Page 15 - HaMizrachi # 22 Rosh HahHana - Yom Kippur 2020 USA

MIZRACHI SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE TORAT MIZRACHI

3. Marriage and Family elements of our lives that have stood This is the message for this one-time
the test of time – Torah, Eretz Yisrael, moment, once a year. You can always
In Devarim, we receive many instruc-
tions on married life and the educa- and the sanctity of the Jewish family. repair and improve. No matter where
tion of our children – the questions ddd you have been the past year. No matter
children will ask, the answers we will what your Elul looked like. Here, in
give, and the manner in which we just another second, we will hear the
should educate them. Two Thoughts shofar, and together we will anoint
G-d.
And it is precisely here, in what we
think is our comfort zone, we are on the Shofar  Some data about the past year:
called upon to find something new. Every 60 seconds the world watches
 Before blowing the shofar, we recite more than four million videos on
Under the chupah, we say, “Behold, chapter 47 of Tehillim seven times, YouTube, sends 156 million emails,
you are now holy to me, with this ring, רֹומְז ִ מ ח ַ רֹ ֽ ק־יֵנ ְ ב ִ ל ַ חֵּֽ צַנ ְ מ ַ ל, “For the sons of asks Google 3.5 million questions and
according to the religion of Moshe and Korach, a psalm...” It is a very special sends about 20 million WhatsApp
Israel.” A hundred years ago, Rabbi moment. messages. What was once called the
Tzvi Kunstlicher, in “Be’er Tzvi,” asked Information Highway is now the Infor-
why we emphasize “according to the So why at this very moment must we mation Intifada, attacking us with
religion of Moshe and Israel.” He remember Korach’s sons? Korach constant bombardments of data. No
answered that our marital relationship started the controversy against Moshe human brain is capable of absorbing so
should be the same as our relationship and Aharon. A controversy about much information.
to the Torah given by Moshe to Israel honor, pride and personal gain, ending
– a relationship of daily renewal. That in tragedy – Korach and his whole The main mitzvah on Rosh Hashanah
is, “every day should be like new,” as congregation were swallowed up in is to hear the shofar – “Yom Teruah.”
new as the day you stood under the the ground and died. Other nations mark their new years
chupah. Here too, we would be wise with street celebrations, a loud count-
to devote time, thought and creativity But what about Korach’s sons? They down, drinking and eating – while we
to renew our most important relation- did not die. At the last minute, they gather inside to be silent and listen. As
ships within the intimate surroundings regretted their actions. To this day, the outside world becomes louder and
of home. we learn from them that one should louder, this silence for the shofar takes
never give up hope of repentance and on added meaning and significance.
ddd returning to G-d.
We are resetting the system. Stop
Our Sages defined the biggest chal- Have we prepared for this moment talking and shouting and argu-
lenge of our times in this way: we of blowing the shofar? Were we in a ing. Remain silent and listen to a
should not take our greatest gifts – mindframe of learning and teshuva voice above words, texts and videos:
Torah, the Land of Israel, our families and reflection during Elul? For many “Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King
– for granted. The prevailing culture of us, the first day of Tishrei, Rosh of the Universe, who has made us holy
broadcasts a message that loyalty to a Hashanah arrives uninvited, as if we through His commandments, and has
text (Torah), a Land (Israel), or fellow never knew it was upon us, and we commanded us to listen to the sound
members of a covenant (family) are find ourselves standing in somber of the shofar.”
values that have vanished from the silence waiting for the shofar to blast.
world. This culture sees newness as What can we do to compensate for our Stop making the noise. Listen!
external to ourselves and not some- lack of preparation? “For the sons of
thing to be sought or attained within. Korach, a psalm...”
Sivan Rahav Meir and Yedidya Meir are
On Rosh Hashanah, we are called You can always connect and fix popular Israeli media personalities and
upon to find new meaning in those things, even now. It’s never too late. World Mizrachi’s Scholars-in-Residence.

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