by Rabbi E. Tauger
Tishrei
A Month of Essential Reality
We all know that there are certain types of experience that are superficial, sometimes pleasant, but lacking meaning and depth. Just as we can peel away the layers of an onion; so, too, we can shed layer after layer of shallowness in our lives. So many elements of what we do at work or for recreation and many of the different ways we present ourselves can be cast off when we get serious about who we are and what we are really looking for in life.
But we are not only superficial. At the core of each of our individual selves and of the world at large lies poignant truth.
Tishrei is a time that such truths surface. It is a season when we "Seek out G-d, when He is to be found; call to Him when He is near." It is a month of awe and rejoicing that uses several different motifs to bring us in touch with our true selves, making us aware of the G-dly spark and intent in every person and situation.
Rosh HaShanah
Accepting G-d as King
The month begins with Rosh HaShanah, the day of judgment when "as a shepherd steering his flock, guiding his sheep under his staff; so, too, [G-d] guides and takes account of the soul of every living being." Rosh HaShanah is not only the anniversary of the world's creation; it is the day on which, each year, the creation is renewed. Man must call forth G-d's desire to create anew. How is this done? By full-heartedly accepting His Kingship, submitting our will to His. This is the message conveyed by the sounding of the shofar. As our Rabbis emphasize, the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah recalls the trumpet blasts sounded to herald a king.
Why is our absolute bond with G-d established through the acceptance of His Kingship? The answer lies in realizing that deep down, the very core of our being is our divine soul, an "actual part of G-d from above." Therefore, it is not free self-expression, "being ourselves," that manifests who we really are. Rather it is in the acceptance of G-d's sovereignty that our inner G-dly potential finds expression. By getting to the core of our relationship with G-d, we give voice to the core of our own being, that quintessential element that is most truly ourselves.
The Ten Days of Teshuvah
Rosh HaShanah begins the Ten Days of Teshuvah, a period when our inner spiritual experience grows from day to day. Often teshuvah will be translated as "repentance," but the literal translation of the term is "return." When a person calls for repentance, his message implies that we must take note of our past shortcomings and firmly resolve to change in the future. The worse we feel about our deficiencies, the stronger we feel the need to reorient and correct our behavior in the future.
The concept of teshuvah as "return," by contrast, operates from a different vantage point, emphasizing the fundamental spiritual potential of every person. Within each of us resides a Divine soul, a spark of G-d. This infinite G-dly potential represents the core of our souls, our genuine "I". From this perspective, sin and evil are superficial elements that can never affect our fundamental nature. Teshuvah means rediscovering our true selves, establishing contact with this G-dly inner potential and making it the dominant influence in our lives. The concept of teshuvah as repentance puts the emphasis on the externals, the faults in our conduct and personalities, the flecks that must be cleaned before beginning again. Teshuvah as return however, heightens our sensitivities to who we really are, making us conscious of the infinite positive potential within our souls
Yom Kippur
At One With G-d
This process of attuning our spiritual consciousness comes to a head on Yom Kippur. For all of us, our day-to-day routine clouds our awareness of our G-dly potential. We know that G-d is one, i.e., not only that there is one G-d, but that His oneness pervades all existence and so whatever we are doing, whether it be eating, conversing with a friend, or carrying out our business routine we are involved with G-dliness. Unfortunately, however, for most of us, this is intellectual theory, not actual perception. When it comes down to actual life, all of these different activities distract us and we have trouble maintaining an awareness of spiritual truth. Yom Kippur changes that. On Yom Kippur, each one of us recreates the High Priest's entry into the Holy of Hollies. At that time, the High Priest came into direct contact with the Divine Presence; he was alone with G-d. No human or spiritual being was permitted to intrude upon his connection with Him. This same degree of connection can be achieved by each of us on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, we do not eat, drink, or work. Our entire attention is turned to prayer. In particular, this applies during the concluding Neilah service. Neilah means "locking". At this time, every individual Jew is locked in, alone with G-d. All the superficialities are stripped away; it's just ourselves and G-d.
Sukkos
The Season of Our Rejoicing
Needless to say, the experience of drawing close to G-d spurs happiness, real and genuine happiness, not the superficial two-for-a-dime thrills contemporary society sometimes offers us. This happiness is expressed in the Simchas Beis HaShoevah celebrations of Sukkos. Our Sages state that "he who has not witnessed the celebration of Simchas Beis HaShoevah has never seen happiness in his life." During this unique celebration, the Sages "would dance...with lighted torches, singing songs and praises, and the Levites would play harps and lyres, cymbals and trumpets, and countless other musical instruments."
Similarly, in the present era, throughout the world, Simchas Beis HaShoevah celebrations are held, where through unrestrained dancing and happiness we manifest the joy engendered by our closeness to G-d.
Simchas Torah
When Our Hearts Let Loose
The celebrations of Sukkos tap the inner resources of happiness within our heart. The celebrations of Simchas Torah reveal the heart itself. For this reason, all Jews, learned and unsophisticated alike, share equally in the Simchas Torah celebrations. This outpouring of joy taps a point in the soul which, by nature of its infinity, defies the entire concept of rank and gradation. At this level of soul, no difference exists between one Jew and another. The basic commonalty that links us to each other makes us join hands and dance together, oblivious to the personal differences that might otherwise create barriers.
The celebrations of Simchas Torah are not, however, other-worldly spiritual experiences. Quite the contrary, this absolute bond of togetherness is revealed within ordinary material activities, in the midst of eating, drinking, and dancing. In this manner, our joyous awareness of how "Israel, the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one," lays the groundwork for our divine service throughout the entire year.
For Tishrei and its holidays are not intended to be an island in time, isolated, spiritual highs. Instead, the intent is that they reorient our perspective and revitalize the manner in which we approach the year to come. These powerful, inner experiences enable us to extend our spiritual awareness into all areas of our lives, empowering us to relate to other people and situations with the depth and purpose that stems from our fundamental core.
A Foretaste of the Ultimate Spirituality
Such experience both anticipates and precipitates Mashiach's coming. Our acceptance of G-d's Kingship on Rosh HaShanah has-tens the ultimate expression of His Kingship that will take place in the Era of Redemption, when "G-d will be King of the entire world; and on that day, He will be One and His Name will be One." Experiencing what it means to be alone with G-d on Yom Kippur foreshadows the era when Mashiach will reveal this unique connection in every aspect of being. And the happiness of Sukkos leads to the ultimate celebrations of the Era of the Redemption. At that time the sacrificial service will be renewed, and with joyful hearts we will again bring the water offerings in the Beis HaMikdash. By recreating these spiritual experiences in microcosm at present,we pave the way for their expression in macrocosm, with the coming of Mashiach.
Telling Tales
In the first year after perestroika became a reality, a Shliach was leading the prayers in the main synagogue of Kiev for Kol Nidrei, the evening service which begins Yom Kippur. Announcements had been posted all over the city, and Jews were inspired. Old men who remembered accompanying their parents to shul as children, young families who wanted a taste of their heritage after more than a half-century of Soviet suppression, and teenagers who barely knew they were Jewish flocked to the synagogue by the thousands. The cantor chanted the opening Kol Nidrei prayer. This moving melody stirred every heart, but as the service proceeded, my friend sensed a growing disappointment in the worshippers. After all, most had never been in a synagogue before; none of them knew that they were to pray together with the cantor. Despite the best intentions, Hebrew-Russian prayer books, and ongoing explanations in Russian, the people were becoming bored. Were these the prayers for which they had yearned so long? So in the middle of the service, he told this classic Chassidic story:
Yom Kippur is the day on which the world is judged, and on which each individual's fate for the coming year is sealed. Centuries ago, on this holy day, the Baal Shem Tov was praying with his students in a small Polish village. With his spiritual vision, the Baal Shem Tov had detected that harsh heavenly judgments had been decreed against the Jewish people, so he and his students were crying out to G-d, imploring Him to rescind these harsh decrees and grant the Jews a year of blessing. "Their deep feeling took hold of all the villagers, and everyone rent his heart in prayer. "One of these villagers was a simple shepherd boy. He did not know how to read; he could barely say the letters of the alef-beis, the Hebrew alphabet. He could not read the words of the prayer book, or even mimic the responses of the other congregants. Yet he felt moved to pray with the others, so he opened the prayer book and began to recite the letters alef, beis, gimmel, reading the entire alphabet. He then called out to G-d: "This is all I can do. G-d, You know how the prayers should be pronounced. Please arrange the letters in the proper way. This simple, heartfelt plea resounded powerfully within the Heavenly court. G-d rescinded all the harsh decrees and granted the Jews blessing and good fortune." My friend paused for a moment to let the story impact his listeners. Suddenly, a voice called out: "Alef," and thousands of voices thundered back "Alef!" The voice continued: "Beis!" and the thousands responded "Beis!" They continued to pronounce every letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and then filed out of the synagogue. They had recited their prayers.
Torah readings of the month
Parshas Haazinu
It is an accepted tradition that Parshas Haazinu contains intimations with regard to everything that will happen to the Jewish people as a whole and to every individual until the end of time. This unique Torah portion is always read in Tishrei, the month of judgment, for it is beneficial in revealing the positive destiny of our nation on both the individual and collective sphere.
Parshas Zos HaBerachoh
Rashi explains that the final phrase of the Torah, l'einei kol Yis-rael, "before the eyes of the entire Jewish people," refers to the breaking of the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Our Sages attach great importance to conclusions, explaining that they summarize the content of all the preceding concepts. Why then does the conclusion of the entire Torah mention a subject which seemingly reflects the disgrace of the Jewish people, for the tablets were broken because of the nation's sin in worshipping the Golden Calf. Why did Moses break the Tab-lets? To protect the Jewish people from G-d's wrath. Our sages tell us that by breaking the tablets, he minimized their guilt for the sin. Herein, there is an important lesson. When the future of the Jewish people was at stake, Moses was willing to break the tablets without hesitation. Because there is nothing - not even the Torah - which G-d cherishes more than a Jew.
Parshas Bereishis
The Torah begins with the narrative of creation, how G-d brought the
world into being from absolute nothingness. This is an awesome lesson.
Whenever an entity is brought into being although it did not exist before,
a question is immediately raised: Why was it made? Even a mortal acts
with purpose, doing things with a goal in mind. Surely, this applies with
regard to G-d. He brought our world into existence, because He had a goal
and a purpose. What was that purpose? On the verse, "And the spirit of
G-d was hovering over the waters," our Sages comment: "This refers to
the spirit of Mashiach." And in other sources, they state: "The world
was created solely for Mashiach." To explain: Our Sages tell us G-d created
the world because He wanted a dwelling, a home. A person lets loose and
functions without inhibitions in his own home. So too, G-d wanted a place
where He could reveal Himself without constraints, where who He is can
come into expression. That's why He created our world.