kiddush (to sanctify himself by maintaining a distinctly Jewish lifestyle), then the non-Jew will make Havdalah for him (by making the Jew realize he is truly different).” - R’ Chaim of Volozhin

33

Rosh Hashanah SOME PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Study some of the prayers - look at

you are sprinting towards the train stop

asked how can one retain a healthy

thus humility will also ultimately spur a

their meaning and translation. This will

suddenly someone comes up to you to

self-image and at the same time be

person on to live up to that potential.

enable you to understand the prayers

ask for money - your challenge here

humble - if one ‘puts themselves down’

and connect with them more.

is to retain your altruistic dignity and

in the name of humility how is this a

relax your schedule for a few seconds

recipe for success and balance? Rav

2. Find some time for self-reflection.

to brighten up someone else’s day. Or

Chaim writes that the correct way to

What do you want to improve about

say that you are entertaining important

work on the trait of humility is to look

yourself this coming year? What can

guests who you are desperate to make

at the greatness of man in general,

you do better?

an impression upon, and your wife

and specifically how great one can

forgets to turn off the oven and the

become. Once one recognises one’s

3. Read about the significance of some of

food comes out all burnt - do you laugh

own greatness and potential, then one

the elements of Rosh Hashanah - the

it off or implode? Or say your kids are

can achieve humility in realising that

shofar, the philosophy behind the day,

ignoring your instructions and being

one has not yet reached that potential:

etc. How do they connect to you?

rude to you; do you understand and accept that they might have had a

4. Make a road-map to improve one key area of your life.

difficult day or do you snap at them? Or when someone insults you and it really hurts, and the easiest, most gratifying

5. How will you let God into your life more over this coming year?

thing is to insult the fellow back: can you hold it in? All this is included under one who is ma’avir al midotav. But

6. Make a list of your friends and

why does this trait produce success

their needs and pray for them.

in judgment? Rashi writes that God’s

This tactic comes from the Gemara in

attribute of strict justice (middat

Rosh Hashanah (17a) which notes that

ha’din) does not touch such a person.

one who is ma’avir al midotav has all his

34

sins forgiven. This means that one who

Rav Chaim Shmulevitz (d. 1979)

puts his own pride, wants and needs

explains further that this is because

aside for another person, and is able

the trait of putting aside one’s own

to relax his own timetable, material

pride is rooted in the hallowed trait

standards, and expectations in favour

of humility - anavah: a trait that is the

of another; will see all their sins

key to success and achievement.

pardoned. This is easier said than done.

And Rav Chaim proceeds to resolve

Picture that you are in a rush to make

a common contemporary question

it to a crucial business meeting, and as

posed about humility. For many have

“if we were forced to choose just one, there would be no way to deny that Judaism is the most important intellectual development in human history.”

- David Gelernter, Yale University Professor

35

The Shofar

PRACTICAL AND SIGNIFICANCE

The Torah describes Rosh Hashanah as ‘the

The Maharal of Prague (d. 1609) reveals

to and trapped by some of our lower urges

day of teruah’ (shofar-sounding) and parts

that the underlying quality of the shofar is

and desires. Freedom does not mean that

of the mussaf prayers are accompanied by

that it calls for people to leave the dominion

a person can do whatever he or she wants

the shofar. What is the shofar and why is

of a foreign power and gather together as

- that is lawlessness, not freedom. Every

the shofar so significant?

free people. This is essentially the message

society recognises that freedom has its

in Isaiah: “On that day, the great shofar will

limits - someone who has the free reign to

The Talmud discusses the shofar and

be blown and those lost in the land of Ashur

do anything he or she wants unabated and

its halachic parameters - it should be a

and those stranded in Egypt will come to

unaccountable is not necessarily someone

ram’s horn, hollow and preferably curved

bow down to God on the holy mountain in

who is free.

as opposed to straight. The Talmud also

Jerusalem.” The shofar is the vehicle to

FREEDOM ACTUALLY MEANS THE LACK

discusses a correct shofar blast - the blast

announce our united freedom from others’

OF CONSTRICTION FROM BEING TRUE TO

should be clear, not heard via echo and

dominion and control. With this, the Maharal

ONESELF.

blown in a specific sequence. The structure

explains how the shofar is intrinsically linked

If I am prevented from being the real

of the blowing is that the tekiah (long blast)

to redemption; the shofar is the vehicle

me, then I am not free – I am a slave to

sandwiches the shevarim (three short

which removes the shackles imposed on us

something or someone: whether to a social

blasts) and teruah (staccato crying-like

by others.

group, image pressures, an ideology, or any

yelps) blasts - thus covering all angles of

other medium. One’s lower urges get in the

the biblical command. As commanded in

And this is essentially the idea of the

way of connecting to the real ‘me’ and

the Bible, 30 blasts are sounded; the Rabbis

shofar on Rosh Hashanah too, as Rabbi

preventing it from expressing itself. The

instituted a further 30 blasts, and a final 40

Tzvi Kushelevsky (1938-present) explains.

shofar of Rosh Hashanah calls for us to

is added to complete a set of one hundred.

The Ibn Ezra (born 1089) comments quite

be our real, pure, holy selves. It calls

One does not speak between the first and

insightfully that we are all slaves to the

for the ultimate Divine freedom - the

last shofar blasts.

yetzer hara (evil inclination) - we are slaves

expression of who we really are.

But what is the significance of the shofar?

The mystery begins with the fact that the shofar appears in reference to seemingly disparate things: it is sounded to free slaves at the Jubilee year, Isaiah calls upon the shofar to beckon redemption, and we refer to it as an object of spiritual and physical freedom in our daily prayers. So what is it?

36

37

Things You Might See On Rosh Hashanah

Prayer focus: Unetaneh Tokef

•

Unetaneh Tokef (Artscroll p530) was composed one thousand years ago by Rav Amnon of

•

38

People dressed in white gowns - many men have the tradition of wearing kittels on Rosh Hashanah as well as Yom Kippur. These are also worn traditionally as burial shrouds, with the symbolism of wearing it on Rosh Hashanah being a reflection of solemnity and looking back at life from a point of its end. Yet they are also considered pure and clean clothes, fitting for a day of purity. The person who leads the services and the one who blows the shofar normally wear a kittel.

The ark being opened and closed - the ark is opened at various crucial points during the service. If one can stand for the duration of when the ark is opened that is best - as a mark of respect - though there is no technical obligation to do so.

•

A full Synagogue - The Synagogue reaches its attendance peak over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - though the Synagogue has services and events all year round!

•

People wishing each other a shana tovah (a good year) or tikasev ve’techesam (to be inscribed and sealed for good) - this custom of greeting each other dates back to the time of the Tur and beyond - he lived 800 years ago! In many ways it is a nice reminder that while we aim to attain a

high level of personal growth we do so without sacrificing our relationships with and etiquette towards others.

•

•

Some tears shed - As the magnitude of the day sets in, some are moved to tears. The great Kabbalist the Arizal (d. 1572) writes that if one can feel themselves crying uncontrollably on Rosh Hashanah this is a sign that one’s judgment is at its crescendo peak.

People spending longer on their prayers - aside from the fact that the prayers are longer on these days, many people formulate requests for themselves, their families and wider society, nation and world on this holy day. This is best said at the end of the silent Amidah, before one takes their three steps back.

“Torah is not education, it’s transformation.” – Rebbitzen Dena Weinberg

Mainz, whose legs and arms were cut off by the bishop of Mainz for refusing to convert to Christianity. Rav Amnon died upon reciting his Unetaneh Tokef and then came to Rav Klonimos ben Meshulam in a dream, asking that it be recited worldwide on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is a moving description of the seriousness of the day and potential consequences of judgment. In some communities it is difficult to hear the Chazan during Unetaneh Tokef due to the uncontrollable crying of members of the community. This prayer section is closed with the audible affirmation that ‘Repentance, Prayer and Charity have the power to rescind any evil decree.’ The prayer lists the realities of the judgment permutations we face: who will die by... It makes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur more real.

When Gilad Shalit was released from captivity he told an American Rabbi that what had kept him sane during all those years of captivity was him drawing pictures of his home - etching them onto prison walls or dirt floors. Drawing them was more real than thinking of these images - it made it more palpable. Unetaneh Tokef makes our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur experience more accurate and genuine. It teaches that any time of joy or sadness over the course of the coming year will have been decreed this Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It means that the baby born to a childless couple was decreed today. It means that the death of a loved one was also decreed today. Ultimately, we are being sensitised that that things do not happen by chance: Hashem runs the world; His masterplan is at work.

...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.

Mark Twain

39

A Guide To The Prayers Below is a list of some of the main

composed by Rav (160-248CE), one of

powerful prayer is based off the prayer

explanatory essay above), and the

prayers unique to Rosh Hashanah and

the Amoraim greats. We pray that the

of Rabbi Akiva of around 1800 years

congregation listen carefully to the

their meaning:

glory of the Jewish People be restored,

ago, who composed this prayer to

blasts, fulfilling this mitzvah and having

with the world acknowledging and

successfully end the drought in Israel.

thoughts of repentance. From here

serving its Creator.

It accentuates that we have a direct

until the end of the shofar blasts at the

relationship with God, whereby we refer

end of the service one may not speak.

•

Shacharit - this is the morning blessings, followed by psukei de’zimra, the Shema and its blessings and the

•

silent Amidah.

•

ha’melech and before barchu. It was composed by David Hamelech a couple of thousand years ago and makes

their errors

Repetition of the Amidah: •

mercy, and God’s prerogative to grant forgiveness - thus in times of trouble we turn directly to Him. It is followed by the Shema.

Silent Amidah Prayers:

by

the

his

unworthiness

the

congregation

Chazan to in

stating represent

prayer,

but

the additional prayers inserted into

influences and (via the Yishmael example)

the Amidah, from holy song to poems.

how God judges a person in their present

The first is Yareti, composed in the

state. The Haftarah is about the miraculous

11th century in Speyer, Germany, a

birth of Samuel, the conception of whom

beseeching of God for the prayers

occurred on Rosh Hashanah. On the second

to be successful in recognising our

day we read about the binding of Isaac - the

is the recitation of the verses of

humility and God’s awesomeness.

test known as the Akeidah. The Haftarah

the Mussaf sacrifice; central to any

contains the Divine promise that the Jewish

Mussaf service

moving depiction of Rachel weeping to gain

staccato-like appraisal of God’s awe-

forgiveness for her progeny.

our Amidah’s between Rosh Hashanah

inspiring attributes and deeds Le’kel orech din (Artscroll p330) is a listing of God’s mercy in judgment. It is often recited responsively.

Artscroll

succeed; humility is key to prayer. In some congregations the Chazan does not verbalise the entire prayer out loud.

•

•

uvachodesh ha’shevii (Artscroll p452)

The rest of Mussaf comprises of the Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot sections as outlined above

Shofar •

nevertheless asking that his mission

p432.

The

introductory

chapter of Psalms 47 refers to the

Mussaf - the Repetition •

Melech Elyon (Artscroll p478) affirms

shofar and to the Messianic era and

God’s sovereignty and supremacy; it is

Kedusha (Artscroll p332) is recited

the final battles of Gog and Magod and

an apt introduction to Unetaneh Tokef,

succeed in judgment for the public, and

standing and underlines the theme of

the removing of our enemies. This is

which follows

not only the individual.

the Temple’s centrality and holiness in

recited seven times, producing a total

general.

of 49 names of God, which correspond

line was added in for it is a request to

•

U’vechen ten pachdecha (Artscroll p298) - this extended blessing of

•

Avinu Malkeinu (Artscroll p384) - This

sanctification of God’s name was

40

recited

about the importance of avoiding negative

recited both days, and is a short

constant throughout all prayers, this

Hineni (Artscroll p444) is a prayer

Mi’sod (Artscroll p306) - this introduces

thousand years old and is added to

first three blessings of the Amidah

•

about the birth and upbringing of Isaac -

the zachreinu le’chaim line is over one

•

Mussaf - private Amidah

in the Machzor. On the first day we read

People will be redeemed, as well as the

convention to keep the text of the

•

The reading of the Torah can be found

Ata hu Elokeini (Artscroll p314) is

Zachreinu le’chaim (Artscroll p296) -

and Yom Kippur. Despite the general

•

are able to request things from Him.

rule the world and for people to realise

reference to the power of prayer,

•

to Him as our father and king, and also

prayer is a passionate plea for God to

Shir ha’amaalot (Artscroll p264) psalm 130 is traditionally recited after

Elokeinu...mloch (Artscroll p300) - this

Yeshuat Hashem k’heref ayin. The salvation of God is like the blink of an eye.” – Pesikta Zutreta, Esther 4:17.

to being lifted up from the 49 levels of impurity. The shofar is sounded (see

•

Unetaneh Tokef (Artscroll p480) was composed one thousand years ago

by Rav Amnon of Mainz, whose legs

If you are not a better person tomorrow than you are today, what need have you for a tomorrow?”

– Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

41

Rosh Hashanah FIRST DAY

and arms were cut off by the bishop

korim, with care to put something

of Mainz for refusing to convert to

between our heads and the floor so we

Christianity. Rav Amnon died upon

do not completely prostate ourselves.

reciting his Unetaneh Tokef and then

This is part of the malchuyot section of

1

came to Rav Klonimos ben Meshulam

Mussaf.

in a dream, asking that it be recited worldwide on Rosh Hashanah and Yom

•

similar to hineni in its theme - asking

Kippur. It is a moving description of the

of God that the Chazan’s prayers be

seriousness of the day and potential

accepted, and is followed by Al ken

consequences of judgment. In some

paragraph, which according to the

communities it is difficult to hear the

Shelah was composed by Achan in

Chazan during Unetaneh Tokef due to

repentance after he took from the

the uncontrollable crying of members

spoils of Jericho.

of the community. This prayer section is closed with the audible affirmation

•

De Sola

Sacks Koren

Art Scroll Translit

HaMelech

80

262

169

98

341

336

2

Silent Amidah

91

296

201

112

387

369

3

Repetition of Amidah

95

306

209

118

405

385

SHACHARIT - MORNING SERVICE

4

Kedushah

107

332

261

132

443

416

6

Avinu Malkeinu

111

384

271

143

455

431

7

Ein Kamochah

114

390

277

146

463

436

8

Torah Reading

117

402

287

151

473

450

9

Haftarah

121

416

295

156

483

456

10

Sounding of the Shofar

126

432

315

164

495

618

11

Returning Torah to Ark

129

440

321

166

507

628

-

444

325

-

511

632

that ‘Repentance, Prayer and Charity

12

Hineni

selection of verses which underline

have the power to rescind any evil

13

Silent Amidah

131

448

327

169

515

634

God’s holding the world into account

decree.’

and

14

Repetition of the Amidah

142

470

349

184

551

676

Ve’chol ma’aminim (Artscrol p490)

the Jewish People after Moses) and is recited on Rosh Hashanah as a

actions

the Mussaf prayer •

•

15

Melech Elyon

145

478

355

190

561

683

16

Unetaneh Tokef

146

480

361

191

565

687

17

Kedushah

148

486

363

194

577

694

18

Vechol Ma’aminim

149

490

367

197

581

698

Attah nigleta (Artscroll p516) is a

19

Aleinu

154

500

377

205

595

712

selection of verses referring to the

20

Ochilah La’Eil

155

504

379

207

601

717

shofar and its power - it is the shofarot

21

1st Shofar in Repetition

157

508

383

210

607

723

section of the Mussaf prayer

merciful actions.

was composed by Joshua (leader of

our

Dessler) - it is the zichronot section of

declaring our faith in God and His

Aleinu (Artscroll p500) - this prayer

‘remembering’

(meaning acting upon our actions: Rav

Kedusha (Artscroll p486) is recited,

is a poem with a clear stanza format

22

2nd Shofar in Repetition

160

514

389

214

617

733

(Artscroll

23

3rd Shofar in Repetition

162

520

393

217

623

740

p526) is the powerful Biblical blessing

24

Modim

163

522

395

218

627

743

The

priestly

blessing

bestowed by the Kohanim as a conduit

25

Duchaning

164

524

399

220

629

748

for God’s blessing in this world.

26

Hayom Te’amtzeinu

166

532

405

225

632

758

27

Final Shofar Blasts

-

584

417

-

639

840

28

Ein Keloheinu

168

586

409

226

639

842

powerful declaration of faith: several Jews were murdered in the crusades

42

Birnbaum

Attah zocher (Artscrol p510) is a

terse allusion to the actions of angels.

•

Art Scroll

Prayer

MUSAPH - ADDITIONAL SERVICE

•

standing with feet together. It is a deep

•

Ochilah la’Kel (Artscroll p504) is

Routledge

Ref Num

with Aleinu as their last words. We

29

LeDavid Hashem Ori

kneel on the floor and bow at the word

30

Adon Olam

What is the thing that is at the spiritual tip of the world? This is prayer Talmud Bavli

39

178

417

45a

289

213

171

180

419

230

203

216

“Prayer may just be the most powerful tool mankind has.” Ted Dekker, New York Times bestselling author

43

Rosh Hashanah SECOND DAY

Ref Num

Prayer

Routledge

Art Scroll

Birnbaum

De Sola

Sacks Koren

Art Scroll Translit

SHACHARIT - MORNING SERVICE 1

HaMelech

176

262

169

235

341

474

2

Silent Amidah

186

296

201

248

387

502

3

Repetition of Amidah

190

342

229

254

657

517

4

Kedushah

205

374

261

275

703

558

5

Avinu Malkeinu

210

384

271

281

715

572

6

Ein Kamochah

213

390

277

284

723

578

7

Torah Reading

216

402

299

289

733

592

8

Haftarah

219

416

305

293

741

600

9

Sounding of the Shofar

222

432

315

298

749

618

10

Returning Torah to Ark

225

440

321

301

757

628

-

444

325

301

759

632

MUSAPH - ADDITIONAL SERVICE 11

Hineni

12

Silent Amidah

227

448

327

302

763

634

13

Repetition of the Amidah

238

536

359

317

797

762

15

Unetaneh Tokef

146

538

361

319

801

766

16

Kedushah

148

542

363

322

809

773

17

Vechol Ma’aminim

149

546

367

325

813

777

18

Aleinu

154

554

377

333

825

790

19

Ochilah La’Eil

155

558

379

335

829

795

20

1st Shofar in Repetition

157

562

383

338

835

801

21

2nd Shofar in Repetition

160

566

389

342

843

811

22

3rd Shofar in Repetition

162

570

393

345

849

818

23

Modim

163

572

395

347

853

821

24

Duchaning

164

574

399

349

855

826

25

Hayom Te’amtzeinu

166

582

405

353

861

836

26

Final Shofar Blasts

-

584

417

-

867

841

27

Ein Keloheinu

168

586

409

354

867

842

28

LeDavid Hashem Ori

39

178

417

45a

289

213

29

Adon Olam

171

180

419

358

203

216

44

“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” ― Søren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher

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Yom Kippur @ YK txt Q&A

When and what is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is on the 10th of Tishrei and is the Day of Atonement - traditionally one of the happiest days of the year

Happy? I thought we fast and pray!

I guess we don’t mean short-term pleasure happiness, but the long-term feeling of direction, purity and security that one has rid themselves of all past mistakes and shortcomings, and that one has turned over a new leaf. This feeling of clarity and purpose taps into our deepest recesses of our human condition via our faculty to override urges and impulses in favour of finding meaning and long-term pleasure.

So on YK we are 4given - that’s the gist?

Basically, yes. It is also the day upon which Moshe received the second set of tablets and presented them to the Jewish People: the day of receiving the Torah after being forgiven for the sin of the golden calf, so to speak.

Why do you pray?” he asked me, after a moment. Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?”I don’t know why,” Elie Wiesel, Night

Ok, so what else do we do on YK?

On YK we do not eat or drink, we do not bathe or anoint ourselves with oils and the like, nor do we engage in marital relations or wear (leather) shoes.

That sounds like a lot of restrictions - how do they relate to atonement?

These are aimed at sensitising us to the mood of the day: they propel us towards feeling less constrained by the comforts of the physical and material world. This allows our internal ‘antennae’ to pick up something more spiritual and rise above our material needs for 24 hours. We are compared to angels on this holy day and we are free from the trappings of the yetzer hara, our lower urges

Kk, but there is a decent feast before YK, right?

Precisely! The pre-YK feast known as the seudah ha’mafseket is more than just a pragmatic way to allow you to survive the fast: it also expresses our joy at our imminent atonement, and sets the theme of joy for this very special day.

Yom Kippur @ YK txt Q&A

What else do we do that’s different on YK?

A Yom Kippur Story – a modern day Akeidah?

Rabbi Nechemiah Coopersmith and Rabbi Tzvi Gluckin (used with permission from aish.com)

Alex Clare is a pop star. His first hit, “Too Close,” peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. It reached number seven in the US. Adele loves his music. Beyoncé wanted to record one of his songs. That’s big time. It must be easy.

Well, almost easy.

The prayers are unique - both their number (five) and their content. The Yom Kippur night service begins with Kol Nidrei, an annulment of vows. We also recite the Viduy confession several times, which is an admission and prayer for atonement of each of our sins. Candles are lit before YK and people ask anyone they have hurt or offended for forgiveness.

Why does YK begin with the Kol Nidei vow-annulling?

One idea here is that before utilising the organ of speech throughout YK in prayer, we make sure that oaths resultant from speech are cleared up. We also sensitise ourselves to the idea that we want to assess our commitments for the year.

“The Jews, however, are beyond all doubt the strongest, toughest, and purest race at present living in Europe; they know how to succeed even under the worst conditions (in fact better than under favorable ones) by means of virtues of some sort, which one would like nowadays to label as vices-owing above all to a resolute faith which does not need to be ashamed before “modern idea…

It is certain that the Jew, if he desired-or if they were driven to it, as the antisemites seem to wish-could now have the ascendancy, nay, literally the supremacy, over Europe; that they are not working or planning for that end is equally sure… The resourcefulness of the modern Jews, both in mind and soul, is extraordinary…”

Friedrich Nietzsche German Philosopher (1844 - 1900)

Alex Clare is from London. His family is musical. He grew up listening to jazz, soul, hip hop, and punk. He loved music. He played the trumpet, drums, guitar, and sang. He wrote songs. And he was determined to make music his career.

Alex took his guitar to the pubs and sang.

He played any gig that came his way. When there weren’t gigs, he went to the open mics. He played every open mic in London – at least it seemed that way – and he fronted a few bands as well.

And it paid off. Alex met two producers – they were a team – and they offered him a contract. It was a production deal. They were going to produce his music and Alex was going to be big. It was that easy.

Except that the contract was terrible. Alex was a newbie, he didn’t know what he was doing, and he got locked into a raw deal.

“The first contract is always the worst,” Alex told me in an interview. True. The Beatles started with a bad deal, too.

But he kept at it. About a year later he met a publisher. The publisher offered him another deal and it was a much better than the first. It was small – it wasn’t for much money – but it was something.

Alex signed. He was moving up; he had a

decent publishing deal and his production contract was due to expire. Something better was bound to happen.

And something did, something big. Island Records was interested. Island is as big as it gets – think Bob Marley, U2 – did Alex want to sign with them? Oh yes. He signed, recorded his debut album, The Lateness of the Hour, and went to work promoting the album. He was ready to make it and this time it was for real. That was quick.

But nothing is ever that easy. It can’t be.

Around the time that Alex was playing in bars he started thinking about religion. Alex is Jewish – not that he knew anything about Judaism; he was raised in a secular home, he didn’t belong to a synagogue, and he wasn’t from a Jewish section of London – but he is spiritual. He has an innate belief in God. He wanted to learn. He wanted to explore. And the best place to look – at least to start – is your own backyard.

Alex started with the Hebrew language.

He took beginner classes: he learned the alphabet, words, and how to read.

His Hebrew teachers introduced him to important Jewish texts. It was great stuff.

He loved the bible, the biblical stories, the characters, the drama. He dug that. He met a few rabbis – he dug them too – and they taught him the basics of Judaism. He studied. He learned. It was fascinating.

But for Alex, fascinating isn’t enough. The more he learned, the more he wanted to try. He put some of the laws into practice.

He tried observing the Sabbath. He tried

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Jewish prayer. He liked how it felt. He liked Judaism and he liked what it was doing for his life.

Friday night.

And by the time he signed with Island Records, he was keeping kosher, living in a Jewish neighbourhood, and observing the Sabbath and Holy Days. So far so good.

He said “No” a lot. It was as if every event or appearance his label arranged was on a Friday night. Alex was never available on a Friday night. Never. It wasn’t going to happen.

Record companies don’t care about your religious beliefs. It’s not what they do. They aren’t anti-religious, they are a-religious.

They don’t care. They are about selling music and making money.

And record companies are used to temperamental artists. They are used to dealing with weirdness. Odd living situations? Crazy diets? Ok. It comes with the territory. What musician isn’t a wackopaleo-vegan lunatic? You keep kosher?

What else is new? And better a food nut than a drunk or drug addict. Worst case he gets really fat.

But Sabbath observance is another thing. A religious Christian would be thrilled to host a televised Christmas special. Why not?

Sunday morning TV interviews? Sure. The more the better.

Not so for an up-and-coming growing-inobservance Jewish pop star. The Jewish Sabbath is off limits. No work after sundown Friday night. No gigs. Don’t even ask.

As D-day for the release of Alex’s album approached, the people at Island started setting up promotional appearances; TV, interviews, the whole nine. And for some odd, bizarre, difficult-to-explain reason, every appearance was scheduled for a

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And Alex said, “No.”

“Ok,” the record company said. “You have your religious beliefs. We respect that. We respect spirituality. That’s cool.” And they meant it. The industry brass wanted to help.

They wanted to make it work. Alex was Mr. No. Ok. But it was his religion. Fridays are no good. Ok. We’ll work with that.

“Alex baby, Adele loves you. She loves your music. And Adele is hot. Huge. And – dig this – you are going to tour with Adele. It doesn’t get any bigger. Tour starts in April.”

Great news. Tour with Adele. Sell records.

Except that the tour started in April. That’s Passover. Alex wasn’t about to perform on Passover. First and last days were out, plus the Sabbath and the intermediate days of the festival. Ten days off.

“Sorry I can’t do it.” Mr. No. The summer came and went. His album was released. Nothing. Crickets. A few random fans in Holland and Romania. Not enough to justify a tour. No radio play. Alex’s career was stalled. He needed to promote his album. But his commitment to Judaism was making that difficult.

At the end of the summer Alex told the people at Island that the Holy Days were approaching. “I can’t work Rosh Hashanah

or Yom Kippur. I hope that is cool.” And it was cool. They understood.

And that was it. He was dropped. It was over.

O-V-E-R.

That Yom Kippur Alex read the story of Rabbi Amnon of Mainz, the author of Unesaneh Tokef (a moving liturgical prayer read every Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). The Bishop of Mainz gave Rabbi Amnon an ultimatum; convert to Christianity or die. Rabbi Amnon asked for three days to think about it. He went home and regretted asking for three days. He should have said, “No. Kill me now.” It wasn’t a question. He was never converting.

After three days, he told the Bishop, “No. I am not converting. And I regret not telling you that three days ago.” The Bishop was furious and Rabbi Amnon was tortured – his arms and legs were amputated one joint at a time – sent home, and died.

All that work, all those years, all those dreams. Done. No more music career. His name was mud. He was now Mr. ImpossibleTo-Work-With-In-The-Music-Industry.

No one was ever going to book that crazy, religious fanatic, I-am-too-good-toperform-on-Fridays-or-ever Alex Clare ever again.

Alex took the story to heart: a Jew doesn’t compromise his principles. Judaism is a serious commitment.

After Yom Kippur Alex turned on his cell phone. There was a message. It was from the record label. Good news. He had a gig – a big gig – in four days.

Uh-oh.

The label didn’t know that Sukkot was in four days. More time off. Alex told them he couldn’t do it. Mr. No. And the label said – they gave him an ultimatum – this is your last chance. If you can’t make the gig it’s over.

Alex was still thinking about Rabbi Amnon.

He was inspired. He didn’t need three days to make a decision. “Thanks, but no thanks.

I can’t make the gig.”

It was depressing.

Alex discussed his life with his rabbi (Rabbi Dovid Tugendhaft of Nishmas Yisroel in London). His rabbi told him about Abraham . Abraham had a moment like this too.

Abraham invested his entire life in a dream.

He was an idealist. He was going to change the world.

And then one day God told him to sacrifice his son.

Offer him up on an altar. Deny everything you believe. Give it all up.

And Abraham was stuck. He had to do it – he knew that – he didn’t have a choice.

Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son. No more dream. No more idealism. No more changing the world. No one would ever listen to him again. It was over.

But what happened?

In the end Abraham didn’t have to give up anything. But because he was willing to give it up – to sacrifice everything – he created his future. And not just his future, but the future for generations after him.

The world is still living his dream. Half the

In the facades we put on for others we demonstrate our potential; through our children we reveal our reality.” - Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, To Kindle A Soul p. 195

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planet believes his ideas of monotheism.

He succeeded not in spite of his sacrifice, but because of his sacrifice.

Alex got the message. It was a powerful point. It was a nice idea – in theory – it wasn’t so nice when it meant throwing away your entire career. But it was too late now.

Alex already threw his career away. He was Abraham.

Well, almost Abraham. Unlike Abraham, Alex gave it all up for nothing.

A few months went by. Alex was Mr. FormerAlmost-Rockstar. It was fun while it lasted.

He still had his album. It was fun to produce and the songs were really good.

One day the phone rang. It was Microsoft.

They wanted to use his song “Too Close” to launch a new version of Internet Explorer.

Did he mind?

No, not at all. Have a ball.

Close” had 45 million views on YouTube. Alex was in demand. His career went from over to overdrive. He had fans. People wanted to hear him. He was big.

Just like that. It was his Abraham moment.

A couple of summers ago Alex played the major festivals. He shared the stage with the biggest names in music. (I saw his show at Lollapalooza. He sang for thousands of people and his tzitzis were out. “I thought that was great,” I told him. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said. “The sun and the lights make the stage really hot.”)

His next album is done. Complete with a tour to promote it. Then maybe Alex will settle down with his family. He can do that. He already gave it up once. Alex currently lives with his wife and three children in Nachlaot, Jerusalem. He spends his morning studying Torah and still produces music and tours the world performing.

The song was used as the soundtrack for an ad featuring Internet Explorer 9. Microsoft wanted to push Internet Explorer 9 and launched a massive campaign. The ad was everywhere. And the song was everywhere.

It was on every TV. It was played 24/7. You couldn’t escape it.

And people loved his song. They bought it on iTunes. They watched it on YouTube. It climbed the charts. It was an international sensation. And, wow. All of a sudden Alex was Mr. New-Thing-With-A-Bullet.

By the end of the Microsoft campaign, Alex’s album – The Lateness of the Hour – sold six million copies. The video for “Too

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DEPTH CHARGE

A SELECTION OF ESSAYS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO DEEPER It’s not how much or how little you have that makes you great or small, but how much or how little you are with what you have.”- Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Horeb, vol. 1, pg 46)

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Real Spirituality!

Where is the mountain?

If I had to ask you to define spirituality, or to

that effect. Yet for a Jew this is where it

Therefore, in our prayers throughout the

This idea of being part of a greater whole is

paint a picture of someone doing something

begins and ends. As individuals we have

year we pray in the third person - we pray

an empowering one - it gives us a broader

spiritual, I imagine the answer might involve

our own essences, identities, needs and

as we as opposed to as I, for we are calling

sense of mission and identity. And this is

someone sitting atop a mountain reflecting

wants. But if we only expand to the totality

upon the national merit of the Jewish

exactly what we tap into during the Yamim

alone, in utter silence, passivity and

of ourselves, this is minimising our reach,

People, as opposed to our individual merits.

Noraim days. We pray as a community, we

tranquillity. Spirituality and calmness seem

potential and true identities. For alongside

When we pray for someone’s recovery from

fast as a community, and we repent as a

to have become somewhat synonymous

our individual performances and identities

illness we add that they should be healed

community.

as the Eastern views of spirituality have

we have a national identity as part of the

‘among all other Jews who are ill.’ In fact, the

pervaded the stress-filled estern mindset.

Jewish People: a people greater than the

key concepts of Repentance, Prayer and

Yet as Jews Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

sum of its parts. Thus, as the Kuzari (died

Charity are all much more powerful when

are the holiest days of our year. And they

1141) and Maharal (died 1602) write, the

done communally as opposed to merely

are certainly not the quietest or even the

forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were

individually. Becoming great individuals

calmest days. Synagogues are packed, there

supernal individuals, but it was not until we

alone runs the risk of self-enclosure

is a sense of community togetherness, and

became a nation that we reached our peak.

and self-focus. A Jew’s life is not about

many parts of the prayer service call for

God gave the Torah to a nation.

simply feeling good about themselves and

recitation in unison - certainly audible. What happened to serenity and calmness?

54

achieving a sense of calmness and serenity As a nation we have merit beyond our

as Eastern thought would stress. A Jew’s

individual outputs. When God promised us

life is about contributing to the nation and

The answer involves a deep appreciation

that we would be eternal that did not apply

world at large, with a realisation that one’s

for the power of the community and what

to any given individual, that applied to the

power, qualities and strengths do not begin

we are trying to achieve on these holy days.

nation as a whole. When God promised us

and end with oneself: they were given as

In Jewish thought there are three strands.

that we would have a miraculous existence

a Divine deposit to be honed and used to

There is me as the individual, and there

in us being demographically small and yet

benefit others.

is the expanded me as being part of a

disproportionally contribute to the world at

community, and part of the Jewish People

large, this promise related to us as a nation.

as a whole. Many Western individualistic

And when God promised that though there

thinkers would point to the detriment of

would be persecution and exile, we would

having a national identity and its dangers

ultimately survive and herald redemption,

in subsuming the individual identity; ‘the

this was speaking to a nation over any given

private cost of public office,’ or words to

individual.

“The Jews started it all—and by ‘it’ I mean so many of the things we care about, the underlying values that make all of us, Jew and Gentile, believer and aethiest, tick. Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings ... we would think with a different mind, interpret all our experience differently, draw different conclusions from the things that befall us.

And we would set a different course for our lives.” Thomas Cahill, The Gifts Of The Jews

“I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations ... They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth.

The Romans and their empire were but a bubble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or modern.”

- John Adams, Second President of the United States (From a letter to F. A. Van der Kemp [Feb. 16, 1808] Pennsylvania Historical Society)

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Yom Kippur - Body and Soul

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You may have spotted several other people around on Yom Kippur. They may look different, or they may look the same. But Jewishly speaking, people’s bodies are slightly out of focus on Yom Kippur, whilst their souls are very much in focus: the bodily pleasures such as eating and drinking are put on hold.

Incidentally, the Hebrew word for man is ish, whilst the Hebrew world for woman is isha: the letters are identical but a man has a Yud and the woman has the Heh. This follows the ancient teaching that a man connects to spirituality as slightly detached from the physical world, but a woman creates spirituality via the physical world.

Rashi quotes that the world was created with the letter Heh, whilst the Next World (for souls alone) was created with the letter yud. What does this mean? A Yud is the smallest letter - this symbolises transcendent spirituality for it takes up the least physical space. The Yud is the tenth letter, hence the connection between holy things and the number ten: the Ten Commandments, ten for a minyan, Yom Kippur is on the tenth of the month. The Next World is fully spiritual - it is for souls. This world has spiritual parts but it is overwhelmingly physical. A Heh has a little Yud in the bottom left corner, but it is made up of a letter Dalet too. The Dalet represents the physical world - it looks like the length and breadth of a physical object, and it is the fourth letter: the four seasons and four compass directions symbolise the expanse of the physical world. Thus, a Heh (and this world) is part physical and part spiritual.

We are hybrid creatures. We are made up of body and soul. The body is temporary, physical and wants short-term pleasures; it is essentially egotistical and craves taking and indulgence.

Whilst the soul is eternal, selfless, wants to give, looks at long-term achievement and wants to transcend, grow and connect. And we face a constant battle for possession between body and soul. Though many of us may want to associate with our souls more often, we are on away territory - the world is a physical one.

Therefore, as explained by the 13th century Sefer Hachinuch, Hashem gave us several flag-bearing mitzvot, with which to hold our ‘soul’ banner up.

These mitzvot remind us that our souls do not have to be trounced by our bodies. These mitzvot are: mezuzahs on our homes, tefillin and brit milah.

These serve as constant and outward reminders of our souls.

‫ה‬

Any time we look beyond the basic physical fabric of this world we are stepping closer to associating ourselves with our souls. Whenever we reject the facade of the natural cause-andeffect physical world we are moving closer to our souls and their Creator. Here is but one example of a look at the miracles of the Gulf War, as per a Jerusalem Post article:

After nearly 40 Scuds were shot at Israel over the six-week period, only one person was killed directly from a missile attack. As a result, many Israelis created jokes and songs about Iraq’s missile attacks, thinking that the light casualties, missed targets and failures to explode were due to poorly designed Scuds and/or Iraqi incompetence. It was only at the very end of the war that the true capability of a Scud missile was shown, when a single missile hitting a US Marine bunker in Saudi Arabia killed more than 40 men. A much-sobered Israeli public quietly put away the songs and jokes, realising that the credit for their safely was due elsewhere. (Even self-proclaimed atheists began to read their Bibles…)

Several missiles aimed at Israel fell into the sea to the west. Another missile was blown off course by a strong wind.

No missiles landed in the city of Jerusalem. Any hits in that area (besides threatening life) would have destroyed ancient archeological sites which could never be replaced. (It was reported afterward that the Iraqis had argued about this, and finally decided not to target Jerusalem for fear of hitting the Dome of the Rock.)

An 84-year-old lady was in her house as it was hit by a missile. Not only was she unhurt, but as she looked at the devastation she only said, “Who’s going to help me clean this up?” A man walked into his bathroom just as a missile strike began.

When he came out, the rest of his house had been destroyed.

The first night of the missile strikes against Israel, 27 missiles were fired at once. Patriot missiles knocked out all of them except two. During missile strikes in the West Bank, only injuries were suffered; no lives were lost.

A lady was in bed during a missile attack. Her ceiling collapsed from a hit, causing the steel door frame to fall over her bed and lean on the wall. Because the frame kept the ceiling off her, she survived. A lady slept so soundly she didn’t hear the air raid siren. The exploding missile woke her up, whereupon she rushed to her sealed room.

It was gone, blown away by the missile along with the whole side of her house.

A missile landed in a garbage dump but didn’t explode. Another missile landed a few feet away from a gas station, but didn’t explode.

One missile landed between two buildings, completely destroying them but not killing any people.

Two missiles aimed at the IDF base in the Negev desert landed without causing damage. One missile that fell was discovered to have concrete in place of an explosive warhead.

Two missiles fired from Iraq suddenly disappeared.

A missile hit a bank, but only one person was in the building at the time. A missile went down an airshaft of a 9-story apartment building with 2030 apartments; it did not explode. A Tel Aviv man was in his house when a missile hit his garden. He walked out of the house with only minor injuries.

A man in his sealed room was leaning back against a closet when the force of an explosion knocked him into the closet. The room was heavily

57

Grabbing Opportunities: an exploration of Jewish texts damaged, but he was unhurt. He reported, “The closet saved my life.” A man was buried in rubble standing up. When he was finally dug out after an hour, he was found to need only a band-aid on his forehead. A mother with three small children spontaneously decided to go to the bomb shelter (contrary to government instructions) instead of their sealed room. During that attack, the door to that sealed room was blown open.

A couple in Ramat Gan were preparing for the Shabbat, when the wife suddenly got the urge to spend Shabbat elsewhere. The husband resisted at first but finally gave in. When they returned they found their house completely demolished by a missile. The husband (a religious Jew) recited the prayer of thanks for deliverance on the spot, and his neighbors came and danced around the rubble.

A family with their 18 month old baby were in a sealed room when the wall collapsed on the baby, who had no protection over it except the plastic infant tent (issued for gas protection).

The woman was filmed later in a hospital room holding the baby, who didn’t have a scratch on it.

A 3-year-old child was seriously injured in the first attack. Although he needed 2 hours of surgery to remove all the glass and shrapnel from his body, he survived.

The seasonal rains, which usually arrive in Israel in November, were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly they began in torrents, on January 17, the first day of the war. They continued almost without letup for the next 4-6 weeks, together with high winds. This weather was credited by US military sources as helping to convince the Iraqis that chemical weapons would not be smart (the prevailing winds were blowing from Israel directly toward Iraq…). The same phenomenon was observed in Kuwait (900 km to the east), where wind patterns had shifted from their normal direction for that season and were also blowing toward Iraq.

A family had decided to run for their bomb shelter instead of the sealed room in time of attack (there was public debate as to which was safer).

When the attack came, they couldn’t find the key to the shelter and were forced to take refuge in their sealed room after all. Their bomb shelter was hit and destroyed. Two families running for the community bomb shelters couldn’t find the key to the first one, so they ran to a second one.

The first one was destroyed.

Ramat Gan (just north of Tel Aviv) suffered the most in the war – 3 or 4 attacks – due to the location of strategic military buildings there. None of the missiles hit a building directly, but always fell in the open. The only damage was to property.

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Ultimately, at some point we must make a choice between body and soul. If we look long-term, the soul is the more sensible investment.

“A person should see themselves the entire year as half full of mitzvot and half full of sins.” Rambam, laws of repentance 3:4 The statement is taken from the Talmud, but it is extremely puzzling. A person wakes up in the morning. How are they supposed to view themselves according to the Rambam’s statement? As 50-50 sins and mitzvoth? Great. Supposed this person then has a particularly bad morning - they bow down to an idol, then steal, followed by some evil speech. Now how are they to view themselves? Again, 50-50 - for that is what the Rambam said: we are always 50-50. Yet Judaism does not believe in self-delusion.

We are not into fooling ourselves. On the contrary. We take a good look at the world, we take a good look at ourselves and our duties. What is the Rambam teaching and meaning here?

The concept is that we should constantly be seeing our next action as critical. When we see ourselves as 50-50 that means that the next act I do will tip the balance - I can define myself as good if my next action is a positive one, or otherwise if the action is negative. It’s about grabbing that opportunity to seize our next action as a self-defining one.

This notion of grabbing our opportunities answers another textual issue in the Rambam’s writings. From the first chapter of the Rambam’s Laws of Repentance, it seems that repentance is not obligatory

- if one wants to repent one can avail themselves of the option, but there is no strict obligation to do so. Yet in halacha 7 of the second chapter we are told that Yom Kippur is a time for repentance for individuals and the masses - it is the peak of forgiveness for the Jewish People.

Therefore one is obligated to repent.

Why does Teshuva suddenly become an obligation?

It would seem that repentance all year round cannot be obligated because Hashem cannot command us to be righteous and retract your sins - our challenge in life is whether we want to be righteous or not, and thus there is no specific extra obligation over and above observing the mitzvot in general! Yet when it comes to Yom Kippur we are given Divine assistance to achieve repentance. Hashem makes it that much easier for us to re-examine our ways and repent on Yom Kippur. After all, Yom Kippur was the day when Adam was forgiven for his sin, and the day when the Jewish People received the second set of tablets after the sin of the golden calf had ruined the first set. Therefore, on Yom Kippur we are obligated to repent - to grab that Yom Kippur opportunity.

There are optimists and pessimists.

There are those who are forever looking for opportunities to excel, and there are those who just go about life trying to get by. Yom Kippur sensitises us to look for opportunities.

There is a famous story in which the Kaiser asks Bismarck, “Can you prove the existence of God?” Bismarck replies, “The Jews, your majesty. The Jews.”

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The Seven Wonders of Jewish History GUEST ARTICLE BY RABBI ASHER RESNICK

Imagine that a total stranger comes up to

people, wouldn’t we still feel strongly that

you and says: “I’ll tell you what is going to

there must be some explanation for all of

happen to you soon. The ground in front of

these incredible and unique events? As true

you will open up, seven golden chariots will

as this certainly is, the fact that all of the

come out of the ground, circle your head

major events and patterns of Jewish history

three times, and then fly off into the sky.”

were, in fact, explicitly prophesied does add

You would most likely dismiss this whole

significantly to the remarkable story of the

episode as some crazy encounter, and

Jewish people.

forget about it. Now, suppose that some time later you hear a loud rumbling noise,

In this essay, we won’t merely be discussing

and a large chasm opens up before your

seven isolated events, but rather seven

very eyes. Amazingly, you see what looks

streams and patterns which run all

like a golden chariot appear from this ever-

throughout Jewish and world history. These

widening crater in the ground. Sure enough,

seven patterns are indeed remarkable, and

a total of seven golden chariots emerge,

clearly demonstrate that the Jewish people

circle your head three times, and then fly off

are not governed by the regular rules of

into the sky.

history. Jewish history can be understood only as the history of God’s chosen people.

This serves as an analogy for Jewish

And, in addition, every one of these patterns

history. Even had the Torah said nothing

was explicitly prophesized in the Torah

about what would later occur to the Jewish

itself, over 3,300 years ago!

1. Eternal Nation And I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and your descendants after you, throughout their generations, an eternal covenant; to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Genesis 17:7 Yet even so, even while they are in their enemies’ land, I will not reject or spurn them, lest, by wiping them out, I make void My covenant with them; for I am their God. I will remember them because of the covenant I made with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt under the very eyes of the nations, that I might be their God. Leviticus 26:44-45 A nation existing eternally is not unique, although it is certainly unusual. How many nations in the entire world, besides the Jews, could really be called “eternal”? China,

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India, maybe the Arabs — very few. Therefore, while a nation existing forever is certainly not impossible, it is definitely a long shot. The author of the Torah must have had a lot of confidence in the Jewish people — that they would be one of the handful of nations to qualify as “eternal”.

In addition, what is it that usually defines and sustains a nation? Common land, spoken language, culture, customs, an army, etc. For the past almost 2,000 years, we have had virtually none of these elements, and yet we are still here. What could explain this?

2. Exile / Scattering / Wandering Along with the prophesy of “Eternal Nation”, the author of the Torah makes a second prophesy that seems to make “Eternal Nation” an impossibility — the exile of the Jews from their own land. The difficulty of these two prophesies existing together is because, throughout the history of the world, no other nation ever survived an exile.

What’s more, the Torah prophesized two different exiles for the Jewish people to survive (Lev. 26:14-46, and Deut. 28:15-69)!

The Jewish people were exiled from Israel by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. They survived, returned to Israel after 70 years, and built the Second Temple. Then in 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, causing the Jews to go into exile once again. We are the only nation exiled twice from their original land who have survived and returned to that land.

In addition to this, the Torah spells out another uniqueness — this second exile of the Jewish people by the Romans would be a complete scattering to all four corners of the earth. …You will be torn from the land which you are about to occupy. And God shall scatter you among all the peoples, from one end of the earth to the other… Deut. 28:63-64 Without even physical unity, this would definitely seem to be the “kiss of death” for the Jews.

The author of the Torah seemed to really like big challenges! Not only would the Jewish people be one of the handful of nations in all of world history to be truly eternal, they would do it despite what looked like impossible obstacles — no land, no unity, and no physical stability! What then could possibly reconcile these seemingly contradictory

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historical patterns? Perhaps if the Jews would have been beloved and respected by the world, they would have been able to survive? Interestingly, the exact opposite is not only what happened, it was what the author predicted would happen.

3. Anti-Semitism Among those nations you shall find no repose, not a foot of ground to stand upon, for there God will give you an anguished heart, and wasted eyes, and a dismayed spirit. You will live in constant suspense, and stand in dread both day and night, never sure of your existence. In the morning you will say, “Would that it were evening!” and in the evening you will say, “Would that it were morning!” for the dread that your heart must feel and the sight that your eyes must see. Deuteronomy 28:65-67 Jews have been expelled from virtually every country in which they have resided. Jews were expelled from England in 1290, France in 1306 and 1394, Hungary in 1349 and 1360, Austria in 1421, from various places in Germany throughout the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, from Lithuania in 1445 and 1495, Spain in 1492, Portugal in 1497, and from Bohemia and Moravia in 1744-45. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, Jews were not permitted to enter Russia, and when they were finally admitted, they were restricted to one area, the Pale of Settlement. Parallel to these atrocities in Europe were various levels of anti-Semitism at the hands of the Arabs. From Islam’s inception in the 7th century, the Jews living in the Arab countries were constantly forced to live as second-class citizens. Violent outbreaks sporadically occurred throughout the following 1300 years and reached their peak between 1948 and 1967. During that period, almost all of the Jews living in Aden, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, over 500,000 in all, were forced to flee, fearing for their lives.

“Of all the extreme fanaticism that plays havoc in man’s nature, there is none as irrational as anti-Semitism. The Jews cannot vindicate themselves in the eyes of these fanatics. If the Jews are rich, they are victims of theft and extortion. If they are poor, they are victims of ridicule. If they take sides in a war, it is because they wish to gain advantage from the spilling of non-Jewish blood. If they espouse peace, it is because they are scared and anxious by nature, or traitors to their country. If the Jew dwells in a foreign land, he is persecuted and expelled. If he wishes to return to his own land, he is prevented from doing so.” Lloyd George (Prime Minister of England from 1916-1922), 1923

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But as my research into Jewish history progressed, I was surprised, depressed, and to some extent overwhelmed, by the perpetual and irrational violence which pursued the Jews in every country and to almost every corner of the globe. If, therefore, persecution, expulsion, torture, humiliation, and mass murder haunt these pages, it is because they also haunt the Jewish story”. Martin Gilbert, “Jewish History Atlas” Oxford 1985 4. The Jewish people will be left few in number And you shall remain few in number, whereas you could have become as numerous as the stars of the heavens, because you would not obey the voice of God your Lord. Deut.

28:62 This seems to be an inherent contradiction. If the Torah tells us that the Jews will be around for thousands of years, their numbers should be very large. On the other hand, if the Torah says that their numbers will be frozen at a low level, what chance would they have of long-term survival? 2,000 years ago, among the 44 million in the Roman Empire, about 4 million were estimated to have been Jews (roughly 9%), besides the large numbers of Jews which were then living in Babylonia. Today there are probably over 2 billion descendants of those from the Roman Empire (i.e., the Western world), and therefore, we should expect about 200 million Jews today (not 14 million). With numbers like 200 million, it would certainly be much easier for the Jews to maintain their national continuity. Furthermore, if over 90% of the Jewish people can disappear (as we see has occurred) then it seems illogical to say that 100% of them can’t disappear. What type of an author could say that only a tiny sliver of Jews would survive, that this tiny group would survive despite the numerous challenges spelled out in the Torah, and then has the control of over 3,000 years of subsequent world history to ensure that it actually occurs? Only an author with complete control over both Jewish and world history could guarantee that both halves of this seemingly contradictory prophecy would be fulfilled (as they both have)!

Given all of this, we might have expected the Torah to have envisioned the Jews merely surviving, and barely hanging onto their own values and national identity. In fact, we find just the opposite yet again — the Jews are prophesised to transform the values and direction of the entire world.

Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world.”

- Winston Churchill

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5. Light to the Nations

7. The Return of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel

I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You shall become a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.

And through you shall all the communities of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:2-3

This may be the most remarkable of all of the prophesies in the Torah, as well as one of the most incredible events of the entire 20th century!

I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand and keep you. And I will establish you as a covenant of the people, for a light to the nations. Isaiah 42:6 Monotheism is arguably the single most impactful idea in the history of the world. It forms the basis of the Western world and morality, and is accepted, in one form or another, by over 3.7 billion people (more than half of the world), all of whom got it from us. Other concepts such as justice, charity and fairness are of Jewish origin.

….God your Lord will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations among whom God your Lord has scattered you. If your outcasts be at the utmost parts of heaven, from there God your L-rd will gather you, and from there He will fetch you. And God your Lord will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it; and He will do you good, and multiply you more than your fathers. Deuteronomy 32:3-5 Not only was the physical return of the Jewish people prophesied, the re-blossoming of the land of Israel was predicted as well.

6. The Interdependency of the Jewish People and the Land of Israel Not only do we find extraordinary aspects to both the Jewish people and the Torah, but even the land of Israel seems to defy the normal rules of nature.

The Torah describes the land of Israel as being very prosperous. God, your Lord, is bringing you to a good land — a land with flowing streams and underground springs gushing out in valley and mountain. It is a land of wheat, barley, figs and pomegranates — a land of oil-olives and honey-dates. It is a land where you will not eat your bread in rations and you will lack nothing… Deuteronomy 8:7-10

Coming Full Circle

continued survival, but the greatest hatred

Eternal national survival, as we discussed

the world has ever known — more universal,

initially, is quite rare. Even so, the Torah

intense, long-lasting, and irrational than

confidently asserts that we will be among

any other — is what existed instead. And,

this select group of “Eternal Nations.”

if all of this weren’t enough of a direct

However, we will do it with virtually none

contradiction to our eternity, it is foretold

of the elements of nationhood which

that our numbers throughout this long exile

would seem to be absolute prerequisites

would be kept extremely small.

(common land, language, culture, army, etc.)

I have come down to rescue them from Egypt’s power. I will bring them out of that land, to a good, spacious land; to a land flowing with milk and honey… Exodus 3:8

Jerusalem is mournful, dreary and lifeless. I would not desire to live here. It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land…Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies…

Palestine is desolate and unlovely. Mark Twain, “The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrim’s Progress” (published in 1869) Only after the Jews returned to the land did it start to bloom again.

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thereof. Although even a single exile from

Given this bizarre scenario, where mere

one’s own land, rare as it is, would destroy

survival itself should have been viewed

any other nation, we are assured of survival

as a miraculous achievement, the Torah

despite an unprecedented two separate

instead tells us that we will also have a

exiles from the land of Israel, a complete

transformational impact on the entire world.

scattering throughout the world, and a

Additionally, not only will our own history

continued wandering from place to place

be remarkable in the extreme, our land will

which continues until the present day. Not

very conveniently be reserved for us all of

only is no positive relationship prophesized

the time that we are in exile. It will be as if a

to exist between the Jews and the non-

giant sign will be placed on the land of Israel,

Jewish world, which could serve to mitigate

saying – “Do not disturb. Reserved for the

this enormous challenge of exile for our

Jewish people!” And finally, perhaps most

Those who bless I will bless you I will bless, and those who curse you I will curse - God to Abraham, parshat Lech Lecha

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Speech: The Secret Yom Kippur Weapon striking of all, we are predicted to return to

Written by Rabbi Asher Resnick and

I

over-

urges and desires - they desist and control

the Land of Israel after almost 2,000 years

taken (with permission) from his website

exaggerating, but two Yom Kippurs ago I

themselves. That is true repentance.

of exile, and the long-dormant land will

JewishClarity.com.

JewishClarity.com

lost all my sins. Each year before Yom Kippur

Accordingly, Rabbi David Meyer asked why

once again return to its former prosperity,

focuses on the foundations of Judaism,

I write a list of sins that I can repent for (I

don’t we just do exactly that on Yom Kippur?

exclusively for the Jewish people.

and addresses how to understand and cope

treat Yom Kippur rather seriously). I place

If Yom Kippur is about repentance why don’t

with difficulties and challenges in life based

this list in my machzor each year (in Hebrew

we spend (part of) the day trying to place

on classical Torah sources.

lest anyone read it) and it accompanies me

ourselves in the same situations as when

Jewish history are remarkable, both in their

throughout this most solemn of days. But

we have slipped up in the past and this

uniqueness as well as in their ability to

after my Yom Kippur address (I don’t like

time take control of the situation instead

navigate a myriad of obvious contradictions.

the word ‘sermon’) one year I lost my list.

of succumbing to sin? Why do we repent in

Even without any prophecies at all, it would

My sins were gone: whether Hashem had

Shul all day?

be very difficult to relate to it without

wiped the sins away, whether the message

positing some sort of a meta-physical

was that they were beyond repentance

The answer is that we go one step further. On

explanation. Once we add in the fact that

(hopefully not!) or whether I was simply

Yom Kippur we utilise the power of speech to

it was all prophesied in advance, over

careless in losing the sheet of paper, I will

bring about a change of character. We pray

3,300 years ago, this conclusion becomes

never know. And asking people if anyone

and recite viduy confession. For at its depth

inescapable. Therefore, the only way to

had seen my sins simply elicited strange

speech is an act of creation. God spoke the

properly understand Jewish history, as well

looks! Assuming that losing a piece of paper

world into existence. Speech expresses

as the prophecies in the Torah, seems to

is too simple an option, how do we lose our

abstract thoughts into the world: thoughts

be to spell the word “Author” with a capital

sins on Yom Kippur? We may decide to chart

are hidden and are intangible. Speech brings

“A”, meaning that the “Hand” that wrote the

a better course in life, but how do we leave

them into the world - speech is a cogent

Torah must be the very same Hand that has

our past baggage firmly behind us?

form of creation. We start Yom Kippur by

The events themselves which highlight

am

not

being

dramatic

or

guided and continues to guide all of Jewish

sharpening our weapon of speech - we

history up until and including the present

The Rambam writes that the highest level of

undo our vows via Kol Nidrei. We then utilise

day.

repentance is when one finds themselves

speech to create ourselves anew. We do

in the same situation having sinned once,

not simply go back and fix our past sins;

with the same urges and temptations - but

we remove ourselves from those past acts

this time one refrains from sinning. The

completely such that they no longer reflect

Rambam’s example is a man who sinned by

who we are in our current re-created state.

illegally cohabiting with a woman (Jewish The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?” - Mark Twain (“Concerning The Jews,” Harper’s Magazine, 1899

66

see The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, Doubleday [1963] pg. 249)

morality is absolute; things do not become

Yet Yom Kippur is not a one-off. If we

okay simply because they are consensual).

enjoy the highs and then dip we become

Yet despite having succumbed to sin one

rollercoasters at a theme park, not

time, the next time the two find themselves

growing Jews. Speech is powerful all year

in the same situation and with the same

round. Speech can be used to build and

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assist others, not to slander and destroy

My Yom Kippur Self Checklist - making

others. Speech can be used in meaningful

the day meaningful

prayer, not idle gossip. How much have we

improved over the past year? ü Am I happy/proud of myself?

cheapened speech over the years? How

Here are some useful questions for self-

much has social media meant that talk (or

reflection and added purpose for the day:

ü Do I really empathise with others?

ü Which of my achievements over the

ü Do I listen to others well; do they feel

type) is cheap - repeated WhatsApp groups sharing of everyday pictures waiting for inevitable group comments, Facebook’s reach out to millions and touch nobody genre of communication. Can we reclaim

past year am I most proud of? Why? ü Which of my actions over the past year do I wish I did better? Why?

the depth of speech and communication this Yom Kippur?

Ultimately, the success of Yom Kippur depends on how seriously we treat the day.

I was not alive in 1973, but my father was in Israel on his gap year at the time. I can only imagine the precarious tension in the air as soldiers rushed out of synagogues onto the Yom Kippur War battlefields. When the entire country knew that their country and lives were at stake, imagine the power of those prayers then. Imagine how people

ü Where do I feel most fulfilled in life? ü How much do I prioritise others over myself? ü How often/when do I put away my own needs for others? ü Where in my life do I make space for God? ü How have I grown as a person over the past year? How can I improve?

felt little need to chat idly on that day - they

ü How have I grown in my relationship

were too engrossed with real life. The Yom

with God over the past year? How can I

Kippur War was serious. Every Yom Kippur is

improve?

serious - it’s the difference between being spiritually alive and not. It’s the difference between sharpening our power of speech or turning it against our own people.

ü Am I a giving person and in what way? ü Do I have clarity on what I want to achieve in life; and if not how can I take steps to achieve clarity?

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ü Do I have a positive self-image? Has it

There is a striking point that runs through Jewish history as a whole. Western civilization was born in the Middle East, and the Jews were at its crossroads. In the heyday of Rome, the Jews were close to the Empire’s center.

When power shifted eastward, the Jewish center was in Babylon; when it skipped to Spain, there again were the Jews. When in the Middle Ages the center of civilization moved into Central Europe, the Jews were waiting for it in Germany and Poland. The rise of the United States to the leading world power found Judaism focused there.

And now, today, when the pendulum seems to be swinging back toward the Old World and the East rises to renewed importance, there again are the Jews in Israel…” - Professor Huston Smith The Religious of Man, New York: HarperCollins, 1989

happier after having spoken to me? ü If I could change one thing about myself what would it be?

ü Is my private image the same as my public one? ü Do I value my private achievements, ones that nobody sees or knows about? ü What have I done for the Jewish People this year? ü How have I made the world a more Godly place?

ü If I could tell my great-grandchildren one

The Washington Post placed Joshua Bell,

thing about my life what would it be?

the world famous violinist, in the Metro station subway in New York, and got him to

ü If I were able to have a two-way

play the same music which he had played

conversation with God what would I

when he filled Boston’s Symphony Hall (for

speak about?

at least $100 a seat) three days earlier.

ü Have a felt a connection with God and my spiritual side over the past year?

This time he wore jeans and a T-shirt and had a hat placed modestly in front of him for donations. In the three-quarters of an hour

ü Is there a particular mitzvah that

that he played, seven people stopped what

resonates with me, and I really want to

they were doing to hang around and take in

make more of an effort with?

the performance, at least for a minute. 27

ü Has my knowledge of Judaism improved over the past year? ü Can I carve out any (more) time for Jewish learning? ü Do I contribute to my community or do they contribute to me?

people gave money, most of them on the run - for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many of them only a few feet away. There was never a crowd, not even for a second.

If we make time to contemplate, things can become more purposeful and meaningful.

ü Have I worked on my relationship with my family? ü How am I a role model for others?

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Yonah - Inspiration Grounded The Vietnam War was the first war to be covered by modern-day media: pictures and footage of the war flooded American homes. Though people had an idea beforehand of what war was like, these vivid images and real-life stories made everything more real; sparking anti-war protests.

Often we find ourselves in life reconnecting to previously familiar ideas and notions on a deeper level after they have been portrayed in a more relevant, lifelike or vivid light.

The book of Yonah is fascinating. A Jewish prophet is sent to push a non-Jewish city to repent, prompting the commentaries to ask why it is in our Canon. And why is Yonah read on Yom Kippur?

The Vilna Gaon (died 1797) saw the book of Yonah as an allegorical description of the journey of the soul traversing the world as it seeks to fulfil its mission. Yet on a simple level Yonah provides a real story of the extent of repentance - bringing the Yom Kippur message to life. However, there is a deeper level here.

Maimonides (died 1207) places his discussion of freewill and Divine involvement in the world in the Laws of Repentance. For the notion of repentance lies at the philosophical precipice between Divine involvement and human freewill.

We are given remit to plot our own course in life, yet should we choose to repent for mistakes, God provides the opportunity and assistance and signs away our errors. Thus, when Yonah initially attempts to abscond God thwarts his plan. The theme is one of both freewill and subsequent

70

Divine involvement - an apt philosophical context to repentance.

Further, there is a very odd event whereby Yonah is sheltered by a kikayon plant, for the plant to then wilt and Yonah become mortally distressed.

God makes the point that ‘you took pity over the kikayon tree which you did not toil or raise... should I not pity my creations?’ (4:10-11). The subtext inference is that when one does toil or raise something then one puts their utmost into it, for, as Rav Dessler (died 1953) writes, one sees their efforts and project as an extension of themselves. This message is also critical for Yom Kippur - it is a day on which we take ownership of our priorities and direction. We discard past failings as being victims of circumstance or other external pressures - on Yom Kippur we go back to who we are and what we want to create out of our lives.

Finally, in a beautiful observation the Kotzker Rebbe (died 1859) noted that after the seamen asked Yonah ‘what is your profession?’ (1:8) he responded (1:9) ‘I am a Jew’ - a message about the centrality of a core Jewish identity; the forerunner and prerequisite of repentance.

Finally, the book of Yonah homes in on key concentric action circles: achieve one’s own mission, facilitate others to do the same, then make general civilisation and perhaps even the world of nature a better place: placing the themes of Yom Kippur in their philosophical context and bringing them closer to home.

Things You Might See on Yom Kippur •

People bent over in prayer - this is the viduy confession prayer, which is a central part of our Yom Kippur prayers.

It is recited with a posture bent over in submission and accompanied by the customary striking of one’s chest at each mention of one’s sin.

•

•

Many people wearing white - though only some have the custom to wear a kittel on Rosh Hashanah, this custom is prevalent on Yom Kippur, keeping in with the purifying theme of the day (white signifies purity and simplicity).

The Rema (died 1572) adds that white matches the notion that we are like angels on this day, and that as kittels are also like burial shrouds, this garb conveys themes of both the greatness of humans and their fallibility and humility; fitting themes for the Day of Atonement.

Prayer focus: Avinu Malkenu

•

Kol Nidrei - the opening prayer of Yom Kippur is an annulment of one’s vows.

This is an apt introduction to Yom Kippur in purifying our mouths ready for prayer that day.

•

Neilah - another rare prayer, this is recited at the very end of Yom Kippur.

It is an eloquent beseeching of God for final mercy and success in judgment.

The mainstay of this prayer is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy - the deep and profound listing of God’s names/ traits as used by Moses in gaining forgiveness for the Jewish People.

The ark being opened and closed - the ark is opened at various crucial points during the service. If one can stand for the duration of when the ark is opened that is best - as a mark of reciprocal respect - though there is no technical obligation to do so.

Avinu Malkeinu (Artscroll p436) - This powerful prayer is based on the prayer of Rabbi Akiva (who lived around 1800 years ago), who composed this prayer to successfully to end a drought in Israel.

It accentuates that we have a direct relationship with God, whereby we refer to Him as our father and king, and also are able to request things from Him. Whenever we pray we are affirming four key philosophical truths: that there is a God, that He cares about us, that he listens to our needs and that He is capable of answering our prayers. Prayer is a way of sensitising ourselves to Hashem’s existence and His interaction in our daily lives. Avinu Malkenu zooms in and out of focus between our requests and Hashem being our King and Father. We thus track our needs to our relationship with Him. Here we focus on the father and king relationships (not a husband-wife relationship as expressed elsewhere), for we are homing in on a relationship that cannot be broken in any way. We may choose not to invest in our relationship with the Divine, but that does not negate the fact that He is there and that He is ready to improve that relationship should we wish to do so.

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A Guide To The Prayers •

Kol Nidrei (Artscroll p58) is the

prayer asking for forgiveness based on

annulling of vows that precedes the

Moses’s plea (see Numbers 14:19)

beckoning in of Yom Kippur. Torah scrolls are taken out and walked around

•

Shema Koleinu (Artscroll p126) - This prayer is said standing up, with the

to the bimah before this prayer.

•

•

Ark open. It is an impassioned plea

Barchu (Artscroll p66) is the beginning

for our prayers to be accepted; each

of Maariv service, and continues with

line is a different verse in the Bible.

Shema, followed by the Amidah silent prayer •

•

Viduy (Artscroll p92 and more in-

Shacharit •

- psalm 130 is traditionally recited

the Biblical command to confess

after ha’melech and before barchu.

one’s sins. It lists various sins and our

It was composed by David Hamelech

regret for having performed them. It is

a couple of thousand years ago and

ordered alphabetically to represent our

makes reference to the power of

reordering of ourselves. It is recited

prayer, mercy, and God’s prerogative

bent over.

to

Kel Melech Yoshev (Artscroll p108) - this recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy forms a central part of the Slichot and Yamim Noraim prayers. The Talmud says that these thirteen attributes of mercy will not go unanswered - they were taught to Moshe by Hashem Himself. Ultimately, it is a recognition that Hashem’s central middah is kindness and forgiveness.

Selach (Artscroll p112) - composed in the thirteenth century, this is a

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grant

forgiveness

-

thus

in

times of trouble we turn directly to

Yaaleh (Artscroll p102) begins the

Him. It is followed by the Shema.

reverse order

•

(Artscroll p264)

depth in p849) is the fulfilment of

supplications; it is alphabetical in

•

Shir ha’amaalot

•

Zachreinu le’chaim (Artscroll p296) the zachreinu le’chaim line is over one

Avinu Malkeinu (Artscroll p436) - This

p298) - this extended blessing of

powerful prayer is based on the prayer

sanctification of God’s name (our

of Rabbi Akiva of around 1800 years

mission in this world) was composed

ago, who composed this prayer to

by Rav (160-248CE), one of the

successfully end the drought in Israel.

Amoraim greats. We pray that the glory

It accentuates that we have a direct

of the Jewish People be restored, with

relationship with God, whereby we refer

the world acknowledging and serving

to Him as our father and king, and also

its Creator.

are able to request things from Him.

Viduy (Artscroll p358) is the fulfilment

•

The reading of the Torah can be

of the Biblical command to confess

found in the Machzor. It revolves

one’s sins. It lists various sins and

around the Yom Kippur service in

our regret

performed

the Temple and the laws of Yom

them. It is ordered alphabetically

Kippur. The Haftarah is Isaiah’s

to

of

instructions for us to spiritually

ourselves. It is recited bent over.

rejuvenate ourselves on fast days.

for having

represent

our

reordering

Mussaf - private Amidah

•

•

•

Ata hu (Artscroll p376) - a prayer

recited

recited line by line

his

unworthiness

the

congregation

Imru

l’Elokeinu

(Artscroll

p390)

•

was composed in the 6th century, and

first three blessings of the Amidah

ascribes all aspects of life to God

the

Chazan to in

stating represent

prayer,

but

succeed; humility is key to prayer. In some congregations the Chazan does not verbalise the entire prayer out loud.

Ha’aderet v’emunah (Artscroll p402)

convention to keep the text of the

by

nevertheless asking that his mission

alphabetical order, praising God

our Amidah’s between Rosh Hashanah

Hineni (Artscroll p482) is a prayer

describing God’s virtues, traditionally

- written in the tenth century in

thousand years old and is added to and Yom Kippur. Despite the general

•

Repetition of the Amidah:

Silent Amidah Prayers: •

U’vechen ten pachdecha (Artscroll

•

uve’esor lachodsh ha’shevii (Artscroll p490) is the recitation of the verses

constant throughout all prayers, this L’Kel Orech Din (Artscroll p404)

of the Mussaf sacrifice; central to any

succeed in judgment for the public, and

was composed in the 8th century

Mussaf service

not only the individual.

and speaks about God’s conduct in

line was added in for it is a request to

•

judgment

•

The rest of Mussaf includes also a viduy confession

73

Mussaf - the Repetition •

•

•

was composed by Joshua (leader of the Jewish People after Moses) and

God’s sovereignty and supremacy; it is

is recited on Rosh Hashanah as a

the book of Jonah (see above essay)

an apt introduction to Unetaneh Tokef,

powerful declaration of faith: several

and the private and repetition of the

which follows

Jews were murdered in the crusades

Amidah, similar to that of Shachrit

Unetaneh Tokef (Artscroll p530) was

kneel on the floor and bow at the word

Mincha includes Ashrei, leining, reading

•

Ptach lanu sha’ar (Artscroll p736) is the opening of the Neilah slichot

•

Avinu Malkeinu (Artscroll p758) is recited at the end of Neilah

•

The three verses Shema, Baruch Shem, and Hashem hu Ha’Elokim (Artscroll

Neilah

p762)

•

Neilah is the final chance to ask for

philosophical progress we have made

mercy and succeed in judgment. It

over these High Holy Days. We end

begins with Ashrei (Artscroll p706),

with kaddish and Le’Shana Ha’baah

followed by the silent Amidah, then

Bi’Yerushalayim - the latter reminding

prayers revolving around the Thirteen

us of the historical perspective of our

Attributes of Mercy, ending with Avinu

current juncture: until the Messiah is

Malkeinu and several key powerful

here and Jerusalem rebuilt we still have

Zechor rachamacha (Artscroll p584)

verses. The Ark is open for much of

more to do and yearn for.

is a moving description of the Ten

Neilah and one is encouraged to stand

Kedusha (Artscroll p534) is recited,

Martyrs; we commit to live our lives

if one can.

standing with feet together. It is a deep

sanctifying God’s name the same way

terse allusion to the actions of angels.

they did in their deaths.

korim, with care to put something between our heads and the floor so we

and arms were cut off by the bishop

do not completely prostate ourselves.

of Mainz for refusing to convert to Christianity. Rav Amnon died upon

•

Elokeuni (Artscrol p552) begins a

reciting his Unetaneh Tokef and then

description of the Temple times - the

came to Rav Klonimos ben Meshulam

special service of Yom Kippur and its

in a dream, asking that it be recited

precise atoning sacrifices

worldwide on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Ve’chol ma’aminim (Artscrol p538)

•

•

is a poem with a clear stanza format declaring our faith in God and His merciful actions.

•

•

with Aleinu as their last words. We

by Rav Amnon of Mainz, whose legs

•

Mincha

Melech Elyon (Artscroll p478) affirms

composed one thousand years ago

•

Aleinu (Artscroll p550) - this prayer

are

powerful

declarations

of faith that bring together the

Viduy (Artscroll p598) recited together with a bent posture

•

The priestly blessing (Artscroll p614) is

the

powerful

Biblical

blessing

Ochilah la’Kel (Artscroll p554) is

bestowed by the Kohanim as a conduit

similar to hineni in its theme - asking

for God’s blessing in this world. One

of God that the Chazan’s prayers be

does not look at the Kohanim during

accepted, and is followed by Al ken,

this blessing.

which according to the Shelah was composed by Achan in repentance after he took from the spoils of Jericho.

74

“When I leave this world, God will not ask me whyI was not Moshe - he will ask why I wasn’t the best Reb Zusha I could be” Reb Zusha

75

Yom Kippur Ref Num

1

Prayer

KOL NIDREI

Yom Kippur Art Scroll Translit

Routledge

Art Scroll

Birnbaum

De Sola

Sacks Koren

Art Scroll Translit

15

58

489

12

51

110

30

Imru L’Elohim

144

522

781

27

831

682

Untaneh Tokef

149

530

789

32

843

694

Ref Num

Prayer

Routledge

Art Scroll

Birnbaum

De Sola

Sacks Koren

2

Barechu

17

66

495

15

63

112

31

3

Amidah

22

78

503

20

77

131

32

Kedushah

151

534

793

36

853

701

4

Ya’aleh

31

102

521

32

107

162

33

Vechol Ma’aminim

152

540

797

39

859

705

5

Selach Na

36

112

531

38

121

173

34

Aleinu

157

550

807

48

873

719

Ochila

158

554

809

51

877

723

6

Omnam Ken

38

116

533

41

127

181

35

7

Ki Hinei

39

120

537

42

133

186

36

Vechach Haya Omer

161

560

815

58

885

730

8

Shema Koleinu

45

126

545

49

143

194

37

Zechor Rachamecha

178

584

837

85

927

760

9

Al Chet

49

132

551

54

155

203

38

Shema Koleinu

183

596

847

91

945

776

39

Al Chet

186

600

853

96

953

785

10

Aleinu

58

152

571

65

181

230

11

Anim Zemirot

73

188

127

96

187

242

12

Yigdal

75

158

55

99

193

238

40

Torah Reading

197

630

881

116

985

828

237

41

Amidah

206

650

894

127

1011

857

42

Repetition of Amidah

215

666

915

138

1037

884

43

Zechor Rachamecha

230

676

927

162

1055

899

13

Adon Olam

76

158

575

100

195

SHACHARIT - MORNING SERVICE

Mincha – Afternoon Service

14

Barechu

34

324

582

133

541

405

15

Amidah

44

350

605

147

577

435

44

Shema Koleinu

232

682

931

164

1065

904

Al Chet

235

686

937

169

1073

913

Avinu Malkeinu

104

700

695

178

1093

934

16

Repetition of the Amidah

53

366

623

158

601

462

45

17

Ata Hu

57

376

633

164

619

471

46

18

Imru L’Elohim

64

390

645

172

639

490

19

Ha’aderet

70

402

657

181

655

508

47

Amidah

246

712

958

183

1109

953

20

L’El Orech Din

77

404

661

189

659

511

48

Repetition of Amidah

253

726

977

192

1133

977

21

Zechor Rachamecha

90

412

669

213

671

523

49

Umi Ya’amod

260

738

989

200

1153

997

22

Shema Koleinu

92

416

673

220

679

528

50

Ki Anu Amecha

264

750

1001

206

1171

1019

51

Avinu Malkeinu

269

758

1011

212

1185

1036

Yigdal

75

158

55

99

193

238

272

766

1019

216

1199

1044

23

Al Chet

24

96

422

679

225

687

537

Avinu Malkeinu

104

436

695

236

711

559

25

Torah Reading

107

452

701

244

719

578

26

Yizkor

NEILA – CONCLUDING SERVICE

52

MA’ARIV – Evening Service

Your machzor or community’s booklet

Musaph – Additional Service

76

27

Hineni

28

Amidah

29

Repetition of Amidah

-

482

743

1

769

626

124

486

745

2

775

628

134

502

763

15

801

658

“A little bit of light can push away much darkness” Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

“The first step in Divine service is realising your own worth” Rabeinu Yonah

77

Epilogue: Taking it further Books and websites for those who want to know more … and the idea of “an inch at a time”.

In our closing remarks, we would like to

What is your commitment for this year?

add that greatness does not need to be achieved

immediately.

Progressing

Other Websites •

•

www.theus.org.uk

The

w ww.simpletoremember.com

-

United

select articles and talks from top

an

Below are some resources for those who

Synagogue website, with articles

educators on topics from faith to

inch at a time is the modus operandi of

would like to learn and experience more,

and information - see the Living and

practical living

those who want to achieve steady but real

in no particular order. Also please do

progress. Find a way in which you can better

come back to Stanmore & Canons Park

an area of your religious and interpersonal

Synagogue to try out our various social

inspirational articles and videos on

life: commitment to family, quality of

and educational programmes during

Jewish themes

kindness, commitment to prayer, allocate

the year. Ask the Synagogue office for

some more time for Torah study. It’s about

more details. Please also subscribe to

moving forward and growing in a real and

our SACPS Facebook group or look at our

stable way.

website www.sacps.org.uk

Learning Department •

•

www.aish.com - contemporary and

www.chabad.org

-

for

inspiring

articles and online source-texts •

www.yutorah.com and www.ou.org a full gamut of audio talks on Torah texts and themes

Contemporary Books of Interest •

Gateway

to

Judaism

by

•

Guide to Life by Rabbi Akiva Tatz -

Mordechai Becher - explaining the

deep and practical Jewish themes

basic Whats and Whys of Jewish

for teenagers and up

thought and practice •

•

The Thinking Jewish Teenager’s

Rabbi

Permission

to

• Believe

and

Rabbi JB Soloveitchik essays On Repentance or Lonely Man of Faith

Permission to Receive (two books)

•

Rabbi David Aaron’s books on God

by

•

Letters to a Buddhist Jew by Rabbi

Rabbi

Lawrence

Kelemen

-

developing a rational basis for faith

Tatz - a dialogue between a Rabbi

To Kindle a Soul by Rabbi Lawrence

and a Buddhist Jew

Kelemen

-

Torah

wisdom

for

parenting Classics/Scholarly Books of Interest

outline of the Jewish Calendar and

•

Derech Hashem (the path of God) by

its customs, events and practices

•

Kuzari by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi -

written to a barmitzvah boy 800

philosophical discussion between

years ago, this lists each mitzvah

religions

and their rationale meaning, with a

The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi

basic outline of each mitzvah’s laws

Eliyahu Kitov - a comprehensive

too.

Rabbi Luzatto - philosophy

•

78

“There are no problems: only opportunities for growth” Rebbetzin Dena Weinberg

•

The Sefer Hachinuch - anonymously

“I have already explained with clear proofs that the soul is the dominant factor in the nature of the Jew. For example, being stiff-necked is one of the bad qualities that Jews have. Practically speaking, that means that Jews refuse to accept criticism and will not listen to corrective advise. This is in fact because they are not essentially materialistic. Only something which is materialistic is readily altered. Consequently Jews are very resistant to change and we are slow to accept the advice of others.

- Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Yehuda Loewe, 1526 - 1609)

79

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