rosh hashanah
Rabbinic Greetings
for
5778
Vulnerability Makes Us Human
O
tion up north, a quiet moment put-
n Rosh Hashanah, we ask
ting your child to bed, a wonderful
ourselves: Am I the type of
phone call with someone you hadn’t
person I really want to be?
spoken to in months. And
Am I treating my loved ones
the worst memories —
with empathy and respect?
missing a birthday party
What about those outside
because of a last-minute
of my close-knit group of
work obligation, speaking
friends and family — who
harsh words to a loved one
am I to them? How can I
that you instantly regretted,
be better, stronger, kinder,
feeling rejected or judged by
more present?
someone you look up to.
Most of our introspection
Relationship-making and
during the holidays involves Rabbi Jenifer
connecting
with others is
relationships — relation-
Lader
at the heart of so much of
ships with God, yes, but
what sustains us, both for
perhaps more importantly,
pleasure and in the context
relationships with oth-
of our professional lives. It
ers. When we delve deep
inside ourselves to consider how we can also be a source of great pain
to us, as it requires us to be vulner-
can improve in the year to come, I’d
able to truly open ourselves up to
venture to bet that most of those
the possibilities of connecting more
painful pangs of regret are about
deeply with others.
how we acted in the relationships
In her recent book, Daring
that are important to us.
Greatly, Dr. Brene Brown discovered
Think about the best memories
something odd while researching
you’ve had all year — a great meal
out with your friends, a family vaca- the subject of vulnerability. She
asked her patients for a list of the
things that made them feel the most
vulnerable. At first, they answered
in the obvious ways, citing things
like sickness, loss of a loved one,
loss of a job and divorce.
But when pushed harder, this is
what she found:
• Standing over a sleeping child
• Loving my job
• Spending time with my parents
• Going into remission
• Getting promoted
• Falling in love
This is it, everyone. This is what
matters. This sense of vulnerability
is what makes us human. It’s what
makes us real. It’s what makes us
Jewish. As we head into the New
Year, may we find new ways to be
with each other, to be there for
each other and to truly see each
other. And, in this way, may it be for
each of us a year of love and life. •
Jennifer Lader is a rabbi at Temple Israe in
West Bloomfield.
Happy Thanksgiving
H
appy Thanksgiving! Yes, you
The rabbis of the Midrash asked
read correctly. As we enter
whether sacrifices and prayer
the period of the Yamim
would be offered during the
Noraim, the Days of Awe, where
Messianic Age. Their answer is
should our focus be? Of course,
found in the Midrash known as the
this is a time for prayer
Pesikta D’Rav Kahana.
and introspection; it is
“Rabbi Pinchas, Rabbi
certainly important that
Levi and Rabbi Yochanan
we are able to spend time
cite in the name of
with family and friends. It
Rabbi Menachem: ‘In the
is also a time for thanks-
time to come, all sacri-
giving.
fices will cease except the
Giving thanks is not
Thanksgiving offering; all
often associated with
prayers will cease, except
Rabbi Robert
Rosh Hashanah or Yom
the prayer of Thanksgiving,
Kippur, but there is a very Gamer
which will never cease.’”
important connection.
(Piska 9:12)
This is an incredible statement
given the vast body of prayers we
have. Instead of choosing a prayer
such as the Shema, Aleinu, Ashrei
or the Kedushah, they chose the
prayer of Thanksgiving. We can
find a blessing of Thanksgiving, the
“Modim” blessing, as part of every
Amidah, which we recite daily in
the morning, afternoon and eve-
ning. The blessing is found as part
of every Amidah throughout the
year and helps form the core of our
prayer services.
As part of the blessing we say,
“We thank You and sing Your
praises — for our lives that are in
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66
September 14 • 2017
jn
The Wake-Up Call
M
other: “Come on, Victor, you have
to get out of bed or you’ll be late
for school.”
Victor: “Mom, do I have to? All the teachers
hate me, and all the students
hate me, too.”
Mother: “Yes, you do.”
Victor: “Give me one
good reason.”
Mother: “Because you’re
47 years old and you’re the
principal.”
How did you wake up this
morning? Who woke you
Rabbi Yisrael
up? What woke you up?
Pinson
Were you ready to wake up?
Did you want to wake up?
COMPARE THESE TWO SCENARIOS:
An inmate in a Russian gulag is rudely
awoken by the nachalnik before dawn. The
inmate will spend the day in hard labor
without proper clothing and adequate
nutrition. There is nothing for him to look
forward to, nevertheless he jumps out of bed
and gets ready as fast as he possibly can. He
is motivated by fear; if he doesn’t get up, he
will be severely punished.
A young girl living in a warm home in a
safe neighborhood is gently awoken by her
mother. It’s really early, but her mother tells
her that she must wake up. The whole family
is going to the airport to catch an early flight
to Orlando. The girl jumps out of bed and
gets ready as fast as she possibly can. She
is motivated by joy, she is going to spend a
week in Disney World with her family!
Maimonides in the Laws of Teshuva states:
Although the sounding of the shofar on Rosh
Hashanah is a Torah decree, there is an allu-
sion in it as well. It says: “Be roused, sleep-
ers, from your sleep, and slumberers, wake
from your slumber; search your deeds and
return in teshuvah …”
How does the Shofar awake you? Is it a
soft and gentle call coming from a loving
and caring source? Is it a harsh and rude
awakening coming from a punishing and
controlling source?
Is the call of the shofar a terrifying
reminder of how bad you have acted or an
encouraging and supportive reminder of
how awesome you can be? Is the shofar just
telling you what you ought to do, or is it also
cheering you on, telling you that you can do?
This Rosh Hashanah, whether you make
it to synagogue or not, seek a way to fulfill
the mitzvah of hearing the shofar. When
you do, I wish for you that you can hear a
sound of hope and encouragement coming
to you from Above. I bless you that you feel
as excited to tackle the year ahead as a little
girl that was just woken up to go on her
dream vacation. I pray that you be granted a
sweet New Year 5778. •
Yisrael Pinson is the rabbi of Chabad of Greater
Downtown Detroit.