Page 29 - HaMizrachi # 22 Rosh HahHana - Yom Kippur 2020 USA

YAMIM NORA’IM READING

Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi

Achot Ketana
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This year, the sisters were our shofar,
our Unetaneh Tokef. They were the
answer to so many of the sick – the
prayer, the charity, they were the
“who” who nursed the “who by
pandemic.”

In their stifling white suits, they were
our replacement, they were our atone-
ment, they were our substitutes.
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What for us were statistics were real
people for them. When the conflagra-
tion was burning outside, they roamed
any media channels asked who prematurely. She will become the the wards, like angels of peace.
me to offer my perspective achot ketana, the little sister, of the
Mon this past year: social rifts, one who comes after her. She is exactly It seems to me, that as the shifts
change between the past year and
demonstrations, economic uncer- a year older than her replacement,
tainty, education crisis... in short, what who does not yet know what awaits the new one, we should pray for our
is going to be? her. angelic and weary sisters. And pray for
the world that the curses cease, and
After some thought, I chose to talk The paytan movingly chooses to that finally, we may all have an easy
about those who did not have time pray for the one who has finished her shift.
to go out to demonstrate, or see the watch, more than for the one who is ָ הי ֶ תֹו ּ ל ִ פ ְּ ת הָּנ ַ ט ְ ק תֹוח ָ א
social rift, or estimate the economic taking over now, fresh and alert. He : ָ הי ֶ ל ָּ פ ֻ ט ְ מ תֹו ּ ט ִ מ ל ַ ע ת ֶ ׁש ֶ חֹול
uncertainty. Those who united all of us salutes the little sister, the past year, ָ הי ֶ תֹול ֲ ח ַ מ ְ ל אָנ א ָ פ ְ ר אָנ ל־ ֵ א"
this year – the sisters. for faithfully helping us breathe, for ”. ָ הי ֶ תֹול ְ ל ִ ק ְ ו הָנ ָ ׁש ה ֶ ל ְ כ ִּ ת
giving us life, for connecting sunset to
With incredible sensitivity, the
13th-century poet, Rabbi Abraham sunrise to sunset to sunrise, for having Little sister, her prayers
nurtured us so much. Thanks to her,
Chazzan Gerondi, chooses to open the Whispering on her patients’ beds:
Sephardi Rosh Hashanah prayers with we have grown another year. “Please G-d, please cure her diseases
the spine-tingling piyut, Achot Ketana They took off their weekday clothes, End the year and its curses.” 4
– “Little Sister.” washed, disinfected themselves and
donned white clothes. They entered
With infinite gentleness, he relates to 1 The word achot (תֹוח ָ א) in Hebrew means both
this fragile hour, the interface between the sanctuary when no relative was sister and nurse.
the past year and the new one, the near a patient breathing his last 2 Paraphrased from the Seder Avodah on Yom
time of the changing of the guard. breath, and thus they would count his Kippur.
final breaths: one, one and one, one 3 A reference to the Kapparot ceremony.
He captures the moment when, with and two… they did not experience 4 Paraphrased from the original piyut.
tired hands, she hands over the keys Seder Night or Tikkun Leil Shavuot.
to her replacement. Seconds before They received endless complaints,
her watch comes to an end, she briefs cried about being suspected of mis-
2
her: who needs special care, who will demeanors, and yet continued, with Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi is a popular
live, who will die after a long life and selfless devotion, their Seder Avodah. Israeli teacher, speaker and writer.

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