Category — Rosh Hashanah

Dear friend I would like to wish a year that all your dreams become realities. And for those of us who have yet to dream… let the dreams begin!

May you begin to believe in yourself as much as your Father in heaven believes in you…

May you have endless reasons to smile and laugh, and no reasons for agony and pain.

May there be peace within ourselves and in the world in general …

And the most important blessing of all:

Moshiach Now!

*

With G-d so close by in honor of the New Year, I thought that I might as well use the opportunity and ask G-d a few questions and hear His point of view. Here are the highlights of the conversation.

Jew: great to see you again. As You know this world recently has being going haywire, so it’s quite a relief to feel Your presence.

G-d: You know, I am so impressed with the human race how they handle the crises with so much optimism and great faith in Me. The angels up in heaven have a lot to envy.

Jew: Sorry for the Chutzpah dear G-d, but did I hear a bit of pleasure in Your voice when you mentioned our struggles?

G-d: I must admit that although I am pained by the plight of my children; I derive deep joy and satisfaction, when a child of mine uses his or her pain as a stepping stool to growth.

Jew: Back to the subject matter. There’s a lot on the plate these days, as both Israel and the USA’s government are in transition. Plus we have the economic meltdown and a moral collapse in society. Hmm… is there an end in sight? Is this part of a Master plan with a good outcome?

G-d: Why of course! This is all part of a process that was in plan long ago. Truth to be told, this whole balagan should be of no surprise to you, for the Talmud clearly writes that in the last moments before the redemption all of these events will unfold!

Jew: Let me just clarify for the readers. Are you saying that everything going on is a sign that the redemption is near?

G-d: Yes I did. And please quote me on that.

Jew: I am sorry dear G-d for cutting this conversation short but I must run and tell everyone I know what you just told me.

G-d: So is this conversation over?

Jew: Just for a short moment, for if you say that redemption is near, that means that you fill finally reveal Yourself to us once and for all! And then we will continue this conversation for ever and ever! Right?

G-d: You have my word! I will never hang up the phone again!

And for the split second until that unlimited phone call starts I would like to wish you and all of my dear children ‘A good year! A Ksiva Vachasima tova!’.

See you soon…

A Yeshiva student was having a discussion with his rabbi.

“Someday, I too hope to become a rabbi,” said the youth. “Aside from my studies, is there any other all-important qualification I will need?”

“Yes, the stimulus of imagination,” replied the rabbi. “You will have to imagine that somebody is paying attention to what you say.”

***

Call me a greenhorn if you will, but for me this was the first time praying on the High Holidays outside the confines of the Chassidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. This year, I traveled as far out culturally as one possibly can: I returned to Florida, where prayers were held in one of the most prestigious resorts in the world, the Boca Resort.

Part of the package deal of being (or wanting to be) a writer, is that one must always keep his eyes open for good writing material. Ears are always perked and eyes may not rest, for ‘here comes some juicy story.’

So naturally, this Rosh Hashanah, I was out looking for some drama. The woman whose wails would resonate throughout the auditorium, the man who would stand up in front of the congregation and commit himself to breaking up with his non-Jewish girlfriend… the works, you know.

Granted, I did have the great merit to watch as a Jew “bought” an Aliya to the Torah for $100,000! The second runner was pretty close behind. And a Jew parting from his money is pretty dramatic, there’s no doubt about it. Yet somehow, that didn’t do it for me. I was looking for the mushy stuff.

The days passed swiftly in a tiresome marathon of praying, eating and sleeping. And now I sit before the computer screen, pondering recollections of the charged weekend. Nothing seems to stand out. Different? Yes. Unique? Of course! But nothing to warrant the eye twitches of a journalist.

My Jewish sensibilities finally take over the journalistic perspective. Hello! Hundreds of Jews, men and women who hardly ever make it to the synagogue throughout the year, individuals who almost deny their Jewish heritage, felt compelled to come and sit for hours of unfamiliar prayers just because they are Jewish. Is that not awesome?

I was expecting the sights of Moscow circa 1990 the first Rosh Hashanah after the fall of communism, or, better yet, the emotions of Yom Kippur in Bergen Belsen 1946. But that is not what brings out the quality of our people, not as much as a bunch of contented Floridians leaving the comfort of their homes, in middle of a regular Thursday, just to experience G-d.

How awesome are your children, oh G-d?

Two old men have been best friends for years, and they are now in their early 90’s. One day, one suddenly becomes deathly ill. His friend comes to visit him on his deathbed, and they’re reminiscing about their long friendship, when the dying man’s friend asks, “Listen, when you die, do me a favor. I want to know if there’s baseball in heaven.”

The dying man says, “We’ve been friends for years – this I’ll do for you.” And then he dies.

A couple days later, his surviving friend is sleeping when he hears his friend’s voice. The voice says, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that there’s baseball in heaven.”

“What’s the bad news?”

“You’re pitching on Wednesday.”

***

A few years ago a newspaper was launched in England; original and innovative, it was to be the first all-good news newspaper in the world. In it the reader would find only news of donations, births, weddings and the like.

Not to anyone’s surprise, six months later, it declared bankruptcy with a 400,000,000 dollars deficit.

With that in mind, you probably won’t like this email; it will bore you, it will annoy you. You might even stop reading this weekly thought.

Can you guess why?

This email contains good news, a positive perspective. And if statistics are etched in stone and can never lie, then I can rest assured that you will delete this email, and quickly report this sender as spam. The end of the year will mark the end of my career.

So you continued reading – obviously you are curious (what kind of news is this guy talking about?) Here goes:

First of all, if you’re depressed because you feel no one cares, and you feel worthless and empty, then here’s some good news: do you know that there’s someone thinking about you, at least once a week? Yup, that’s me, for as long as you read my email (and send feedback), please consider this email a personal thought from me to you.

On a more serious note: with all that went wrong last year – and I’m sure there was lots of that – you have to admit that there was also lots of good. Remember the smiles, laughs, hugs and tears of joy?

How many times throughout the year did you see the Divine Providence in many different ways? From a chance meeting to a good bargain, from a new relationship to the reparation of a relationship gone cold, you’ve witnessed the hand of the Almighty.

You most probably met someone who believed in you, trusted in your ability to change the world, saw through you, and saw the beautiful person which is you.

Ok, you cry, but these are nothing compared to the half-cup-empty side of life! But what if no one believes in me? What if most of life seems to be a ladder up to heaven yet the angels are all climbing down?

In that case, may I suggest you go to the library, and read the biography of Maimonides, an orphaned child who, at age eight, was kicked out of his home. When you’re finished, go to the American history section and read the story of Abraham Lincoln – the ultimate loser.

While you’re at it, think of all those Holocaust survivors who rose from the ashes and built beautiful homes, and who contributed so much to society.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of harping on the bad – devouring the evil in the news, sulking about disappointments, blaming the world for every frustration. Yet bad news is just that, for it gets one nowhere in life. So here’s the good news. And though it may not sound as appealing as the horrific headlines, it’s the one piece of information you really need to know:

The bottom line is that you are the most special and unique person alive. You can achieve what ever you wish. (I can’t promise a victory against Tiger Woods). And whatever last year looked like, next year will be a greater year of achievement and happiness.

Life is great. It promises to be greater. So as you walk into the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah, put a big smile on your face.

Then make sure to compliment the Rabbi on his tie.

Response from G-d
Only two weeks ago, we sent a letter to G-d. Well, we have finally received His response:
Dear Child,
I bring you regards from your grandparents and all of us up here in heaven.
Thank you for your letter. It is heart-warming to see that, in spite our long separation, your love runs deep; our connection is strong.
I must tell you, your letter touched upon some important issues that need to be discussed, and there is no better time than now to put them on the table.
First of all, let me assure you that I do love you very much, and your pain hurts me deeply. When that young man was taken from the world below, I mourned. I cried. But, dear son, there is a master plan of 5767 years which is about to end soon and certain things must happen in order for the goal to be reached.
Every tear, every drop of blood, every drop of perspiration that comes from doing a mitzvah is another brick in the Holy Temple . Yes, I can do it all without your help, but it would be just like a person who prides himself with a diploma that he didn’t work for – the paper is totally worthless.
The world could have been created perfect, yet I prefer imperfection. I desired a world which allows the imperfect to constantly strive toward perfection and the sinner to repent and reestablish his own connection with Me. It’s just the way I like it; perhaps someday you’ll understand.
The journey is almost over, and together, we are reaching our goal. The next step is yours: I wait for you to prepare yourself and your environment for the Messianic Age.
And because I love you so much, I will share with you a helpful hint: My greatest priority is that there should be love amongst My children. I want to see you focus on the similarities, not on the differences, loving one another for the simple reason that you are all siblings.
Yes, this may be very difficult. But I will remind you that right now, you have the opportunity to start out on the path of love and sharing, for in but a few days the holiday of Sukkot will commence. During these special days, you are commanded to sit in a sukkah. This is your chance – invite some guests, sing, and laugh and dance together.
And throughout the coming week, you will also be taking the “Four species,” symbolizing four different types of Jews, and bind them together, shaking and uniting them.
So all I’m waiting for is for you to truly internalize that message. Grab a Jew, one that, perhaps, you generally can’t find it within yourself to speak to, schlep him into your sukkah, give him food to eat, and give him a L’chaim. Pull him onto the table, put your hand on his shoulder and start dancing. And a somersault into the chicken soup would be an extra bonus…
My son, please use this chance; don’t miss it again. Believe it or not, as much as you are suffering from this long and painful Galus, so am I.

With much love,

Father in Heaven

Dear friend, let’s bring the message of harmony and unity into our hearts and minds and, most importantly, into our actions. This includes sitting in a sukkah and shaking the Lulav, as well as acts of love and friendship toward our fellow Jews. Let us have a truly joyous holiday with the coming of Moshiach, when all the Jews of all the generations will sit in one huge sukkah, munching on the Leviathan, chewing the great Shor Habor steak, and drinking a few shots of real L’chaim! Amen!

Time flies, and the year is almost behind us. It has been a year filled with many blessings – for me, these included getting to know you and all the wonderful people of Milan, as well as experiencing countless “small” miracles from day to day. We have all, thank G-d, seen many wonderful things happen this year.
And yet, we have also felt suffering, loss and destruction both in our immediate community and in the Jewish world at large. So many lives have been disrupted; the pain tugs at our souls.
And so I have composed a letter to our Father in Heaven. These are words from my heart, and I am certain that, in a way, we all share the same sentiments. So I have left some blanks to be filled out, and perhaps you will decide to send this letter too, with your signature on the bottom…

A letter to G-d
Dear Father in Heaven,
Peace and blessing upon us all.
How are You? Do You miss me already? You know, it’s been quite a while since we spoke face to face. I mean, I do speak to You more than three times daily, but I feel that there is a lot that can be done to enhance our relationship. Now, at the end of a year and at the threshold of a fresh new beginning, I want to really work it out, once and for all. There are some differences I think we need to settle.
Le me first discuss my side of the coin. I spend much of my day following Your commandments, learning Torah and doing good deeds. However, to be perfectly honest, most of it is already by rote; in fact, my practice of Judaism has become so robotic, that I can stand for the Amida prayer and, instead of focusing on the sublime experience of connection with the Divine, my mind wanders. At times, I find my imagination taking me on a tour of the world, and at other times, I’ll be dreaming about getting the latest iPod. I wonder: do they have this meshugas up there in heaven?
And yes, sometimes I do things that aggravate You terribly, and I do it knowingly. Often, physical, mundane pleasures tempt me more than the spiritual. I admit my failings.
But father, if I could be blunt, You have not been fair either; for one, look at the war we have just fought in our homeland! Dozens of Jews have been killed, their families and friends left to grieve. Then there are all those others who are still coping with the loss of their homes and the traumatic disruption of their lives. On top of all that, anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head all over the world – do You feel it up there too?
And, if that weren’t enough, during this past year, I experienced pain close to home, in my own community. You gave me bright days, and I thank You for those, but there were also many dark nights; at sometimes I saw the sun rise with the birth of new life and relationships, and unfortunately, I also witnessed the sun go down with death and illness. Just this past Friday, a newly married Young man from my community was suddenly taken from this world. Why? Hashem, how could You?
Is it possible to understand how could a father do this to his children? I know there is a reason, yet I don’t care to know it; all that counts is that it shall all end. And it’s been more than enough. They say that You cry when You see our pain, so Poppa, I think the time has come to bring Your children home. Haven’t we all cried too much?
And yes, I know this is a two-way street, and I will have work on my side of the relationship. So I promise, “Bli Neder,” to ­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________ over the next year. And You know what I need to You to do.
So that’s all, Father. It’s a give and take relationship: I do my part, and You do Your part, and that means I’ll be meeting You really soon face to face!
I can’t wait! Until then, I wish much Nachas from Your children and pray that all Your children live in peace and joy.

p.s. Recently, a new music video was produced with a song about G-d’s tears; perhaps You would like to see it. You’ve heard of the internet, haven’t You?
http://chabad.info/php/videonewp.php?lang=he&vid=262
Missing You terribly,
Signature___________________