 |
|
|
Jewish World Review Sept. 27, 2000 / 27 Elul, 5760
http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
THE FAMOUS QUESTION is asked: Why doesn't Yom Kippur -- the Day of
Atonement, come before Rosh Hashana -- the Day of Judgement?
Shouldn't we first be forgiven and then judged? And what's the
difference between these two holidays, anyway?
The difference is that Rosh Hashana deals with general goals and
commitments, while Yom Kippur deals with specifics -- i.e.
meticulously examining every one of our actions. Rosh Hashana is
determining what it's all about. Yom Kippur is taking the values that
were expressed on Rosh Hashana and measuring our behavior
against them.
Rosh Hashana must come first, because if you focus on details
without first focusing on the big picture, your commitment to change
will be petty. Only when you have a clear sense of direction can you
view your actions realistically. Change only comes if there's a real
"new you," and that new you is born on Rosh Hashana, the day
humanity was born.
To properly utilize both holidays, you must take care not to confuse
them. Don't think of the preparation for Rosh Hashana as "reviewing
your actions and committing to being better." That's missing the point,
and the liturgy of Rosh Hashana has very little mention of it. Similarly,
on Yom Kippur you can't get away with doing Teshuva in general
terms. Just like Rosh Hashana is only effective if you concentrate on a
general framework, Yom Kippur won't do the job unless you focus on
the details.
FEAR OF JUDGMENT
The way to do this is to ask the question: "What am I living for?" It's not
necessarily difficult to answer, but the hard part is you have to mean it.
Are you really interested in changing -- or is this just lip service?
NOT A TYRANT
At the beginning of "Path of the Just," Luzzatto's classic work of
Jewish ethics, he writes: "What is man's responsibility in life? To take
pleasure in G-d."
Getting this clear is the singular message of Rosh Hashana. The one
true aspiration of every human being is to get close to G-d. Remember
that we're not forced into it. G-d isn't a tyrant. He rules as a popular
King and we want it. (Though of course He cannot be deposed!)
FEAR OF HEAVEN
What is this fear of Heaven? Look to all the diverse aspects of your life
-- your personality, environment, knowledge and experiences. Even
though every situation contains a different struggle, both in degree and
kind, that's only superficially. In actuality, deep inside there's one point,
one sensation that's all the same. This is what we call "fear of
Heaven." It's the one point that -- regardless of where your particular
struggles lie -- determines whether you're fighting or not.
The Sages say: "Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear
of Heaven." How do you work on fear of Heaven and acquire more of
it? This is what Rosh Hashana is all about -- determining what it is
you're living for and driving it home again and again and again.
Energizing yourself and giving yourself more and more desire to fight
and win, becoming more confident that you will win, building on the
small victories. It's the basic commitment to fight and win, with no
thought of surrender, whether the issue is part of your nature, or
something beat into you by your environment and society.
If you've got the energy, you can take on anyone and anything. On
Rosh Hashana you develop the energy by making G-d your King. It's a
commitment to fight. It's joining the army, but with a difference: it's all
one-to-one combat, for each of us has our own battles. That's the one
point you have to work on during Rosh Hashana. Then you must apply
it to the particular issues you identify with in preparation for Yom
Kippur.
YOUR VERSE
Yet we pray as a community because we have to go beyond our own
struggles. Although we have our individual battles, ultimately the battle
is for fear of Heaven -- and we all share it. In terms of determining the
fate of the Jewish nation, that one point is what will make the
difference. Even though your friend isn't with you when you face your
own issues, and the weapons and strategies you use will be different
than his, we must recognize that we're all fighting a similar basic
issue. The battle is to determine if we're soldiers or deserters.
If you understand it in these terms, you'll be there while others are
fighting their battles. Are you part of the Jewish people or not?
This Rosh Hashana, let us make the commitment. Together we can
Micros & Macros
By Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz
We spend the month of Elul preparing for Rosh Hashana. But when
the big day arrives, it's not uncommon for people to behave in a way
that's completely detached from all the preparations. This is because
there's a natural fear when we imagine "G-d and judgment." Yet the
Sages tell us explicitly that you're not allowed to confess on Rosh
Hashana. Don't get scared and think of transgression, even though it's
the Day of Judgement. Keep the confidence that what you need for a
successful Rosh Hashana is a basic commitment to the right values.
On Rosh Hashana we speak about making G-d our King. This means
giving the Almighty a vote of confidence that life is beautiful even if it
involves struggle. That's because the reality of G-d is that He will often
bring us struggle in order that we should grow.
The Sages teach that there is one true measure of man: How much
"fear of Heaven" he has. This is the measuring-rod of a person's
connection to reality.
This time of year includes a great deal of formalized prayer. Even if
one particular prayer doesn't have meaning for you, you're still required
to say it. Of course, concerning the depth of feeling, everyone is an
individual. Some prayers speak to you and others don't. The Sages
say that when Rabbi "X" read verse "Y," he cried. Him and no one else.
We each have a verse that deals with an issue that is vitally important
to us.
Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz is a contributor to Aish.com.
Comment by clicking here.
