This Friday will mark the 5767th celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the day that commemorates the birth of mankind. It’s a time when we look deep within ourselves to reflect on the purpose of our existence.
Each year at this special time, I am blessed to see faces that I may not have seen for the past 12 months. As a rabbi, I’m inevitably troubled by the question of why do people restrict their synagogue attendance to the High Holidays?
I thought about distributing a questionnaire to get some answers, but soon realized that for the most part people would be too nice, and might not feel comfortable revealing what’s really in their hearts, lest they say something sacrilegious. So I gave up the notion of a questionnaire.
Instead, I tried to surrender all preconceived thoughts or ideas on the subject and simply sought to empathize with my once-a-year congregants. To represent the masses, I came up with an imaginary couple-let’s call them Susan and Richard Schwartz.
As children, Susan and Richard both went through the Bat and Bar Mitzvah deal. They now live in Malibu, and it’s the morning of Rosh Hashanah:
Susan: Richard, we’ve really got to get to the services. It’s getting late.
Richard: Holy smokes, I totally forgot about the whole deal and I have box seat tickets to the game!
Susan: Well, I guess you’ll just have to TiVo it.
Richard: Wow, you can actually TiVo the High Holiday services?
By the time they both make it to the synagogue, all Richard can think about is the game and Susan is concerned that this is not going to end well. The stress and hustle-bustle of the “outside world” only increases the odds that this synagogue will be an unpleasant experience.
Another thought comes to me: services can really be boring. Sure, rabbis all over the world save their best lines for the High Holidays. But how about everything in between? “We are now holding on page 151” is not exactly the kind of news you get excited about hearing. To people like Susan and Richard, entering a synagogue environment feels more like a burden than an act of love.
We all have emotional zones where we know what to expect. We know that hanging out with certain friends will always result in good memories. We know that spending time with certain people may prompt us to make excuses of why we have to leave early.
So what “zone” is your synagogue in? Too many people feel lost in this strange environment. Rabbis may prepare nice, warm words and the singing may briefly touch the heart. But after it’s all over, for most people it remains a mystery “zone.”
In truth, the synagogue is not about the rabbi. It is not about the cantor.
The synagogue is about you.
The very concept of a synagogue was established only after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. There, people would come to let go of their “noise.” When one entered the Holy Temple, it represented leaving life’s baggage at the outside door-whether it be emotional, psychological or material baggage. The Temple was meant to be a flight where no carry-ons are allowed.
There is a part within each of us that is so pristine and pure that we can only fully experience it by taking time to allow it in. The Rebbe of Kotzk asked, “Where is G-d?” His answer, “Wherever He is let in.”
As you enter the synagogue this Rosh Hashanah, don’t look for inspiration from the rabbi or the cantor. Find it within yourself. When we do this in unison, we create a mystical “zone.” We open channels for blessings that may have been previously unknown to us. It is a micro rebirth. It is a new beginning. This is Rosh Hashanah. Happy Rosh Hashanah.
Rabbi Levi Cunin is the Rabbi at Chabad of Malibu. Rosh Hashanah Services will take place at Chabad of Malibu; no tickets required. For more information, call 310.456.6588 or go to www.chabadofmalibu.com