Page 37 - HaMizrachi Rosh HaShana - Yom Kippur 5783 USA

Choices

Shayna
Goldberg

he established Jewish calendar It can mean demanding more from as that of failure, of poverty, of old age,
ensures that Parashat ourselves, overcoming our fears and of rejection or of disease? Only the fear
Nitzavim is usually read on making courageous decisions. of the L-rd! We pray that this great fear
Tthe last Shabbat of the year, Given that fear so often prevents us will free us from those other ones which
just before Rosh Hashanah (Shulchan from making the right choices, why, lurk everywhere, upsetting our lives.” (On
Aruch 428:4). As we approach the Day throughout the Yamim Noraim tefillot, Repentance, 223)
of Judgment, we read: “I have placed do we repeatedly ask Hashem, ן ֵּ ת ן ֵכ ְבּו Sometimes, fear can be liberating. Fear
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life and death before you, blessing and ל ָּ כ ל ַע ך ְת ָמי ֵא ְו ךי ֶש ֲע ַמ ל ָּ כ ל ַע ּוני ֵקל- ֱא ‘ה ך ְ ּ ד ְח ַּ פ of G-d can allow us to submit, let go,
ׂ
curse; and you shall choose life, so that ָ תא ָר ָּ ב ֶ ּׁ ש ה ַמ, “to cast His fear over all His and acknowledge we are not really in
you will live, you and your offspring” works and His dread upon all that He control. A little fear can help us cut
(Devarim 30:19). has created”? through the illusions that we create
What does it mean to choose life? In On Repentance, Rav Joseph B. for ourselves and force us to confront
Choosing life is not a one-time decision Soloveitchik addresses this question: the realities of our lives and of the
of choosing option A over option B. A very eminent psychiatrist once said decisions we have made. We ask G-d
Rather, it means realizing that in any to me: ‘Had I the authority to do so, I to bestow His fear upon us so that we
situation, there are always choices would eliminate the prayer recited on can regain perspective, recall what is
to be made. It means thinking about the High Holy Day that begins with the important to us and contemplate what
what we believe is right and how to words, “Cast Thy fear,” as fear is the we want our priorities in life to be.
move forward in that direction. It major cause of the mental illnesses that The Days of Awe are meant to be
entails taking active responsibility for beset mankind. In order to preserve awe-inspiring. They are designed to
our responses and for each decision one’s mental health one should be free shake us out of our routines and give
we make. of fears, and so there is certainly no us additional clarity. They remind
reason why one should ever pray for fear.’
Taking responsibility for our choices Though I am not a psychiatrist, what he us of our temporary nature, our
means stopping to think about what said helped me to understand the true dependence, our vulnerability and
we ultimately want. It often means nature of that prayer which was ordained the fragility of life. By even briefly
holding back and exhibiting self- by the Sages of Israel. And that is what I experiencing the fear of G-d, we
control in order to achieve goals that told that psychiatrist: “Everyone seems to are reminded of the purpose of our
are more important and ultimately be beset with fears of all kinds. Some are existence. And that awareness fills us
more worthwhile and fulfilling for afraid that they will not be able to succeed with the strength we require to take
us. It requires self- in their careers, others fear responsibility for our commitments.
awareness and losing their wealth or status This Yamim Noraim season, let us not
reflection. or that they will fail to attain be afraid to feel some healthy fear of
sufficient prominence. Many G-d. We do not need to avoid feeling a
people are afraid of sickness little uneasy. We pray, though, that we
and bodily weakness… can ultimately transform this feeling
Man is plagued constantly into a deeper awe and reverence that
by all sorts of lesser fears. will propel us towards good decisions
I am not a psychiatrist, and serving G-d with trust and love.
but I do know that
one major source of
fear can wipe out Shayna Goldberg is the author of the book
all of these lesser What Do You Really Want? Trust and Fear
fears. What fear at Life’s Crossroads and in Everyday Living
can overtake man, (Maggid, 2021) and a mashgicha ruchanit in
thereby uprooting the SKA Beit Midrash for Women of Yeshivat
all other fears, such Har Etzion (Migdal Oz).

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