Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Rosh Hashana 5780 - "Shofar: A sound of Eternity"

In the summer of 2016, I went to Israel on a rabbinic Mission (with AIPAC). But the trip was not a typical Israel trip where you visit all the ancient holy sites. Instead, we spent much of our time learning about Israeli innovation and technology. We learned from IDF generals all about the newest military technology of Iron Dome and David Sling. We met with CEO’s of startup companies and high tech and learned about amazing Israeli inventions including about tiny chips that were in cell phones all across the world. We learned from Directors of Hospitals about Israeli medical technology that was used all around the world to improve quality of life for individuals with disabilities. It was truly amazing and inspiring to think about what our tiny little country is innovating for itself and for the whole world. 

But I started getting worried towards the end of the trip that I wouldn’t have a chance to go the Kotel. So I woke up very early to daven vatikin (pray at sunrise) at the kotel (which that day was about 5:40!). At about 5 am, I leave my beautiful modern sleek hotel. I pass Jerusalem’s shiny new light rail system (started 2011). And with a week of learning about Israeli innovation in my mind, I cross through Jaffa Gate (year 1538) and things get old really fast. I am sure many of you have walked this route many times, so please join me in your mind. I pass by Migdal Dovid (parts of which go back 2800 years!). I then make a right and walk toward the Armenian Quarter. I make a left onto the cobblestones of St James street (hundreds of years old), enter into the Jewish Quarter. I pass the Hurva Synagogue (300 years old), the Cardo (1900 years old), take the steps down and arrive at the Kotel (just a few hundred feet from where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac about 3800 ago). I then put on my tefilin which had words that are 3300 years old. I start to daven. There is a cacophony of sounds. There are ashkenazi and sephardi and chassidic minyanim. Jews from Yemen, South Africa, US, Mexico, Europe and of course Israel are all praying. Each group praying their own way and almost competing to be louder! There are even a number of secular soldiers chatting away as they protect us. The noise level is incredible for 5:30 in the morning! And then at exactly 5:40 all of the minyanim start the Amidah. And there is complete silence. It was in that moment that I had one of those life transforming experiences. In that silence, I not only felt the קבוץ גליות (ingathering of exiles) as I was praying with jews from all over the world. I also felt a קבוץ הזמן (ingathering of time). As I was experiencing the oldest of the old just kilometers from the newest of the new. The Oldest of the Old together with the Newest of the New. Past Present and Future all folding into that one moment of silence. 

This is why I think so many of us feel so alive when we visit Israel. It is because we are experiencing a melting together of Past, Present and Future when we are there. 

In the summer of 1967, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel visited Israel just months after the 6 Day War. Heschel tells us that when he arrived at the Kotel for the first time, he understood that the Bible was still Alive. That its chapters were still being written! And then he said a phrase which I want you to remember. He said that “Jerusalem is our Past meeting our Present to encounter our Future.” Let me say that again! “Jerusalem is our Past meeting our Present to encounter our Future.”

It is no coincidence that in 1902, when Theodor Herzl wrote his novel about a future Jewish State, he called it Altneuland (The Old New Land). He understood that the Jewish State’s success would come from bringing the Old and New together. 20 years later, when the book was translated to Hebrew it was called “Tel Aviv” (the city is named after the book, not the other way around!). ‘Tel’ is an archaeological mound which preserves layer of ancient history. ‘Aviv’ means spring or renewal. So ‘Tel Aviv’ is a poetic way of saying Old-New. (Thank you Rabbi Zach Truboff for this connection). It is a place where Past meets Present to Encounter our Future. 

But this is true not only about Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel. Everytime we “do Judaism”, we are bringing together the oldest of the old and the newest of the old. We take a Mitzvah which is thousands of years old, we enable the very old mitzvah to meet our present, to help us encounter our future, to create a better future for ourselves, family and community. 

The shofar is also about the Past meeting the Present to encounter our Future. The shofar begins with the Past. The first shofar in the Torah was blasted at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given and we became a people. But we can rewind a few hundred years to the shofar of the Ram caught in the thicket during sacrifice of Isaac. But we can even go back hundreds of years earlier to the beginning of creation of Adam and Eve. Before they were created G-d was not King for G-d had no subjects (אין מלך בלא עם). So with the birth of Adam and Eve, G-d becomes King and according to one Tradition, the shofar was sounded to coronate G-d! So this is the Shofar of the past! It goes all the way back to the beginning of history. 

But this is not enough. The shofar must meet the Present. The Rambam tells us that the shofar is to wake us from our slumber. To remember the scale. We should see ourselves as in the balance - half guilty and half innocent. Whatever action we do right now (the past or future doesnt matter) makes all the difference and determines our fate. It cannot be more about the Now and the present. This reminds me of a great story with the Kotzker Rebbe (thank you Rabbi Shai Held!). One day, the Kotzker rebbe’s students ask him, “what is the definition of good jew.” The Kotzker says “that is easy. Anyone who wants to be a good jew, is a good jew.” The students don't like the answer! They say, “according to that definition, everyone is a good jew as everyone ‘wants’ to be a good jew.” The Kotzer responds, “No. You are only a good jew if you want to be a good jew. Not if you think you already are a good jew!”

The Kotzer is saying that it is about right now. What are you trying to do right now to be a good jew. We cannot rely on what we have done in the past. The shofar is certainly all about the past meeting the present.  

But it is not just about the Past meeting the Present. The shofar is the Past meeting the Present to encounter the Future. 

In the Musaf davening we ask G-d to blow the shofar of our redemption (תקע בשופר גדול לחרותינו). The prophet Isaiah tells us that “on that day, the great shofar will be sounded” and the ingathering of Exiles will take place. This is the shofar of the Future. Rabbi Yitz Greenberg teaches us that “Judaism, more than being a religion of Faith is a religion of Hope.” Of hope with a better future for our family, community, the Jewish People and all of Humanity. So when we blow the shofar, we allow our Past to meet our Present to help us encounter our Future. 

I have been reading this amazing book (If All the Seas Were Ink: A Memoir by Ilana Kurshan). The book records 7.5 years of her life as lived through studying the Daf Yomi (daily page of Talmud Study). In intimate detail, Kurshan talks about her struggles and joys (divorce, relationships, eating disorder, emotional turmoil, marriage, birth of twins) through the prism of the daily daf. The book is an example of what powerful torah study is. She took the Past (ancient texts) allowed it to meet her Present to enable her to encounter her future. On January 4, we will be starting a new cycle of Daf Yomi. Our shul has about 15 people who are finishing the entire cycle. I hope many of you will consider starting with us for this coming cycle. It will transform your life. 

We are going to hear the shofar in just a few moments. I would like to encourage everyone here to pick one mitzvah for this year that you want to make your special mitzvah for the year. It could be an aspect of Kashrut, Shabbat, Family Purity, Brachot, Birkhat Hamazon, the bedtime shema, Tefillin or any mitzvah you choose. (Just don’t pick something like sukkah because as soon as sukkot is over, you are done with your mitzvah for the year!). Now apply the past, present, future model. Study the ancient laws, understand their meaning. Now let the Past meet your present as you incorporate it into your life in order to create a better future for you and your family. You pick the mitzvah but please commit to one before you leave today. 


I would like to conclude with a story. Many of you know Elise Berliner. She comes to shul every shabbat but she also comes every morning to study daf yomi. Back in February, Elise finished the entire Talmud (Bavli)!

At the siyum, she spoke beautifully about how studying Talmud has enhanced and strengthened her love and appreciation of Torah and Mitzvot. During the 7 1/2 year process, Elise only missed three days (the days when her mother died, when one son had a bar mitzvah and when the other son graduated). In preparation for the Siyum, Elise went back and studied those three pages. Elise recounted with great emotion how when she went back to look at the daf from the day of her mother’s death (a loss for which she was still in so much pain), she was shocked to see that the Daf talked directly to the topic of comforting the mourners. The Daf on the other two days also directly spoke to those joyous experiences of Bar Mitzvah and Graduation. Elise was using her Talmud study to have her Past meet her Present to help shape a better and richer judaism for her future. Where was Elise this morning on the day after the siyum? Back in her seat, starting the cycle again!

I bless all of us on this Rosh Hashana with a year of Good Health and Happiness. A year in which or deepest prayers are answered and a year in which we allow our Past to meet our Present to encounter our Future! Shana Tova!

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