Page 4 - HaMizrachi Australia Rosh HaShana Yom Kippur 5781

TORAT MIZRACHI

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confession – is the essence of the day. desperate need of an injection of joy
We strike our chest and heart dozens to reinstate the vigor and vibrancy of
of times, acknowledging where we life.
have deviated and expressing our 1 Reishit is the obvious word as it is not only
deepest desire to return to the right Spiritual life had become imbalanced the first word in the Torah – BeReishit –but
path. through the uplifting yet energy-de- it is also mentioned in Devarim (11:12) as
pleting motif of judgment, fear and ‘the beginning of the year’ – Reishit HaSha-
Where there is a will, there is always fasting. nah. Additionally, it is from this verse that
the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 17b) learns the
a way back. concept of judgment at the beginning of the
Sukkot restores the balance through year impacting the rest of the year, which
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; a love of life, a celebration of mitzvot, forms the Biblical basis for Rosh Hashanah
head and heart, ideal and real, mac- with the festival’s unmatched ambi- being a Day of Judgement. Nevertheless, our
ro-thinking and micro-planning, ance of joy, joie de vivre and rejoicing Sages chose Rosh Hashanah as the name of
intertwine to give us unparalleled in G-d’s presence. 5 the day and hence the name of the Tractate
and the universally used name of the festival.
days of spiritual inspiration. 2 Our Sages define prayer as Avodat HaLev
It seems to me that this message is – service of the heart (Ta’anit 2a, Rambam,
Soul particularly relevant for Tishrei 5781. Hilchot Tefillah 1:1.) Yom Kippur is a unique
day of intense prayer encompassing five dis-
Nevertheless, despite these spiritual This New Year brings with it a deep tinct prayer services.
peaks, something is sorely missing sense of vulnerability during these 3 The verse explicitly states that the root cause
from this religious equation: simcha unusual and unpredictable Corona of the terrible curses mentioned in Parashat
Ki Tavo is serving G-d without happiness
– happiness and joy. Simcha is the times. None of us quite knows just and joy – “since you did not serve the L-rd
true soul of Judaism, for at its core it how long it will continue – whether your G-d with happiness (simcha) and with
is not only a religion but a celebration it will end soon, which we all pray for, gladness of heart...” (Devarim 28:47). It is
clear that scrupulous observance of Torah
of religious life. 3 or whether it will be the ‘new normal’ and mitzvot devoid of simcha is not a reli-
for the year ahead. gious life but rather a spiritual curse.
The Yamim Noraim are truly Days 4 Orot HaTeshuva 9:10.
of Awe. Throughout the 10 Days of One thing is clear – we need to dig
Repentance the theme of judgment, deep and engage these times with the 5 The imperative of simcha on Sukkot is men-
tioned three times in the Torah, more than
of “who will live and who will die,” holistic spiritual paradigm of Head, any other festival. One famous expression
creates an inescapable mood of Heart and Soul. of this is stated in the Mishna (Sukkot 5:1),
sobriety, an undertone of fear and “That one who has not seen the simcha of
the water-drawing ceremony (which took
trepidation. Therefore, if we look at the festivals place every evening on the intermediary
of the month as one unit, they encom- days of the festival) has not seen simcha
Furthermore, in our plea for atone- pass the complete religious experi- in his life.” Moreover, Shemini Atzeret is
ment on Yom Kippur, we have ence in preparing for the coming year. the pinnacle of the simcha of Sukkot and is
‘afflicted’ ourselves by refraining from solely dedicated to happiness, simply rejoic-
the basic normative life pleasures. In They express the aspiration for a holy ing in G-d’s intimate presence without need
of any command or action; neither Sukkah
our quest for forgiveness and purity, life as a wholesome spiritual endeavor nor species, as the Talmud learns (Sukkah
we have necessarily but unnaturally – a harmonious synergy of both body 48a) from the verse “and only be happy.” It
detached ourselves from the fullness and soul. Intertwining love and fear, is, therefore, no surprise that our Sages later
of life. This tense and intense time separation and integration, solemnity instituted Simchat Torah on this festival (on
the same day in Israel) as an expression of
has taken its toll. and celebration, they give us the ulti- our joy at our very connection to Torah.
mate blueprint to face the year ahead.
And this is the reason why – explains
Rav Kook – Sukkot comes immedi- A healthy, happy and sweet year for Rabbi Doron Perez is Chief Executive of
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ately after Yom Kippur. We are in one and all! the Mizrachi World Movement.

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