I love being Jewish…
Of course I didn’t used to.
But now I am kind of like a little kid… learning the meaning, significance, rituals, etc of most everything Jewish.
The beauty of honoring Shabbat. Lighting candles before sundown. Learning the aleph bet, the Hebrew alphabet.
Some more of my favorite things…
1. Singing Jewish songs with others (and singing with American Sign Language too!) .
2. Being part of a community….loving and being loved.
3. Learning Chassidus.
4. Observing Jewish laws a little at a time. This last piece has been especially powerful since it means taking the awesome learnings I’ve been taught through the years and putting them into tangible actions. These actions being a part of 1000s of years of our ancestors doing these same actions.
That said, I will focus briefly on Chassidus.
The very short of it is that Chassidus looks at the inner meaning of the Torah. From what I understand, this means that the laws, rituals, etc represent the “outer meaning”. Chassidus helps us find the “inner meaning” to deepen the connection between Hashem and our souls.
All this to say…
ROSH HASHANA and what? I don’t really understand the synagogue Service. Being still fairly new to Shul attendance, I still experience a lot of it as standing up and sitting down. I wish I could be more passionate in my prayers like some of the people I see.
And… what? I’ll bring the body, and eventually I trust the mind, heart and soul will follow.
Rosh Hashana marks the Jewish New Year. Shana tova umetuka wishes all a good and sweet year. On this day we coronate Hashem as our King. The shofar is blown and can be experienced in different ways. To welcome in our King. To cry out to Hashem to hear our prayers and help us return. To wake us up from spiritual slumber and renew our passion.
… My favorite this year? A reminder of our humility and Hashem’s Greatness. A call to AWE.
AWE leaves us with few words. How can we capture this state when its very meaning is something beyond our understanding. Prior to Rosh Hashanah, Hashem is “in the field” with us. So close, so intimate, so near. A G-d that knows and cares about every little desire we have, every hair on our head, every every.
Then comes the AWE. The love, wisdom and power beyond our comprehension. Our King.
How do I take these ideas and bring them to life and meaning as I stand up and sit down, hear Hebrew words I don’t understand, and read English translations that are often hard for me to connect with?
What is the inner meaning of Rosh Hashanah?
For right now, I will look simply to AWE.
AWE means I don’t know how… it is beyond me. It is beyond me how this Great King could also know and love each hair on our heads.
Maybe this Rosh Hashanah, I will embrace…not knowing.
As a little kid in Judaism…it is apropos. And for sure I’ll enjoy the apples dipped in honey and all the sweet foods of Rosh Hashana.
L’shana tova tikativ v’tikhatem … L’shana tova tikatevi v’tikhatemi. May we all be inscribed and sealed in the book of life for a good year.
Love, Vivi 💖 ©
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Word photos created in Canva.com, Apple Photo by Igal Ness, Boy running Photo by MI PHAM