Monday, September 25, 2006

Shabbos Rosh Hashana..the secret of Judaism


Second day Rosh Hashana before the Tekios I’m reading in my Machzor the piece of Zohar that talks about the Shofar.

Incredible cosmic effects of our tekios, shevorim and teruos.
How Hashem moves from Judgement to Mercy.
How we tap into this world called Shofar in which it’s extremely easy to do Teshuva.
How certain Malachim are created with each sound who then go up to crown Hashem.

And I’m thinking, here it is Shabbos and the whole universe is holding it’s breath awaiting judgment and awaiting the reprieve and the effects of the shofar. And the Rabbis come along and said we’re afraid that someone will have a question about how to blow on Rosh Hashana and take his Shofar to a Rabbi thereby perhaps crossing 4 amos in a public domain. Sorry, no shofar this year.

Then I thought to myself ...this is the secret of Judaism.

This simplistic fidelity to Gods word.

Sure we have beautiful lessons and stories in Nach (the Bible, excluding the 5 books of Moses) that many religions and movements have used as floats to drift away. We have a whole canon of lore and Aggadah, legends and prophecies. As well as a deep Kabbalistic tradition. So much spirit to the law..

However, the fundamentals of our mission are very clear. The 613 commandments of the Torah as given over through Moses. His Mitzvos are our sacred duty no matter how silly they may seem to a fleshy human brain.
By fulfilling these commandements as written we connect with him in the most profound and fulfilling way.
And while we must strive to understand as much as we can..the truth is whatever Hashem allows us to understand is a privilege and a treat.
There isn't a single Mitzvah or obligation for us in Nach and the Aggadic traditions..certainly not anything which comes into potential conflict with the laws of the Torah.
How many religions and wayward movements have drifted away from Judaism through the generations..due to a lack of this basic understanding?

So we’re willing to say..we don’t care about mercy, even about making it easy on ourselves to do teshuva. Let the angels wait..and we'll stay away from the incredible world of Shofar.
We’re willing to bring the full brunt of judgment down on our heads. As long as we don’t break a single one of his laws.


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14 Comments:

Blogger anonym00kie said...

interesting post. of course youre right, and there is definitely merit to that kind of attitude towards observance.. but im not sure we should be so quick to brush away the spirit of the law and the importance of that on our motivation. in todays generations, it might be the last thread to keep us going and/or pull us back in..

September 25, 2006 10:14 PM  
Blogger Sarah Likes Green said...

it's an interesting topic... our rav spoke about this on shabbat rosh hashanah.

September 26, 2006 5:05 AM  
Blogger socialworker/frustrated mom said...

Love the way you expressed yourself, intriguing thoughts.

September 26, 2006 7:35 AM  
Blogger Y.Y. said...

very correct i wish all yiddin would be strong minded to face the truth i know of a beis medrash that blew shofar on shabbos!!!!!
i am very upset
isnt blowing the shofar to please hashem then why blow on shabbos when it will anger him?
plain stupidity

September 26, 2006 8:51 AM  
Blogger the only way i know said...

very touching end of your post....
showing Hashem we really care...we really want Him...we want His connection..His rulership...at any cost...because in the depths of our hearts we KNOW that it is the reason for our existence..

September 26, 2006 4:20 PM  
Blogger Paya Chadasha said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

September 26, 2006 5:01 PM  
Blogger FrumGirl said...

What a beautiful pic!

Well in that case I hope we are always zoche to blow those tekios!

September 26, 2006 5:32 PM  
Blogger skepticbentorah said...

Great Post!
Interesting idea about that without the tekios we take upon ourselves the brunt of the judgement for the sake of fulfilling the halacha of not blowing on shabbos. I personally would take a more posative outlook that in merit of keeping this halacha we god will judge us more leniantly.
We find a simular thing in a gemora in shabbos that one cannot pray to hashem for a refuah (recovery of health) on shabbos, therefore we say shabbos hee me'lizok- shabbos itself should be a help, we ask that the observance of shabbos with all its laws (including not davening for refuah) should intervene on our behalf.
Gmar Chasimah Tovah!

September 26, 2006 11:30 PM  
Blogger anonym00kie said...

skepticbentorah, i agree, that part of the post made me a lil uncomfortable, thanks for mentionning that positive twist

September 27, 2006 9:15 AM  
Blogger David_on_the_Lake said...

Mookie...
I'm not saying we should brush away the spirit of the law...just putting the spirit in its proper place..which is on a rock solid foundation of observance..even if it seems to fly in the face of what we might perceive as the "spirit" at that time..

sarah...
hmmm maybe her reads my blog..lol

swfm..
thanks

yy...
huh?..an orthodox shul?

towik...
good summary...but more than that..an acknowledgement..that after all is said and done..we are still really clueless..and we just have to follow the letter of the law..

FG...
thanks..and amein...

moiy...
lol...so true...everyone sees it at their own level..I guess..and its all good..
I can be ur tutor..but I might be expensive..hmm
Thanks

skeptic....
Thanks for stopping by...I was thinking of ending that way..but it would just distract from the main point I was trying to make... I'm sure it is a zchus..but thats not in the the realm of action..and really doesn't concern us on a practical level.

mookie...
see above...

September 27, 2006 11:12 AM  
Blogger David_on_the_Lake said...

ayala...
Hmm u can always pull a yentl....and hop on over
:-)

September 27, 2006 12:02 PM  
Blogger Jewish Student said...

Nach (the Bible, excluding the 5 books of Moses)
Nach; is the old testiment.
bible; includ the new testiment as well.

yy
beis medrash; is aplace were u learn the gemara. lilmod Lishmor V'Laasos.
a place were they'r not listning to the gemara. can not be calld Beis medrash

September 27, 2006 3:11 PM  
Blogger workingema said...

Makes me proud to be a Jew...

September 27, 2006 11:56 PM  
Blogger David_on_the_Lake said...

student...
well...my readers are all Jews..I'm pretty sure..

workingema....
you should be..

pleasing..
thanks..you too

September 28, 2006 11:19 AM  

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