Rabbi's Sermons

Hag Sameaj and Shana Tova!

Tomorrow morning and the day after tomorrow on the second day of the New Year, we will hear the sounds of the shofar during the three divisions that are added to the Amida prayer in Musaf. The divisions are called: Malchuyot (kingdoms), Zichronot (remembrances) and Shofarot (shofars). These three parts are said one by one, and at the end of each one of them the shofar is blown. In addition to the usual blessings, each division includes verses that speak about these three themes, and at the beginning of each division are the introductory prayers:

1. Before Malchuyot, the Alenu Leshabeach prayer is said (this is where it comes from, by the way) as we pray “and we bow down and prostrate ourselves before the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He”.

2. Before reciting Zichronot, we recite the prayer “You remember the events of the world and call all creatures from the beginning”.

3. And before reading Shofarot, we pray: “You have revealed Yourself in the cloud of Your glory with Holiness to speak to them – from the heavens the voice was heard”.

In the last division of Shofarot, there is one prayer composed from different verses from the Bible, references to the shofar in Jewish tradition, starting from Mount Sinai in Exodus to the great trumpet of salvation by the prophets Isaiah and Zechariah. After that comes the prayer that says “Teka beShofar Gadol - blow the great trumpet of salvation” which ends with the Tekia Gedola or the longest sound of the Shofar, which is usually offered by those who blow the shofar to the best of their lung capacity. It is the sound of the longed-for redemption that will come in due time to all homes in Israel and to all the inhabitants of the world.

There is a beautiful poem by an unknown author that begins with the words “Hayom harat olam - Today the world gave birth". In this poem there are two central motifs: the creation of man and the creation of the law that the Creator of the world decrees for each person. Hayom harat olam is an image that is striking in its beauty because of the way it describes the creation of the world as a process of human birth. According to Jewish tradition, today begins the "pregnancy" of the entire universe. The Talmud Babel Rosh Hashanah 10a tells of the controversy between two great sages, on the question of when the world was created: “Rabbi Eliezer says: …the world was created in the month of Tishrei and Rabbi Yehoshua says: In the month of Nissan the world was created…” To resolve the conflict and as usual, give both sages reason, it is explained that in Tishrei was the “pregnancy” and after seven “epochs” or months or “days” equivalent to the “days of creation” in Nissan was the “birth” meaning in the month of Tishrei came the thought or desire for creation and seven epochs or months later in Nissan the universe as we know it today was actually created.

The second idea of ​​the poem is mentioned later, explaining that God can judge according to two criteria or two completely different perspectives: either as His children, who have to have respect for their parents, or as His slaves, who must have fear for their masters. This idea was taken from the book of Malachi 1:6 that reads: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts".

These are the two options, dimensions or approaches, which characterize the relationship between man and the creator of the world – either through love, or through fear, or both… The first option is as his beloved children, who love him and are always close to him. This approach is similar to the emotional bond that exists between a father or mother and their sons and daughters. Here the idea of ​​the image of the birth of the world is connected to this concept. This is why we call God: “Avinu shabashamayim - Our Father who are in heaven" who gives us His judgment as His sons and daughters, because we came to this world in physical form, as a result of the union of our father during a pregnancy and our natural biological mother, but in spirituality, we are born from a kind of pregnancy in a kind of "womb" in which God creates our souls, together with the body and which receives energy right at the moment of our first breath and cry, through which we receive life. The poem takes the idea from Psalms 103:13 - "As a father pities his children, so Adonai pities those who fear Him". In Hebrew it says KERACHEM “as he pities” but it can also be read as: KE-RECHEM (as in the womb) in other words: “give us the same mercy that you had when I was in the womb where you created my soul with love".

The poem also offers the second option: to judge us as slaves or servants. That is why we call God Our King or King of Kings. According to this concept, we are like slaves of great loyalty, by our own choice of course, but also out of fear and horror of the consequences of breaking God's will. It is a bond experienced only through a distancing between the king and his subjects.

The poem ends with a terrible conclusion, stating that no one will know at the end of that terrible day (Yamim Hanoraim) what judgment God will give each and every one of us: Who will live and who will die, who by fire, who on the battlefield, who by drowning, or by a bee sting, who in a car accident, who in a hurricane, tornado or an earthquake… who will be rich and who poor. When I hear the news about happy incidents, but especially about unfortunate ones, I remember with a very weird feeling on my skin this beautiful poem and I feel apprehension. It is natural to feel fear! As it appears in the last sentence of the poem: “Our eyes are on you, that you may have mercy and make our judgment come forth as light, you Ayom (terrible) and Kadosh (holy)” this statement is taken from Psalm 123:2 - “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, And as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to Adonai our God, until he has mercy on us”.

The poem ends with two words – two approaches – two alternatives: a terrible threat Ayom, and a sacred Kadosh. A threat – Ayom where God is perceived as a King who terrifies his servants, Holy – Kadosh, where God is respected by his sons and daughters. Which approach do you choose? Will you step back and imagine that “Hamelech Yoshev al Kise Rachamim… - the king sits on the throne of mercy”, and feel fear or dread over the law of his sentence, or will you choose to feel close to Our God who is ultimately very close… within all of us? – or will you pray or, more accurately, speak through a pleasant, warm and close conversation, as intimate as a son or daughter with his father or mother?

When I was young, I asked my mother, of blessed memory, about this subject and she would tell me: “My dear son, you have nothing to fear from God in your thoughts, remember: He who owes nothing fears nothing”. My message today, apart from the expected traditional wishes for a Happy New Year, for happiness and wealth, health and peace… I wish that during these prayers on this important day, you will experience our God in an intimate, personal way, imagining a conversation with your father or mother, opening a dialogue with the inner voice that arises in your hearts that will take you to infinity. I wish that you can connect in an incredible and unique way with God, through prayer, but also through a simple, personal, spontaneous dialogue, in our daily routine, in your moments of loneliness, in your moments of joy or sadness, when preparing your food in the kitchen or in front of an incredible sunset, it doesn’t matter the way or the place.

Instead of imagining a King of Kings… far away in the heavens, try if it is more comfortable for you, to place both hands on your chest and simply say… “Ába? (Dad in Hebrew), I would like to tell you something…”, may you have the best of years possible with abundant blessings, joy, health and well-being.

Shana Tova Umetuka

Rabbi David Laor

October 2^nd, 2024