This tends to be a favorite time of year for me in many regards.   We get the last heat-waves of the summer, as I write this today, it’s a balmy 108 degrees in the far west San Fernando Valley.  But even as the heat beats down, August is winding down and with it summer.  Labor Day looms before us and schools have started again.  Is it just me, or do the young people go back earlier to school than ever?  Major League Baseball is down to its last 30 or so games.  Barring the strange and unusual (given its the Dodgers, both are possible), the boys in Blue, should make the playoffs in quest of a rare 3-peat.

On the other side of the coin, it is for a rabbi, a crazy time of year.  Talking to my rabbinic colleagues, looking at various rabbinical list-serves, the big topics are “what are you talking about for the High Holidays” and “are you done”?  One can see from the calendar included in this month’s Migdalor, with Rosh Hashanah, then Yom Kippur and then Sukkot, September and Tishrei are a very busy month.  Please look at the calendar and join us for welcoming in the year 5787.  I’m looking forward to being joined by Rabbi Light again this year and we need you to make services complete.  High Holiday services for me are a blend of worship, learning, sharing experiences together, mixed with a blend of awe, joy and fear.  It is alot in a short time and I look forward to sharing and observing the Days of Awe with you.  I say again, look at the calendar for both service date and time, for our wonderful communal meals and our annual Tashlik ceremony.

A teaching I have that I’ll share over and over, because it’s so important is, ‘what are the 2 hardest things to say to someone and mean”??  The answers are: I love you and I’m sorry.   Yom Kippur is not so much about making amends with G!d.  In so many ways, that’s actually easy.  The doorway to G!d is always open and he is always ready to receive us.  What is hard is making amends with those in our lives.  It is hard to turn to a loved one and say, “I’m sorry.  I transgressed, I missed the mark and I’m sorry.  Can you forgive me”?   And let’s be honest, as hard as it is to ask for forgiveness, granting it and meaning it, are just as hard.  In my thinking, this is why Yom Kippur is given to us as a blessing.  The holy-day has been granted us to give us space to ask for and to receive forgiveness.  Some of the hardest tasks in the human experience.  Unless it’s absolutely necessary, asking for forgiveness via Text or Email hit me as misguided.  It is best to do so in person or at least on the phone.  A posting on Social Media asking for forgiveness is also misguided and at best impersonal.  As we enter the season of repentance, let’s all work at finding those we need to address and make our best efforts at making amends.

My friends, Judy joins me in wishing everyone שנה טובה ומתוקה-a happy and sweet year!!

Rabbi Ron