Spirit and Story
Welcome to Spirit and Story, where you can find the latest thoughts and reflections by CLAL faculty and associates on the contours of our contemporary spiritual journeys.
To access the CLAL Spirit and Story Archive, click here.
A Parable For Rosh Hashanah
By Rabbi Daniel S. Brenner
Rabbi Levi
Yitzchak of Berditchev was asked: What is the right spiritual path, that of sorrow or that
of joy? He replied:
There are
two kinds of sorrow and two kinds of joy. When
a man broods over the misfortunes that have come upon him, that is a bad kind of sorrow. But the grief that comes when a man knows what he
has lost is honest and good. The same is true
of joy. One who chases empty pleasures is a
fool. But one who is truly joyful is like a
man who is rebuilding his house after a fire. He
feels his need deep in his soul, and with each stone that is laid, his heart rejoices.
On
September 11, we will mark the yahrzeit of thousands of Americans who perished in
senseless acts of terror. Each month of this
coming year, yahrzeit candles will be lit in the homes of hundreds of Israeli
families who lost loved ones to the bombs and bullets of terrorists.
But while
this past year was a time of sorrow, it was not a time of despair. Americans came together in public ways to affirm
our commitment to freedom and our resolute strength in the face of those who threaten our
security. National unity and civic pride
moved to the forefront, with a display of patriotism not seen in many years.
During the
last two years, Jewish unity was its strongest since the Yom Kippur War. Rabbis and other
Jewish leaders put aside long-standing divisions to respond to the crisis at hand. Thousands of Jews came together to support Israel
and provide for the basic needs of our extended family.
We’ll
need to retain this sense of unity, both as Jews and as Americans, to meet some of the
tough challenges that lie ahead. In Israel,
there are serious concerns about military strategy, fences, settlements, leadership, human
rights, democracy, religious diversity, economics and the environment. In America, we face many questions about trust in
government, civil liberties, security, and shifting political alliances. With such a diversity of opinion on all of these
issues, there is both potential for undermining the profound unity that we have forged and
the potential to form creative ways of imagining the future.
If,
according to the parable, true joy is like rebuilding after a fire, then it is in the
process of rebuilding that we will find this New Year’s blessing. In America, we are envisioning physically what
rebuilding the site of the attack in downtown Manhattan will look like. In Israel, many are working to provide medical
care for the sick and injured, and security to enable children to go safely to and from
their schools. While much has been broken, and the work is far from complete, in fixing
the world our faith in the future is restored.
With acts
of rebuilding in mind, my colleagues and I at CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning
and Leadership developed a simple ritual for your festival meal. This Rosh Hashanah before you dip your apples in
honey, take a moment to ask a friend or family member: How have you dealt with the sorrows
of the past year? What steps have you taken
to enjoy life a little more? As you enjoy
your apples and honey, ask: What are your hopes for both America and Israel in the coming
year? What is one act to which you can commit
yourself that will help achieve those hopes?
As the parable wisely teaches us, “With each stone laid, our heart rejoices.” The questions we ask, and the discussions we have around the holiday table, can begin to create a strong foundation for the year to come. May the New Year bring you and your family blessings, peace and good fortune.
To read additional articles by Daniel Brenner, click here.
