Page 6 - MHC Magazine 2018

6 Milnerton Hebrew Congregation - High Holy Days 5779
A few words from Rabbi Hillel Bernstein

When one things back at the past year and considers all the
changes that happened to oneself and one’s family on the
past year, it is amazing and frightening to realize that they
were all decreed exactly between last year Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur. As we say in the awesome prayer of Unetane
Tokef, “Who will live, who will have a tranquil life and who
will prosper or the opposite, G-d forbid.” Rosh Hashanah is
the time when all of the decrees for the coming year are
made in Heaven. They then start to begin from day one of
the year and unfold throughout the year. We then have two
great thoughts to ponder before Rosh Hashanah. The most
natural thought is, “How will my next year unfold? What will be with me and my family?” This
can be positive if it leads to action. If it arouses one to pray, repent and give money to charity
to awaken G-d’s compassion, then it is very positive and constructive. But if it is merely a worry
about the coming year without any positive action, then it is not constructive.
There is another thought that one may have which is very good and positive. We do not know
about the next year, but we do know about the past year. If we refl ect back on the past year
and try to see the blessings that occurred to one, then it is very constructive. It will inspire a
feeling of gratitude to G-d for the past and a feeling of confi dence in G-d for the future. Even
if there were challenges in the past year, it is still possible and necessary to contemplate the
blessings of the year as well. After all, if we are here now, then we had a good Rosh Hashanah
last year!

We would like to express our gratitude to G-d for His many blessings over the past year. Last
year we were living in Johannesburg with a small thought of the possibility of returning to
Milnerton, our place of upbringing. Now we are living in Milnerton surrounded by a very special
and warm community; the community in which both Gina and I grew up. I had my Barmitzvah
in Milnerton Shul and Gina attended Dafna Nursery School. We are so grateful to have the
opportunity of reconnecting with this wonderful community and to be able to contribute to its
growth and development.

We have had the opportunity of getting to know some of you so far, and we look very much
forward to getting to know the whole community.

We have been particularly inspired to experience the Tefi llot at Shul, the Shabbat experience,
festivals and events with the Milnerton Shul, and to see how many people want to contribute
and get involved in so many ways to the growth of the Shul and community.

What is the main function of a Shul? Our Sages teach us that a Shul is a miniature Beit
HaMikdash-Holy Temple. What was the main function of the Holy Temple? 3 times a year the
entire nation would travel on foot to celebrate the festival at the Temple in Jerusalem together
with the entire nation. I used to hear regularly from my teacher, Rabbi Azriel Chaim Goldfein, of
blessed memory, that the Temple serves two main objectives. It would unite all Jews together.
This in itself is an extremely important goal, as we are supposed to be one unifi ed Nation. When
that happens, then G-d rests His Presence upon us and the blessings fl ow in abundance. The
second objective is to direct this awesome Nation’s thoughts and aspirations to connecting more
with G-d. We are not any Nation or People; we are G-d’s Holy and Chosen Nation, and we need
to constantly strengthen and improve our G-dly connection.

Therefore the Temple serves both objectives. It brought the entire Nation together and it
connected them with G-d. So too a Shul which is a miniature Beit HaMikdash must also serve
those 2 great objectives.