Volume 2 Issue 16

ROSH HASHANAH – RETURN FROM SABBATICAL
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Praised are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.
Praised are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.
Praised are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree.
May it be Your will, O Lord our God, and God of our fathers, to renew unto us a happy and pleasant year.
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The Jewish New Year provides each family member with the opportunity to take stock of his or her relationships with others and, when necessary, to make amends. It is the time to begin the year among those for whom we care, coming together with family and close friends to greet one another, to share a walk, a visit, or a meal.
Rosh Hashanah, the New Year festival, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which follows ten days later, comprise what we call the High Holy Days. Although many of us think of them as two distinct holidays, the New Year festival and the Day of Atonement form the beginning and the end of a ten-day period of penitence. The beginning is a subdued New Year’s celebration (a Day of Remembrance where we look backward at the past year as well as forward to the new one), and the end is a Day of Penitence and of complete fasting.
--Arlene Rossen Cardozo, “Jewish Family Celebrations”, 1982, St. Martin’s Press, New York
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‘Rosh Hashanah,’ literally “head of the year,” is New Year’s Day. Ten days later is ‘Yom Kippur,’ the “Day of Atonement.” In English, they are usually called the High Holy Days. But that misses the point. (Aside from which, today, “getting high” has come to have a very different – and nonspiritual – meaning.)
A much better way to refer to these two holy days, as well as the interval between them, is the Hebrew phrase ‘yamin noraim,’ “Days of Awe.” The words capture the mood, the meaning, and the purpose of this first ten-day period of the year. These are days of awe because they are…well, really awesome. They fill us with anxiety, trepidation, humility, and soul-searching. It’s always the first steps we take on any journey that set our course. How we start the year, we realize, is the key to everything else that follows. That’s why we are “awed” by the potential – and the responsibility – of the first two Jewish holidays.
--Rabbi Benjamin Blech, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Judaism”, 1999, Macmillan Publishing, New York
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I went on sabbatical July 20, not knowing that sixty-nine days later I would return in time for the observance of the “Days of Awe.” On the threshold of 5763 seems a most appropriate place to reenter this shared theological quest called “Growing in Christ.” It seems reasonable that Jesus of Nazareth regarded this as a significant period of each year of his life, and is therefore important to the development of our own christological worldview.
My time of reflection and meditation was personally rewarding, and it is my prayer that its benefit will extend to this cyber-ministry. I thank those of you who offered your support and encouragement during the sabbatical, and I will appreciate it if you will spread the word, so to speak, that GiC is “back in operation.” As always, your thoughts and opinions regarding how this ministry can be improved and made more meaningful are welcome.
There is no sermon corresponding with this newsletter. I have come to understand that quality of content is preferable to punctuality, and so it is time to take advantage of the fact that I can invite your attention “twenty-four-seven” instead of just at 11 AM on Sundays. When I feel that I have composed something that is worthy of your reading, I will post it. The vanity of desiring “feedback” was one of my discoveries during this time of introspection, and I am going to try hard to transcend it. Nonetheless, I will always enjoy “hearing” from you when so moved.
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Until next week…….Shalom!