The story of the Golden Calf
teaches us that G-d is forgiving. Once the people of Israel reflected on their
mistakes and resolved not to repeat them, G-d was willing to take them back in
love. They get a second chance to receive the Ten Commandments. As you might remember, the result of sin was
the shattering of the first set of tablets. This represents the breach in the
relationship between G-d and the Jewish people. When Moses returns with the
second set of tablets, it symbolizes the complete healing of the relationship.
Repentance has created wholeness once again and an opportunity for a fresh
start.
The Rabbis say that the letters of
the month of Elul – Aleph, Lamed, Vav, Lamed – are an acronym for the verse
from the Song of Songs – Ani Le-Dodi ve-Dodi Li – “I am my Beloved’s
and my Beloved is Mine”. Thus contained in the very word “ELUL”
is an invitation to draw closer to G-d during the month. It is through this
closeness with G-d that we can overcome our fears and our apprehensions about looking
into our shortcomings. We are assured of G-d’s love for us no matter what we
may find when we examine ourselves. But how do we go about this self-examination
and teshuvah? Rabbi Aaron Gaber of Newtown, Pennsylvania engaged his
congregation in the process of repentance by instituting what he called the
“Cheshbon Ha-Nefesh Project” last year. Over a period of ten days in the month
of Elul he sent out a series of questions via email to which his congregants
were invited to respond in writing. What brought you the most joy over the
course of the year? What caused the most pain? What was the Jewish
high point and Jewish low point? What do you love most about being Jewish and
what do you struggle with the most? What goals did you set for yourself?
How did you achieve them? What were the obstacles to accomplishing those
goals? What do you most regret over the past year? Who did you hurt
and how can you make up for what you have done? If you could change one
thing about yourself, what would it be? How might you go about doing
this?
In his anthology for the High
Holidays the Israeli writer and Nobel Laureate S.Y. Agnon tells the following
cautionary tale attributed to the 19th century Rabbi Hayyim of Zans.
There was once a poor countrywoman
who had many children. They were always begging for food, but she had none to
give them. One day she found an egg. She called her children. “Children,
we have nothing to worry about,” she said. I found an egg. But I am a prudent
woman. We shall not eat the egg. I will ask our neighbor if we can set it under
her hen until a chick is hatched. But I am a wise woman – we shall not eat the
chick. We will raise her and she in turn will lay many eggs, and we will have
many chickens. But I am a far-sighted woman. We will not eat the chickens. We
will sell them and buy a cow. But we will not eat the cow either, for I am a
shrewd woman. We will let the cow have calves. We will not eat the cow or the
calves but sell them and and buy ourselves a field. Then we will have a field,
and we can grow our own crops, and we will never be hungry again!
As the countrywoman was speaking in
this way and playing with the egg, it fell out of her hands and broke!
Rabbi Hayyim concludes with the
moral of the story. “This is how we are. When the Holy Days arrive, every
person resolves to do Teshuvah, thinking in his or her heart, “I will do this,
or I will do that.” But the days slip by in mere deliberation, and the thoughts
never lead to any action, and what is worse, the person who is merely thinking
these thoughts may fall even lower.”
It was the custom in Eastern Europe
at one time that the person in charge of prayers would make the rounds of the
village, knocking three times on each door and saying, “Israel, holy people,
awake, arouse yourselves and rise for repentance.” It is 30 days until Rosh
Hashanah. We hear the knocking on the door. Don’t sleep in. Answer the call.
Turn in, turn to others, and turn to G-d.
Shabbat Shalom
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