From the Rabbi

The first of the ten commandments begins with the word “Anochi,” meaning “I,” as in “I am the Lord your G-d…”

The mystics point out that the first letter in “Anochi” is an aleph—which paradoxically enough is a silent letter. The idea being that before G-d even speaks a word, the world stands in silent anticipation for whatever concrete statement is about to be released from the infinite.

The “silent letter’ before a parent speaks is the word “love.” A child needs to know that no matter what “wisdom” comes from their parent’s mouth, it is preceded by, grounded in, guided by…love. They need to know it, but first, you need to do it. No matter what kind of tzuris and mishegas you have to deal with as a parent, if love isn’t in the very first breath before you speak, keep your words to yourself until it can be.

Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff

“For ten days, the gates are open, and the world is fluid. We are finally awake, if only in fits and starts, if only to toss and turn. For ten days, transformation is within our grasp.  For ten days, we can imagine ourselves not as fixed and immutable beings, but rather as a limitless field upon which qualities and impulses rise up with particular intensity…”

— Rabbi Alan Lew

This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared:    

                                 The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation

What a joy it was to spend Rosh Hashanah with all of you in Greenport. Cantor Weinstein and I, along with our spouses, Jim and Cassie, felt so warmly welcomed, and look forward to being with you again on Yom Kippur.

Now we are in the midst of the Ten Days of Teshuvah – Return, Repentance and Renewal. These days are a liminal time — a period betwixt and between — offering us the opportunity to take a breath before the drama and demands of Yom Kippur. These days invite us to engage in hitbodedut — personal, quiet reflection — before gathering again with the larger community on Kol Nidrei night.

In the words of my beloved classmate and friend, Rabbi Alan Lew, z”l: “For ten days, transformation is within our grasp.” We often think of transformation as something enormous and overwhelming, like a 180-degree turn. But that’s not really how most change or growth happens. The idea of teshuvah is that having gone a bit off-course over the past year, we need to shift direction ever so slightly in order to return. Returning to our authentic selves, to our people, to God, and setting a course for the year to come.

As we look toward Yom Kippur, I want to remind you to bring nonperishable food to the synagogue on Erev Yom Kippur for CAST. [The big red barrel is on the entrance ramp. Please help us fill it.]

At the end of Yom Kippur, we conclude Ne’ilah, the final service of the day, with the sounding of the shofar. Do you own a shofar? Please bring it to the shul. Do you know how to blow shofar? I will have a basket of shofarot at the shul for you to borrow. Let’s end our long day of fasting and prayer with a teki’ah gedolah to shake the heavens!

Finally, what do we do at the end of Yom Kippur, after the Community break-the-fast? Our sages suggest that we immediately go outside to build the sukkah. I’ve long felt that perhaps the whole point of Yom Kippur is to be able to celebrate Sukkot with a full and joyful heart.

So I hope you’ll join me at CTI on Erev Sukkot (Oct. 6), when we’ll welcome friends from the Unitarian Universalist Church to join us for a short service and harvest celebration in the sukkah. The next morning, we’ll meet for services including Hallel (lots of singing), lulav and etrog shaking, and lunch in the sukkah. And stay tuned for a special Sukkot gathering on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Watch for more details about this, and plans for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

In the meantime, wishing you and your families a G’mar Chatimah Tovah — May you be sealed for a good year.

—Rabbi Debra Cantor