The High Holidays and the Three Weeks

Just last week I saw an big sign outside a synagogue advertising High Holy Day tickets to services. I was shocked. Here we are in the beginning of July and they are advertising early bird tickets. I could not believe it.

But the message planted itself into my brain and started bouncing around. It's true, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are only two months away.

One of the main ideas associated with the High Holidays is one of teshuva, return. We are attempting to return to G-d and doing the mitzvot. The time of year we try to make amends. Many people spend the week prior to the Holidays running around to their family, friends and acquaintances apologizing for the way they may have been mistreated over the past year.

I think that this is a nice idea, but there's a better time of year to begin this mea culpa ritual. I believe that the time is now.

There is a period of time during the Jewish calendar year called the "Three Weeks". This is a period in our history that includes terrible things that have happened over the last 4000 years. It's a period of mourning. It begins on the 17th of Tammuz (this year June 29) and ends on Tisha B'Av (this year July 20).

While there is more to the 17th of Tammuz than I am including here - I am going to focus on the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life. On the 17th of Tammuz the enemy broke through the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. The Second Temple (and the First) was then destroyed on Tisha B'Av, the Jewish national day of mourning.

The Talmud teaches us that the reason that G-d allowed for the Second Temple to be destroyed was because baseless hatred had become prevalent within the Jewish People - known in Hebrew as sinat chinam (free hatred).

While it is difficult to imagine the High Holidays coming up, it may be a good time to think about that concept of teshuva. During the Holidays we are focused on our relationship with G-d, not on our relationship with others. In fact, G-d can not and does not forgive us for what we have done to our fellow man, rather G-d expects us to work on these relationships and right the wrongs which may have occurred.

Since this is the case, it is really up to us to do teshuva in the interpersonal relationships of our lives. During this period of the Three Weeks where we remember the loss of the Holy Temple due to our own loss of love and baseless hatred for our fellow Jew - this - is the time where we need to take the time and call our friends, family and acquaintances to ask for their forgiveness for any errors in judgement on our part. This is the time to outwardly show baseless love for all Jews. Don't wait for the High Holy Days to roll around, jump on the early opportunity today.

Shavuot - A Romantic Holiday

We are quickly approaching the holiday of Shavuot - the holiday where we received the Torah from G-d at Mount Sinai.

Unfortunately while Jews know of the receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, many do not realize that there is a holiday to commemorate the occasion. The beginning of Jewish history - the creation of the Jewish People, is unknown as a whole.

Rabbi Berel Wein relates a story,

I remember that as a lawyer in Chicago over thirty-five years ago I attempted to obtain a new date for a trial in which I was representing my client and the Jewish judge, a scion of a great Eastern European rabbinic family, asked me the reason for my request. I told him that the original trial date was to fall on the holiday of Shavuot and as such I would not be able to attend court that day. He sneered at me: "Counselor, there is no such Jewish holiday!"

How can this be?

One possibility is that Shavuot generally falls out in mid-May or early June. Most (if not all) Sunday morning Hebrew schools have finished their school year by mid-May, never teaching about this important holiday.

Another possibility is that there aren't any exciting laws connected to Shavuot. There are plenty of customs, but compared to the preparation and excitement of Passover or the noise-making and costumes of Purim -- Shavuot lags behind.

Shavuot is a forgotten and neglected holiday.

I find this sad because I find this a most romantic holiday.

On Shavuot we read the Book of Ruth. Most know the story - Naomi has been widowed outside the land of Israel (her husband had brought her across the Jordan) and wants to return home. She has two daughter-in-laws (her sons have also died), Orpah and Ruth. She asks them to return to their people. Orpah leaves Naomi. Ruth on the other hand does the unexpected. Famously she pleads with Naomi,

Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people are my people, and your G-d is my G-d; where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. (Book of Ruth 1:16-17)

This act tugs at our hearts. Ruth wants to be with Naomi - even until death. This is love.

Shavuot is the holiday where HaShem chose us to be His People. We had chosen G-d many years before with the devotion of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel... and now G-d took us out from the midst of another nation - to make us His very own. This is love.

The Talmud describes Shavuot, the day marking the giving of the Torah, as the wedding day between the Almighty and the Jewish people. The nation standing at the foot of Mount Sinai represents the couple standing under the canopy, while God's giving the Torah to the nation represents the groom placing the ring on his bride's finger.

Ani L'Dodi v'Dodi Li - I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine. (Song of Songs 6:3)

This is Shavuot. The holiday where we each say - we want to be with You. We do not want to be left behind, as Ruth reminds us.

Our Father in Heaven loves us. The blessings before the Shema speak of His love for the Jewish People.

Lord our G-d, You have loved us with everlasting love... For You are G-d who performs acts of deliverance, and You have chosen us from among all nations and tongues, and have, in love, brought us near... Blessed are You Lord, who chooses His people Israel with love.

In a relationship we are always looking for ways to be closer to the other person. The word 'love' in Hebrew is 'ahava'. The root of 'ahava' is 'hav', which means - to give. The way to create love is by creating a connection. We create this connection by giving. This could be by giving physical things - gifts, or giving of your spiritual self - your time, your attention and fulfilling the others wants and needs.

Make your will like His will so that He may make your will as His will. (Ethics of the Fathers 2:4)

This is Shavuot. A holiday of love. We chose HaShem many years ago. It's time to choose our Beloved again.

Elul is Coming, Elul is Coming...

This week brings us to Rosh Chodesh Elul (Thursday and Friday), the beginning of the Jewish month of Elul. The next question should be:

WHO CARES?
Excellent question.

The month of Elul is followed by the month of Tishrei. The first day of Tishrei is Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year and the tenth day of Elul is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. We'll discuss both those holidays... but not right now.

So the big deal about Elul is that it precedes Tishrei and the major holidays within it. So again, why should we care?

Let's go with an analogy.
You have a big court case next month. You will be appearing before a judge and there's a chance you will win your case and a few million dollar judgement. You want to be prepared. It's not like your homework from elementary school - your teacher will excuse your forgetfulness. Preparedness is the key.

Being prepared is what Elul is all about. In order to be prepared we need to evaluate ourselves.

Let's start with these three questions:
* Who are we? As a family member? A friend? A community member?
* What did I accomplish this past year? Materially and Spiritually?
* What do I want to accomplish this coming year? Materially and Spiritually?

There's a lot to think about. Just those three questions should make us all stop and think for more than a moment. These are not simple questions that should be thought as we're getting dressed for synagogue on Rosh HaShanah.

Elul is an interesting time. Elul in Hebrew is spelled Alef-Lamed-Vav-Lamed. These letters can also spell out the words Ani Ledodi V'dodi Li. I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me (Song of Songs 6:3). The Song of Songs is a love poem written by King Solomon describing the relationship between G-d and the Jewish People.

Elul is this time where we are trying to bring ourselves closer to G-d. How do we bring ourselves closer to G-d? We can do this by improving ourselves and by letting G-d into our everyday lives.

The entire purpose of living is to become the best Jewish person we can be. G-d created each and every one of us. And as I heard once, "G-d doesn't make junk!" which means that we have a responsibility to work on ourselves and become who G-d believes we can be.

Elul is the time for all of this preparation. Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, is when we come to G-d and say - this is what I've got - this is my plan for the coming year.

The first day of Elul is this Friday (beginning Thursday night). Let's take this opportunity to get closer to G-d - by evaluating who we are now and who we want to become.