Sunday, June 28, 2015

Coming to the Holy Days

In the beginning, G-d created. . . teshuva (repentance or return).  Ancient sources speak of teshuva preceding the world’s creation. Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer goes so far to state that teshuva was part of the blueprint for the world.  In other words, the world could not exist without it.
Rashi adds that justice and mercy are two sides of the same coin.  Remove one of them and you no longer have a whole coin.  The universe requires both. This is such a critical idea is because this is the season of “letting go.”  Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are workbenches for us; they are opportunities to reshape our lives.  
How do we do this? 
1.    Confession.  Come to G-d with a mind full of breaches of faith, failures of action, and harsh criticisms of others.  Know them. State them.  Bring them the Sanctuary of G-d.
If, when preparing to daven, you own and acknowledge personal flaws by specifically naming them (speaking them aloud to G-d) there can be personal forgiveness.  This is part of the liturgy “(For the sin we have committed by….”) except we are supposed to pronounce  our personal warts, not other’s.

2.    Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua became ill. Rav Pappa went up to inquire about him, and saw that Rav Huna was on the brink of death. Rav Pappa told people around him, “Supply him with provisions for his journey (i.e. prepare burial shrouds).”  Ultimately, however, Rav Huna recovered.
“What did you see?” they asked Rav Huna.  He said, “I was about to die, but at the last moment, the Holy One, Blessed is He, said to the Heavenly Tribunal, ‘Since he does not stand on his principle, we cannot be strict against him.’ As it is stated, He pardons transgression and overlooks sin. Whose transgression does He pardon? One who overlooks sins committed against himself.” –Talmud
Forgive others. Let go of past hurts.  As the story indicates holding past grudges affects us, not them.

L’Shana Tova Tikateyvu, May you be inscribed for a good year.

Rivke and Rabbi Jonathan Case

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