Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Rosh HaShannah: Some Personal Observations

The High Holiday season is a hard time for rabbis. Understandably, it is the busiest time of the year: after a lazy, quiet summer you have to hit the ground running! As the holidays approach it is time to make Rosh HaShannah “happen” for everyone else. Sermons, logistics, planning, honors, participation, and more must all be done so that services flow smoothly. All the “behind the scenes” work has to be completed so that all is ready when the crowds begin to gather. You can’t say “come back later.” It is a time during which the rabbi gets “one chance” to touch people, to get the message across, to set the stage for the year ahead, and to create a spiritual framework for the season.
Through all of this the role of the rabbi is to make sure that everyone gets to reconnect with the traditions of Judaism. This is all well and good. It is, after all, the reason that I and others become rabbis . Although it is a big task I always feel that it is a great privilege to stand before a congregation and have the opportunity to speak about our traditions. It is an honor to lead others in prayer and one by which I am always humbled.
With all of these tasks to do at Rosh HaShannah it is often hard for me to make a spiritual time for myself. I liken it to cooking for a crowd but the cook never gets to eats! Allow me to share some of my personal thoughts about the holidays that keep me going (and, yes, sneaking a snack for myself.)
I believe that to live as a Jew you must live with passion- passion for our traditions, passion for life, and passion for the beliefs that make you who you are. That’s a very big order—the daily grind of life often steals our passions. Our daily struggles rob our energy, our time, and our passions. The High Holidays serve as a time to step back from the daily grind to rediscover and recharge those passions! It is often impossible to live in the world of the spirit—the holidays are like a mini vacation for the soul. That fact alone makes Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur the very best time to reconnect to your Jewish heritage and to yourself.
Although I might have the chance to speak to a thousand people over the course of the holidays I can only do that if I take the time to speak to myself first. I can only remind others about those things that I remember myself.

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