Holidays
What are the Jewish holidays for?
What are the Jewish holidays for?
What are they trying to tell us?
There is G-d the creator,
And there is creation,
And we are part of it.
Partners in creating our world.
We are accountable for our actions.
Our words matter.
Our deeds count.
Each moment we are co-creating our reality and the realities of those around us.
“Time to wake up and crown G-d,” says Rosh Hashanah
“Time to gather and give thanks to all that we harvest,” reminds us Sukkot.
“Time to bring the light,” declares Hanukkah.
“Time to plant a seed,” invites Tu Bishvat.
“Time to speak up,” says Purim.
“Time to know freedom,” announces Pesach.
“Time to receive the Torah,” proclaims Shavuot.
The holidays guide us to become active participants in shaping our lives.
Orit Tabachnik
Practical Wisdom from the Jewish Tradition for a Fresh Beginning
Our Souls cannot be broken that they should need repair,
nor deficient that they should need anything added.
Our souls need only to be uncovered and allowed to shine.
-Rebbe Menachem Schneerson
The High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are designed to help us uncover our soul and allow it to shine. If our day-to-day experiences wear us out, the new year is the time to lift the burden so we can start fresh and anew.
The Hebrew month of Elul is a special time prior to the High Holy Days that is set aside for us to wake up and move closer to fulfilling the purpose of our lives. To try to understand the reason we came into this physical world in the first place.
Zorayda and I invite you to choose one custom from the list below and practice it this month.
High Holy Days Customs
For the purpose of uncovering our souls and starting the new year fresh, the Rabbis designed some customs/practices. Each practice is an important component in a powerful process of transformation.
Teshuva - reflecting on our past year's behavior, and trying to understand what is holding us back from being the best version of ourselves. Teshuva also instructs us to ask for forgiveness from other people, ourselves, and G-d.
Teffila - calls for praying for Divine assistance. It is a great reminder that there is a greater Universal wisdom and energy from which we can draw when we are feeling tired, spent, or confused about how to proceed in life. Ask for help, guidance, and blessings, and listen to the answers in moments of quiet and solitude.
Tzedakah - making amends - usually it means giving money to people in need. However, money is not the only means of Tzedakah. Giving your time and attention, or sharing your talents, gifts, and expertise are all valid and needed aspects of Tzedakah.
Hearing the Shofar - "Hearing the high-pitched blasts of the shofar is also one of the holiday customs. It is an urgent sound that seems to say, wake up! Think! What did you do last year? What will you do this year? The shofar also expresses feelings that cannot be put into words: feelings of wanting to change and being excited by the chance to do so, but also of being afraid of changing. Like a baby’s cry that proclaims new life, the shofar may be the cry of the new self that is born on Rosh Hashanah.” (The Family Treasury Of The Jewish Holiday by Malka Druker, Illustrated by Nancy Patz)
There are several YouTube examples of shofar blowing for you to listen to.
Send Greeting Cards - Starting before Rosh Hashanah and all the way through Yom Kippur, the custom is to send greeting cards to family members and friends to recognize them and thank them for the roles they play in our lives.