Welcome back from summer. It is good "to see" you all again after so many weeks. As we approach the High Holiday period, I wanted to focus on the climactic line of the unetaneh tokef prayer. Michael (MichaelStrassfeld.com) mjstrassfeld@gmail.com
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A word of Torah:
Central to the High Holiday liturgy is the unetaneh tokef prayer, which sets out the themes of life and death through a series of questions: Who shall live and who will shall die? The climax of the prayer asserts that repentance, prayer, and charity can avert the severity of the decree/ u-teshuvah, u-tefillah, u-tzedakah ma’avirin et roa ha-gezerah. Traditionally this is understood to mean that if you repent during the High Holidays, the decree of your death can be reversed. A more liberal theological interpretation understands that death comes to us all and is not a punishment for the errors of our life. Death cannot actually be averted, but we can lessen the difficulty of the decree by living a life infused with the values of striving to change (teshuvah), engaging in spirituality (tefillah), and acts of lovingkindness (tzedakah). In other words, by living a life of purpose. How? There are six words in this sentence. By linking each of the first three words with one of the last three words we can gain an insight into this process.
The first word–change/teshuvah–is linked with the fourth word–averts/ma’avirin. The root of that word means to “pass by” or, as a noun, “the past.” Teshuvah begins when we examine the past and acknowledge that we have been hurtful to others. Without that acknowledgement of wrongdoing no process of change can even begin. However, ma’avirin has a deeper meaning. It is a recognition that everything passes. This moment has just passed and will not come again. As unetaneh tokef starkly reminds us, we are all mortal. Everything in this world–people, animals, plants and even the inanimate–will in time be no more.
This notion can give us a perspective on our deeds. Many things that once seemed critical can fade in significance with the passing of time. The hurtful word, the embarrassing situation, the job or relationship that didn’t work out may be seen not as the end of the world, but as merely disappointments. The unwise comment may not be how you should define your essential being, but simply a moment that you regret.
The challenge is to be in this moment, not to remain stuck in the past. The gift of this moment is realizing the potential to respond with openness to the challenges and opportunities of the present. Moses, faced for a second time with a challenge to provide water for the people of Israel, goes on automatic and hits the rock just as he did previously. However, what was necessary this time was to speak to the rock. He missed the opportunity to understand fully the moment he was in and respond to the needs it now required.
“This too shall pass” doesn’t free us from responsibility to repair past wrongs. It does give us a perspective to see the wrongs in the context of our whole life story, which is filled with moments of caring as well as moments of carelessness. Rosh ha-Shanah and the shofar call us to face the challenge of being ready to enter the New Year and to begin anew.
Next week the next two words: Tefillah/spiritualityand roa/severity
Intention/kavana for the week Those things we were focusing on were simply the lineaments of the present moment, its most fundamental and accessible elements. Now we allow every breath to carry us deeper and deeper into the moment itself. Breathing in, we enter the present moment. Breathing out, we settle into it, we enjoy it, we feel it.
Rabbi Alan Lew
Song: Gam zeh yavor
This too shall pass
I learned this little ditty many years ago from Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z'l
I remember there were stanzas but don't remember the words.
