Page 42 - HaMizrachi Australia Rosh HaShana Yom Kippur 5781

THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Rabbi Chaim Navon

Facing Our Truth

hy is it difficult for us to make their lives more worthy. And and feel they lack personal power.
to pray on Yom Kippur? they especially shed tears for their For under the guise of the superhe-
WWhy did our mothers and children. If my wife and I have four roes’ cloaks and masks, humanity is
fathers shed tears like water while we children, then I pray to G-d for six becoming more and more neurotic,
count how many pages are left in the souls, not just one. more and more complicated, weaker
machzor? Maybe because our ances- and weaker. The gap between Clark
tors knew they would die one day, but Perhaps there is another reason why Kent and Superman is widening. Even
we tend to think we never will. That it is difficult for us to pray: it dimin- when we dress up in colorful tights, a
is if we even bother to think about the ishes us. For true prayer, one must mask and a robe, we remain the same
most important issue at all. admit that G-d is Great and All-Pow- anxious and frustrated human beings,
erful and I am small and fragile. How
Human life is short and fragile. True, hard it is for our generation to admit mortal and transient.
our lives today are a little less short this. Who do we identify with? We In recent years, I have heard more
than those of our ancestors. But that see the answer in popular movies and and more voices calling to erase the
does not really change anything. Each Purim costumes: we adore the invin- despair of the Yamim Noraim. People
of us will stand before the Creator cible superheroes of the comic book find it difficult to cope with the vidui,
of the World when his day comes, world. Are we really like that? Are we the litany of their shortcomings.
whether in 20 years, 40, or maybe supposed to be like that – invincible True, a confession can also include
even tomorrow, G-d forbid. The heroes who overpower their oppo- an acknowledgment of virtues, but a
infantile cult of today’s youth is fueled nents with the help of superpowers? person busy counting his virtues and
by vigorous repression of this certain successes all year long, a person full of
prediction. 40-year-olds pretend to Prof. Mordechai Rotenberg, Israel
look and act like 20-year-olds as if Prize laureate, developed a method his achievements, wrapping himself
day and night in the victor’s robe, can
they would be able to deceive death of psychological treatment based on
itself. But if I easily recognize they the Jewish spirit. He tells the story of he not allow himself – for one day of
are 40-year-olds and not boys at the the time a man came to him for help. the year – to admit he is not the epit-
height of their youth, I don’t think the “My wife is very assertive and tram- ome of human perfection?
angel of death will be confused either. ples over me time and time again. I’m
too gentle.” To which the professor Why is it difficult for us to pray on
There are only two biographical replied: “If you had gone to another Yom Kippur? It’s a complex question,
details we all have in common: we are psychologist, they would have encour- on which volumes can be written, and
all born and we will all die. Amazing aged you to become more aggressive. there would still be more to discuss.
how much energy we invest in ignor- Since you’ve come to me, I’m telling But I think the first line would be very
ing this simple fact. you your behavior is totally okay. Send simple: it is difficult for us to pray
your wife to me for treatment.” because it is difficult for us to look in
A person who knows he will die one the mirror.
day always lives in a consciousness Every day, I see advertisements for
of accountability. One day, maybe personal empowerment workshops,
tomorrow, he will stand before G-d as if what we lack is more power. I
and have to justify every deed he has wish I would see more self-awareness
done and every choice he has made. workshops instead – a true awareness
Our ancestors, who lived in such con- of the real and weak self. On second
sciousness, stood in shul and wept on thoughts, it is no wonder that despite
Yom Kippur, begging G-d to postpone all the propaganda, our contempo- Rabbi Chaim Navon is a renowned author
the day of their deaths, and striving raries seek empowerment workshops and educator.

42 |