This coming Monday night is Erev Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the New Year – 5769... five thousand, seven hundred and sixty-nine years since the creation of the world, according to Jewish tradition. We pray that the coming year is a year of blessing and peace for Israel and all the world.
We are now at the end of a special year in the Hebrew calendar. The past year was a "leap year" of the Hebrew calendar (a year of 13 months), symbolizing harmonious unity among different systems, a balance between the cycles of the moon and the sun and a balance among the seasons of the year.
This was also a Sh'mita (sabbatical) year in the 7-year cycle – a year when it is customary to refrain from working the land and devote oneself to more spiritual activity. From all points of view, this was a year of opportunity for a great spiritual development.
The coming New Year is also expected to be a very special one. In the Jewish tradition it is called "Hakhel"- a year in which the Jewish nation gathers together at the Temple in Jerusalem on the holiday of Sukkot, in order to hear the king read the Torah.
During a Hakhel year, we have special ability to come together (in Hebrew, L'hitkahel - to get together), to connect with our friends, family and many others in a sense of unity and love. In addition, the New Year will be one in which we read Birkat HaChama – the blessing of the sun – at the eve of Passover. There will be a special blessing and ceremony – and it is held only once every 28 years, when the sun is situated exactly where it was during the creation of the universe, on the fourth day of the creation.
Our Torah portion Nitzavim, Deuteronomy 29:9 – 30:20, always is read the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah. It begins with the words: "You are standing here, today, all of you, before the L-rd your G-d…" The Torah reminds us that as we stood together at Mt. Sinai, the Jewish people remains standing today… and we are standing together with many different people who have come to know our G-d.
This week, a terrorist attacked a group of soldiers and civilians standing at I.D.F. Square, just outside of the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. They had come to Jerusalem for special prayers at the Western Wall preceding the High Holy Days. Once again, an off-duty soldier killed the terrorist. Once again, many innocents were injured, although this time, thank G-d, only the terrorist died. We are again reminded how precarious our life is here in the Middle East, how important it is for us to be standing together before G-d, and how much we are blessed by the people who stand with us.
May you all of us, standing together, be blessed with a year of joy and miracles, blessing and peace.
L'shanah Tovah uM'tukah -
Rabbi Jeff and Stephanie
We are now at the end of a special year in the Hebrew calendar. The past year was a "leap year" of the Hebrew calendar (a year of 13 months), symbolizing harmonious unity among different systems, a balance between the cycles of the moon and the sun and a balance among the seasons of the year.
This was also a Sh'mita (sabbatical) year in the 7-year cycle – a year when it is customary to refrain from working the land and devote oneself to more spiritual activity. From all points of view, this was a year of opportunity for a great spiritual development.
The coming New Year is also expected to be a very special one. In the Jewish tradition it is called "Hakhel"- a year in which the Jewish nation gathers together at the Temple in Jerusalem on the holiday of Sukkot, in order to hear the king read the Torah.
During a Hakhel year, we have special ability to come together (in Hebrew, L'hitkahel - to get together), to connect with our friends, family and many others in a sense of unity and love. In addition, the New Year will be one in which we read Birkat HaChama – the blessing of the sun – at the eve of Passover. There will be a special blessing and ceremony – and it is held only once every 28 years, when the sun is situated exactly where it was during the creation of the universe, on the fourth day of the creation.
Our Torah portion Nitzavim, Deuteronomy 29:9 – 30:20, always is read the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah. It begins with the words: "You are standing here, today, all of you, before the L-rd your G-d…" The Torah reminds us that as we stood together at Mt. Sinai, the Jewish people remains standing today… and we are standing together with many different people who have come to know our G-d.
This week, a terrorist attacked a group of soldiers and civilians standing at I.D.F. Square, just outside of the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. They had come to Jerusalem for special prayers at the Western Wall preceding the High Holy Days. Once again, an off-duty soldier killed the terrorist. Once again, many innocents were injured, although this time, thank G-d, only the terrorist died. We are again reminded how precarious our life is here in the Middle East, how important it is for us to be standing together before G-d, and how much we are blessed by the people who stand with us.
May you all of us, standing together, be blessed with a year of joy and miracles, blessing and peace.
L'shanah Tovah uM'tukah -
Rabbi Jeff and Stephanie
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