ROSH HASHANAH 5777
EVERY SINGLE THREAD

September 28, 2016
26 Elul 5776

You stand this day, kulchem (all; of you) before the Lord your God … to enter into the covenant … which the Lord your God is concluding with you this day (Deuteronomy 29: 9).

This opening verse in this week's Torah portion sets the scene for Moses final words to the people he has led for forty very eventful years. Kulchem, all of you, are standing before me. Each of you is important in forming the power of your collectivity.

Standing shoulder to shoulder is a sign of unity. It reflects the joint effort to undertake and fulfill a mission. The Sinai revelation unfolded with the community standing side by side to hear the Divine word. Then as one it affirmed its agreement to enter into the eternal covenant with God.

The source of Kulchem, of collective power, however, is the individual. Each of us, you, every single one of us is essential if we are to fashion a significant community, with a powerfully resonant voice.

Two millennia ago our Rabbinic forbearers beautifully articulated the power of the individual. They pictured God placing humanity on a balance scale to determine whether the collective was virtuous or sinful, consequences of Divine wrath. The Rabbis contended that each individual should perceive his or her deed, at any given moment as having potential consequences for all humanity.

Kulchem, all of you – all of us, stand before God as a collective whose fate may well be in the hands of any one individual performing any one act.

Winston Churchill reflected this rabbinic teaching, in his celebration of the power of the "one."  "Democracy," he said, "comes down to, the little man, walking into a little booth, with a little pencil, making a little cross on a little bit of paper. No amount of rhetoric or voluminous discussion can possibly overwhelm the impression of that point."

During the current presidential campaign we are deluged with poll after poll that professes to gauge the chances of each candidate and to project the ultimate winner. At times the polls are amazingly accurate, but it is only one poll that determines the outcome – the one on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of November. The final result is determined as kulchem, the electorate, flows to polling booths. We vote as an entity, but the outcome is the result of the process so beautifully described by Churchill.

Milton Steinberg reflected on the significance of each individual life in a beautiful metaphor.  He compared humanity as a grand tapestry being woven by God with each of our lives as a thread, that varies in length, brilliance, color. Yet the perfection of this Divine tapestry requires the inclusion and the placement of each thread.

This Monday and Tuesday Jews the world over, as kulchem, will gather to pray for a good year. The Synagogues will be filled with many worshippers, but each congregation  is comprised of individuals much like you, your neighbor, your fellow Jew Each of us will rise as one as the shofar is sounded, and we will accompany its familiar notes with our own petitions for the realization of our dreams of this moment in our lives. May this indeed come to; pass for each of us, for our families, for our community, for Ahm Yisrael and for all humanity.

From the holy city of Jerusalem Rae joins me in wishing each of you a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach and a Shana Tovah u 'Metukah, a good and very sweet year of good tidings and of good health.

Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman


KI TAVO 5776
TO BE WORTHY OF A DIVINE GIFT

September 21, 2016
19 Elul 5776

This Saturday night we take another step in our preparation for the High Holidays with the tradition of gathering in the Synagogue to recite Selichot, (lit prayers of forgiveness}. The central theme of this particular liturgy is the recital of the thirteen traits of God as described in the Book of Exodus.

The context for this text is God's response to Moses 'request that he be able to see the face of the Divine. Moses, who was privileged to speak directly to the Holy One, wanted more. He was curious about God's physical attributes, and longed to fix his gaze upon Him. This request was denied, but God, as a compromise, would place His hand over Moses' eyes, when He passed by, and then Moses would have a glimpse of God's back.

Then passing before Moses, He called out, "The Lord. The Lord! a God compassionate  and gracious, slow to anger, abounding  in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity transgression and sin. (Exodus 34:  6) This text is the Selichot liturgy's oft repeated refrain that is recited standing and in unison.

There are ample texts that affirm God as holding sinners to account. This declaration to Moses, however, at the moment when He had the most intimate connection with humanity is instructive and challenging. God proclaims His patience with a sinning humanity even as He proclaims a willingness to be compassionate and forgiving.

Thus as we come before God, overburdened by our sins, we remind Him over and again of His willingness to forgive our iniquities and failures. This assurance is a gift and a blessing. We are relieved that we will not be judged harshly, but rather be given the benefit of the doubt.

The Rabbis, however, had their own take on this generous Divine promise. As keen judges of human nature, they insisted that God's forgiveness is dependent on our willingness to respond to others as we hope He will relate to us. Our tradition has interpreted the ongoing recital of these traits as a challenge to each of us to be generous to – and forgiving of – all with whom we have issues. To be worthy of Divine graciousness, we must demonstrate our graciousness to others. It we wish to be worthy of God's forgiveness of our sins, we must first open our hearts to those with whom we are angry because of their behavior toward us.

The challenge of Selichot is in responding to this clear contention of our rabbinic forebearers.  Will we succeed in finding the emotional strength and the spiritual energy: to open our hearts and extend our arms to come closer to, one another? It's seldom easy to let go of our anger toward those who have harmed us, frustrated us, and disappointed us. Yet if we desire God to be open to us, then we must prove to Him that we are prepared to emulate His willingness to embrace us despite our far too  numerous moral shortcomings.

Thus the Talmud defines Imatatio Dei (emulating God) in its teaching that just as He is gracious and forgiving, so must we be in our relationships with others. To be sure it's a very big step and a difficult challenge to turn toward the other and demonstrate that we strive to be compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, willing to extend kindness by forgiving perceived or real transgressions toward us. This, and n no less than this, is the awesome task before us on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

From the holy city of Jerusalem, Rae joins me in wishing you a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach– a Shabbat of peace and blessing.

Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman