While questioning the number of holidays in the month of Tishrei, he noticed that there is beauty in having the holidays so close together. That each holiday represents a season of our lives and that together, they force us to examine the course of our lives in just a few short weeks.
We read the Book of Ecclesiastes at this time of year. It was Kohelet who said that there is a time and purpose for every season. We know these words so well; they’re the basis of a popular song by Pete Seeger and one of the most frequently quoted passages in the Bible. In a few minutes, we’ll begin Yizkor with the words of Kohelet.
For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast stones away and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend and a time to sew;
A time to keep silent and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war and a time of peace.
If there is a time and season for all things, then Yamim Noraim is a season for experiencing life in all of its fullness.
The Season of our life begins with Rosh Hashanah. We say: Hayom harat olam, “today is the birthday of the world.” The Yamim Noraim begin with birth, creation and hope. The New Year brings great promise and many possibilities. We speak of renewal and change during this season because this holiday reminds us of the constant possibility of return and repentance.
Rosh Hashanah is a day when we prepare to begin again. We think about our past and plan for the future. We consider the present.
Rosh Hashanah is followed by Yom Kippur. For most children this is the holiday that epitomizes the beginning of adulthood. They know that they will be expected to fast on Yom Kippur when they reach the age of maturity. But on a deeper level they also understand that with adulthood there are consequences as well as new responsibilities.
As we grow older, Yom Kippur remind us of our mortality. This is the day on which we encounter death. We stop eating and drinking for 24 hours and engaging in the normal activities of life. We wonder whether or not we will be worthy of another year of life. Will we be given a chance to try again? Will God wipe our slate clean?
On Yom Kippur, we think about our past and we consider the goals of our life. We are reminded that having an end of life gives life an imperative. If we were to live forever, we could drift aimlessly, knowing that there is always tomorrow. On Yom Kippur, we are reminded that tomorow is not guaranteed. We recognize the fragility of our lives and question if we are doing right for ourselves and the world. As such, we plan for the future, knowing we have not been perfect, but knowing that we have the opportunity to make ourselves who we wish to be.
Yom Kippur gives way to the exuberance of Sukkot. Having entered adulthood and encountered our mortality, what do we do? We build a Sukkah. Even though this dwelling is temporary and fragile (like our lives) we rejoice in the presence of God. We give thanks for life’s everyday blessings. Sukkot is all about the journey. Like our ancestors who journeyed through the wilderness for forty years on their way to the Promised Land, we now are ready to embark on our own life journey. We do so fully aware that life is fragile, uncertain, and unpredictable. Still there are small pleasures to be found in the common place and the everyday. Unlike Passover and Shavuot, Sukkot is not about ‘great miracles’ and ‘wondrous events’ but the everyday pleasures and the joy of simply making the journey. Forty years represent the years between maturity and old age.
We consider the present
And then Shemini Atzeret arrives. This holiday reminds us that winter is coming and that the rain is about to begin. This holiday is a reminder of old age. Maybe that’s why some people read Ecclesiastes on this particular day. We have made the journey from birth and childhood, to maturity and adulthood, and now into old age. Like Kohelet we find ourselves asking: Is that all there is? What is life all about? What does a person gain through all the toil in which he engages? Life passes in the blink of an eye and we find ourselves spending more time visiting the doctors than engaging in life’s pleasures. Is it any wonder that we recite Yizkor on this particular day?
But Shemini Atzeret is not meant to be a somber or a hopeless day. Even in old age there is reason to rejoice! We celebrate it with intimacy: the sages compared this day to the final celebration in which the king asks his best friend to stay on after all the other guests have left. It’s the day on which we make peace with ourselves and stop striving to conquer the world.
Shemini Atzeret gives way to Simchat Torah, the day on which we mark the completion of the Torah and its beginning. We read about the death and burial of Moses but we also chant, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth...” Life is more than just a beginning and an end; there is a constant cycle of renewal and rebirth. With each loss comes a new life. There is something comforting in knowing that others will pick up where we have left off; that the cycle of life will continue even if we’re not here to participate in it.
Sometimes it’s hard to see this cycle. We are so caught up in the present that we do not see ourselves as part of something larger and more enduring. The death of a loved one leaves us lonely and hurt. Every loss seems like an injustice. Who said that life came with guarantees? That is really Kohelet’s message: there are seasons for all things in life, whether we like it or not. Some are pleasant and some are not so pleasant. Old age and illness are as much a part of life as birth and love. To have faith is to recognize that God is as present in one set of experiences as He is in the other. By celebrating the entire cycle of life in just three weeks we remind ourselves that there is more to life than the present moment; that we never journey alone.
In other news, delivered my sister to Har Nof yesterday. That was following a driving trip to idigital outside Tel Aviv, in Ramat Alon. I rented a car from Jerusalem, drove across the country and managed to drive safely among many people who do not choose to drive in such a way. It seems that speed limits, traffic lights, traffic regulations, and signs are all optional in this country. In short, made it across the country safely, navigated a traffic jam on the 1 and the craziness of Jerusalem AND returned the car before the close of business.
Har Nof is an attractive suburb of Jerusalem. According to wikipedia:
"The overwhelming majority of the residents of Har Nof are Orthodox Jewish or Haredi. Many are recent olim. The neighborhood has a large community of English-speaking olim, including a small group of Bostoner Hasidim, as well as notable French-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities. There are also communities of both Ger and Vizhnitz Hasidim, as well many Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews. The former Sefardic chief rabbi and leader of the Shas party, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, lives in Har Nof. Spiritual leaders of the Ashkenazi Haredi community who reside in Har Nof are the Bostoner Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, Rabbi Moishe Sternbuch of the Edah HaChareidis, and Rabbi Yitzchak Mordechai Rubin of Kehillas Bnei Torah" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Har_Nof
I am amused to find out the Bostoner Hasidim are there, since they were the ones that did the kashrut at Brandeis (in my understanding). I also love that there is a group of Hasidim called the Bostoner Hasidim. I know they are in Boston and I know that the other group is in Har Nof.
It was fascinating to drive around the neighborhood and see Meah Sharim has expanded.
Speaking of Meah Sharim, I went there today and got some books for school.
I think I will probably edit this again later. I've been trying to get photos on facebook and shutterfly but neither have been really cooperating. Israeli internet is not like TimeWarner--which really isn't saying much.
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