Parsha: Re’eh (2024)
This week, we will enter the Jewish month of Elul, a time of introspection and self-refinement. Every weekday morning, starting Wednesday we will blow the shofar, reminding us that Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner.
Although this blowing of the Shofar is not an actual “Mitzvah,” it is still an important custom. It is a powerful and moving experience to get into the spirit of the High holiday season. I encourage you to come and join us at Shule during the week to hear the Shofar in the morning services during this month.
It is not too early to start thinking about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The High Holiday prayer service is rich and nuanced, but often, we can miss the beautiful and meaningful messages in the prayers, in the tunes, and in the sounds of the Shofar.
So now is the time, take a Rosh Hashanah Machzor, read through some of it, contemplate its meaning, and you’ll feel like you are right in it, when the days of Awe arrive. More than ever, this year is a time to connect to our heritage. The Jewish people have been through a difficult and challenging time this past year. As a nation we can heal and build through connection and community.
Throughout the Holiday season there are many different ways to connect, and celebrate, our heritage.
We are also finishing up a Jewish leap year. There is an important lesson to learn from the reason and meaning behind this unique type of calendar set up.
The lunar year is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar year, so an extra month was added every few years to compensate for this difference. This allows the Chagim to also coincide with the seasons of the solar year.
It was this year that cleared up some past discrepancies so we can move forward.
One of the lessons we can derive from this practice is that G-d always gives us the opportunity to catch up, and to complete whatever was left undone, even if we are behind or at fault and didn’t use our time wisely. It teaches us that we can fix the past and even fix mistakes from a distant past.
Indeed, the leap year is there to fix a discrepancy that started a few years back. We can clean the guilt that may have accumulated from even years ago, and be given the chance to begin a brand new year with fresh energy.
Shabbat Shalom!
Although this blowing of the Shofar is not an actual “Mitzvah,” it is still an important custom. It is a powerful and moving experience to get into the spirit of the High holiday season. I encourage you to come and join us at Shule during the week to hear the Shofar in the morning services during this month.
It is not too early to start thinking about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The High Holiday prayer service is rich and nuanced, but often, we can miss the beautiful and meaningful messages in the prayers, in the tunes, and in the sounds of the Shofar.
So now is the time, take a Rosh Hashanah Machzor, read through some of it, contemplate its meaning, and you’ll feel like you are right in it, when the days of Awe arrive. More than ever, this year is a time to connect to our heritage. The Jewish people have been through a difficult and challenging time this past year. As a nation we can heal and build through connection and community.
Throughout the Holiday season there are many different ways to connect, and celebrate, our heritage.
We are also finishing up a Jewish leap year. There is an important lesson to learn from the reason and meaning behind this unique type of calendar set up.
The lunar year is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar year, so an extra month was added every few years to compensate for this difference. This allows the Chagim to also coincide with the seasons of the solar year.
It was this year that cleared up some past discrepancies so we can move forward.
One of the lessons we can derive from this practice is that G-d always gives us the opportunity to catch up, and to complete whatever was left undone, even if we are behind or at fault and didn’t use our time wisely. It teaches us that we can fix the past and even fix mistakes from a distant past.
Indeed, the leap year is there to fix a discrepancy that started a few years back. We can clean the guilt that may have accumulated from even years ago, and be given the chance to begin a brand new year with fresh energy.
Shabbat Shalom!