This has been a rough year for the Jewish people. After seeing something like this, it gives us pause to wonder what will become of the human race. It makes us worry for the world we will leave for our children and their children after them.
There is a rabbinic story, a midrash which compares God to a king who has given a precious gem to a loved one. The king instructs the beloved to take care of the gem and guard it. He continues to say that if the gem gets lost, “You won’t have the ability to repay me, and I have nothing else like it, and you will have sinned against yourself and me. So do your duty by both of us, and guard it properly.”
On Rosh Hashanah, we come together to celebrate the birthday of the world. We gather to rejoice in the renewal of God’s creation of the world. It is said that God creates the world anew every day. And so, we bless God and ourselves for reaching every moment that we are privileged to witness. This Rosh Hashanah, we will enjoy the blessing of reaching a new year.
This is a time for introspection, for what the rabbis call a cheshbon hanefesh, taking an accounting of our souls and ourselves. We come together tonight to begin the Yamim noraim, the days of awe. Rosh Hashanah is not only about introspective hearts and repentant spirits. It is about gathering together with our brothers and sisters in the rest of the United States, as well as our brothers and sisters an ocean away, in our homeland. We wonder what this New Year will bring for our country and for Israel. We hope and we pray that the words of the unetaneh tokef are merely poetic, we pray that no one should die by fire, and none shall die by the sword.
Recently we read in our Torah of Moshe’s last sermon to the Israelite people. We heard Moses say the words, “Behold I call heaven and earth as witnesses: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life.” We are told over and over in our tradition to choose life. We value life above everything else. But we have seen people who value fear and death more. We have witnessed the murder of innocents murdered in the name of progress and control.
We know that there are those who do not wish peace. We know that there are those who make fear and oppression their daily work. So this year let’s offer a prayer. Let’s pray for peace. Let’s pray that God spreads a סוכת שלומך, a covering of peace over us all, over Israel and over all of the peace loving people of the world. We ask that God to help us with our work.
God, we seek your help in fulfilling the mission of our people. We promise to let the light of every one of your jewels shine. We promise that every person with whom we come in contact will shine brilliantly to the heavens.
Help us to be your partners in peace, help us to rebuild this world in your image. We ask that you bestow upon us a year of peace, and a year of happiness. Help us protect the jewels which you have loaned to us. We promise to keep them safe and protect them. Help us make this year a year of peace and happiness, justice and prosperity for all of your creations. We are your partners, we are your children, and we pledge that we shall do your work. Help us to choose life, help us to safeguard the precious jewel against the storms that will come. Be with us in peace.
And let us say: Amen.
Rabbi Ben Goldstein