Passover’s Message of Hope in the Aftermath of Oct. 7
4 min read
This is the best time of year to shake things up.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, literally means “head of the year.” It’s referred to as the head because the New Year is the time to attain clarity and vision about your life’s purpose and goals for the upcoming year.
The Hebrew month of Elul, which began this week, is the last month of the year. If Rosh Hashanah is the head, Elul – the end of the year – is signified by the feet. In Hebrew, a foot is regel, which shares the same Hebrew root as “habit,” moving mindlessly on auto pilot.
The mandate of the end of the Jewish year is to reconnect it to the previous Rosh Hashanah when you were burning with passion to accomplish clearly defined goals. Now is the time to shake off the dust of complacency and to infuse this last month with the vitality you had at the beginning of the year.
When you live by habit, you’re sleepwalking, going through the motions, and letting your free will muscles atrophy. The most important thing you can do to jumpstart your spiritual growth is to stop being a zombie and strengthen your free will muscles by making active choices.
That's why every morning during the month of Elul the shofar is blown. It’s your daily reminder to wake up! Break your routine, wrestle with your lethargy, go to battle with your laziness, negativity, and repeat cycles of giving up.
Reconnect to your greatest gift: your free will.
How?
Pick one clearly defined act that you can commit to for the next four weeks, something that requires a real effort (but manageable) and will lift you out of the dross of your habituated life. It may be committing to exercise for 15 minutes a day – no matter what, giving one person a sincere compliment every day, doing something that is out of your comfort zone.
Each mini victory is significant. You’ll feel empowered, confident, unstuck. It can show you that with hard work, change is possible, and give you the initial momentum you need to move further.
Interpersonal relationships are the primary training ground for spiritual growth. How you treat others is the most concrete way to excel in giving and become more like God, the Ultimate Giver.
It’s common for people to treat their coworkers and strangers better than their spouse and children. It’s easy to take for granted your most important relationships – after all, they’re always there.
Until they aren’t.
Don’t take your spouse and kids for granted. This month, put them at the top of your priority list. Spend more quality – and quantity – time, be extra considerate, affectionate, and attentive.
The plethora of streaming platforms and social media feeds generate a tsunami of distraction and, let’s face it, causes us to waste oodles of time. If you want to show up on Rosh Hashanah and plead your case for another year of life, you need to demonstrate that you value your time and are serious about using it meaningfully.
Where can you cut back on killing time?
Take on doing one additional spiritual practice that you find meaningful. It may be reading an inspiring book, taking a weekly online class about a Jewish subject, or having a family Shabbat dinner filled with good food, meaningful conversation and song. Think about something that resonates with you, and make sure it’s not too daunting.
Even if you’re not the crunchy-granola spiritual type or a Hasid in the making, consider giving this a shot. The Jewish concept of God – an Infinite, Eternal, All-Encompassing Being Who has no form – is very abstract, and it's easy to relegate this transcendent Being to the Heavens while you go about your life on earth.
Work on making God tangible, right here, right now. Open up your heart and talk to Him, share your feelings, your fears, your anger, whatever is on your mind or weighing down your heart. It doesn’t have to be in a synagogue, or with a prayer book. God is everywhere, aware, listening; just find some quiet alone time and confide in Him. And keep at it. You may be surprised to see how having those heart-to-heart chats makes you feel connected to Him.
Thank you for this article. I learned a lot about this month. I do want to say that I have begun to talk to God. Things in my life that have suddenly changed and I feel worried about but I can't change, that is when I started to ask God. I ask for His protection and I try to remember to Amen.
wholeheartedly inspirational.
The you Rabbi.
Thank you for wonderful article!
Such an awe inspiring article! Short and sweet and to the point. Makes it seems so doable, and makes me want to jump right in. Great advice which I will be taking, so I am already moving forward. Thank you.
Thank you for the article and let me share. My life had been a long time return to my G-d. Having much experience with representatives of other nations and religions, I finally found my place: writing books for the people of my nation. I felt great. I had a kind of guidance from rabbi who works with Israelis of Soviet Union descent like me, did some free translations for his site and made money contributions. I've been also involved in projects in my city. Suddenly I found out my rabbi took one of my ideas and wrote a book, a special in its kind, talking about G-d's work in history of my nation. I felt shoked and weak. I didn't want to quarrel. I just stopped paying and asked to read his book. And he disappeared. I want basic quidance, want to feel strong. Want to feel myself.And it's hard
If s.o takes on your idea and writes on it, I would consider it a great compliment.Wish I had been as fortunate as you when sharing my ideas lately....Yes there is intellectual honesty and DO acknowledge if you can. But also allow for loss of memory things beyond individual ego.What matters in the end is getting a good idea accross as wisely a. smothely as possible. Names should not stand in the way.. Making for ONESELF a name reminds me of Babel. As a student I thought like you & like my profs, But no more Good ideas are like a loan or a patent .If I can't 'invest' quickly let s.o.one else do it,If need be without my name.Names should cease to matter at the latest once our "boat" has capsized over the fight in whose name it should sail......
Thank you Rabbi! i love the last suggestion the best. For some reason, i have sat outside watching the birds and drinking coffee. such peace but today and yesterday i recited the Modah Ani prayer (a little late, but i am not a morning person!). I also prayed for sick friends and asked for peace in the world. i thank Hashem for all he gives us and suspect he sends angels to help us all move forward, if we ask for help.
Thank you Rabbi,
for another piece of inspirational wisdom. I will get to work creating a plan for the entire month.
This was a great article, very inspiring. Many of these things I've already started to do this week as I've been moved to spiritually prepare myself for Rosh Hashanah. Thank you!
Yes Rabbi. Adam Grant, the Professor from Wharton, talks about Languishing. Here you are saying that not only do you see what has and is happening to people every day with waking and scrolling. On phone or iPad Reading thé News headlines feeling that there is so much division and a focus not on what brings joy and happiness. God gives us choices. It’s up to us to be smart enough and see what God puts in front of us and choose it. Thanks for your support in seeing the sun rearing its head behind the clouds and the rainbow after a light rain.