Ask Rabbi Goldstein

Countdown to 5785.  We look forward to it with joy (dipping apples in honey) and a bit of dread (so many hours in shul).   But, nobody thinks more about the Days of Awe than Rabbi Goldstein.  What is he thinking?

Why should we care about the High Holidays? They come around every year.

We should care about the High Holidays exactly because they happen every year.  Their essence is unchanging.  Even if we change a prayer or two, services look the same.  What changes is us – what we bring to them.  Our thoughts about ourselves and our relationship to our immediate and larger community is what has changed.

What makes the High Holiday services special?

This year, the High Holidays are perhaps the most important Jewish event of our lifetimes.  After nearly a year of war, we experience fear and trembling about the future. We afflict ourselves, in a good way, as we think about what we’ve done and what we could do, or will do. And, we also find joy in coming together to celebrate.  It’s those conflicting feelings of reward and punishment, life and death – those fears that we avoid all year.  The High Holidays makes us take stock of who we are and who we want to be. Both feelings are wrapped up in the High Holidays, and that’s what makes them so wonderful.

Is there anything that will be different about services this year?

Yes. The second day of Rosh HaShannah will focus on learning together.  Normally, High Holiday services have about 2 ½ hours of prayer and a half hour of speaking.  This year we’re turning the tables.  We’ll have about 90 minutes of learning and 45 minutes of prayer.   That will be different.

What should people do to prepare their hearts and heads to get the most out of the services?

Take Fran’s Musar classes!   Think whether the life you’re living is the life you want to be living.      Start taking stock of where your life is.

Do you have questions that you want answered in October’s Migdalor?  Send them to rabbi@congregationamhayam.com.