Torah Portion - September 4, 2008

Torah Comment for the week of 9/5/08

Rosh Hodesh Elul  Rabbi Mark S. Kram, Temple Beth Or

Last Sunday was the beginning, Rosh Hodesh (New Moon – New “Moonth/Month”), of Elul.  Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays, has been set aside for preparation for us for the New Year.  How should we prepare?

Our New Year and High Holidays are different than our experience of December 31/January 1.  For us Jews it’s about RETURNING or Teshuva and examining our lives over the past year in order to fix what was wrong, what we would have liked to have done better, and turn things around.  Of course, repentance is part of that process, but MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL is that we STOP – STOP!  and first realize that in spite of all good intentions, of all good actions, of our attempts to be good people, good parents, good kids, good congregants and good citizens, that in point of fact, we DID fall short.  We may have been good (I’m sure all of us were), but each of us could have done better!

O.K., we admit it.  So now what?  Admitting it is the first step towards making a change or improving upon what we did.  WE CAN DO BETTER!  (Try to say it out loud!)  Elul comes to teach us that for 30 days, we have the opportunity and time to lay the groundwork to make those changes as we prepare for the High Holidays.

This New Year, we promise ourselves, things will be different!

SHABBAT SHALOM!

Rabbi Mark Kram

P.S.: Let me know if you would like to have some additional “help” in preparing for the High Holidays.