This is something I have been working on all week and it was based off of material that I had learned this week at the Yeshiva. I also sent this to all the members of the International USY ListServ. I put this one up with slight modifications to make it more general and not USY oriented. I hope you enjoy it and get something out of it. Shanah Tova!!!
We are nearing the end of the month of Elul and the year of 5769 is drawing to a close. We are preparing for the welcoming of the year of 5770.
We have been blowing the Shofar for the past three and a half weeks now. This blowing of the Shofar reminds us of the climb to the top of the mountain that Moshe did after the repentance he made on behalf of the Jewish people because of the Egel haZahav, The Golden Calf.
This past Saturday night we began the ancient practice of Selichot/Repentance. The essence of the Selichot service is the recitation of the 13 Attributes of God/Mercy. Just like Moshe asked forgiveness to God after the Golden Calf, so do we ask forgiveness to God by reciting the 13 Attributes of God.
As we approach the New Year I urge you all to look back on this year and think. What have you done for others in the past year? What have you done for yourself in the past year? Think about the year to come. What can you do for others in this year to come? What can you do for yourself in the year to come?
There is a Midrash that I recently learned while studying at the Conservative Yeshiva while on Nativ. It comes from Peskita d’Rav Kahana, which is a collection Aggadic Midrashim that deal with the calendar year. This Midrash says:
R’ Abba bar Yedan said: What God regards as unfit for sacrifice is an animal, He holds fit in a human being. In an animal,” Anything blind, or injured, or maimed, or with a wen, boil-scar or scurvy- such you shall not offer to the Lord; you shall put any of them on the altar as offerings by fire to the Lord”(Levticus 22:22); but in a human being He holds “True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart”(Psalms51:19) to be fit for an offering to him.R’ Alexandri said: If an ordinary person makes use of a broken vessel, it is taken as a reflection upon him. But the Holy One is unconcerned about His use of broken vessels- indeed His entire use is broken vessels: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; those crushed in spirit He delivers” (Psalms 34:19). “He heals their broken hearts, and binds up their wounds” (Psalms 147:3)” “True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart” (Psalms 51:19)” Hence, admonishing Israel, Hoesa says to them, “ Return, O Israel(Hosea 14:2)”
-Peskita d’Rav Kahana 24:5
This Midrash comes to teach us several lessons, the first of which comes from the book of Vayikra. It says in Vayikra that the only way to purify a vessel that becomes impure is to break it into many pieces and it will begin the process of purification. God uses the term broken vessels in the context of this Midrash to describe people. There are two types of people; one who is whole and one who is broken. God is more favorable to people who are like broken vessels, meaning they are open to making themselves better people and people who appreciate the fact that they are not perfect in anyway. People who are like whole vessels are not going to want to change because they see nothing wrong with themselves. So this Midrash elaborates on the fact that people should always be open for changing for the better and become one step closer to a whole vessel.
The famous saying from Pirkei Avot, “ lo alecha hamlacha ligmor, lo alecha ligmor. V’lo atah ben horin lhebttel memenah” - “It is not for you to complete the work, but neither are you free to abstain from doing it” - reminds us that it is essential that though we will never be perfect, it is not an excuse to refrain from trying to reach our potential.
It is your job as to pick up where you left of in the last year and continue on the right path for the year to come. This year will be so great because of the path we will choose as – this is a new beginning and it can be as great as each person helps to make it!!!
I just want to wish a Shana Tova uMetukah, A Sweet and Healthy New Year, to you and your families, as well as a Chatima u’Ketivah Sameach. May you be written and sealed in the Book of Life in the year to come. May this year bring you nothing but much Bracha (blessings) and Hatzlacha (success). I hope you have a great one!!!
שנה טובה ומתוקה
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