SHABBOS SHUVAH & YOM KIPPUR

SHABBOS SHUVA & YOM KIPPUR

“Kol Nidrei”

Kol Nidrei (Aramaic: כָּל נִדְרֵי) is an Aramaic declaration recited in the synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur.  Kol Nidrei includes an emotional expression of penitence that sets the theme for Yom Kippur.

Kol Nidrei’s name is taken from the opening words, meaning "all vows". The formula proactively annuls any personal or religious oaths or prohibitions made upon oneself to God for the next year, so as to preemptively avoid the sin of breaking vows made to God which cannot be or are not upheld.

There is also a kabbalistic or spiritual purpose to Kol Nidrei: God has vowed, in Scripture, to punish Jewry for its sins; therefore by demonstrating that we can and do cancel our own vows, we hope to induce God to cancel His own dire decrees.

 According to the holy Zohar, Kol Nidre is recited on Yom Kippur because, at times, the Heavenly judgment is handed down as an 'avowed decree' for which there can normally be no annulment. By reciting the Kol Nidre annulment of vows at this time, we are asking of God that He favor us by annuling any negative decrees of judgment that await us, even though we are undeserving of such annulment.

 This declaration has often been held up by anti-Semites as proof that Jews are untrustworthy, In fact, the reverse is true: Jews cherish this ritual because they take vows so seriously that they consider themselves bound even if they make the vows under duress or in times of stress when not thinking straight. . This ritual gave comfort to those who were forcibly converted to Christianity, yet felt unable to break their vow to follow Christianity.

https://youtu.be/Fha6WfKLXy4

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The Shabbat before Yom Kippur is called the “Shabbos of Return”, Shabbos Shuvah, שבת תשובה.

The haftorah portion is taken from the Book of Hosea, and starts out at 14:2:

שׁוּבָה, יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ:  כִּי כָשַׁלְתָּ, בַּעֲוֺנֶךָ

‘Return, Israel to the Lord your God, for you have been led astray by your iniquity”.

The setting for the Book of Hosea is in the Northern Kingdom where Jeroboam the 2nd is King, at around the mid-8^th century BCE.  The Kingdom is prosperous, but continues to worship Canaanite gods and to also perversely worship Hashem using golden calves as an idolatrous representation. 

Hosea’s personal life is used as a metaphor to describe the fractured relationship between God and us.    He learns that his wife (in the role of Israel) is an adulteress.  As a symbol of Israel’s estrangement from Hashem, Hosea names one of children Lo-ruchamah, which translates as "not pitied", and another as Lo-ammi, which translates as "not my people".  These children as well as the kingdoms of Israel and Judah are redeemed at 2:3.

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In 2015, Rabbi Wein said:

"We live with our past decisions, no matter whether they were fortuitous or ill advised. However, in spiritual matters regarding our soul, we are granted this great gift of a new start. And this is not just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but we are given this chance for renewal on an annual basis, on this holy day of Yom Kippur".

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 "Unetanneh Tokef"

Unetanneh Tokef   (ונתנה תוקף) ("Let us speak of the awesomeness ") is a  that has been a part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy for centuries. It is chanted while the Torah ark is open and the congregants are standing.  It is a central poem of the Day of Atonement.  It is one of the most stirring compositions in the entire liturgy of the Holy Day.

"All mankind will pass before You like a flock of sheep. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living; and You shall apportion the destinies of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict.

On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed – how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die after a long life and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by upheaval and who by plague, who by strangling and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquility and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted.

But Repentance, Prayer, and Charity annul the severity of the Decree."

https://youtu.be/_t5bK53Q0Ic

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REVISITING ISHMAEL THROUGH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS

 

REVISITING ISHMAEL THROUGH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS

Ishmael the Archer

On September 15, 2020 Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed a Peace Treaty called the Abraham Accords. This name hearkens back to Abraham, the father of Ishmael and Isaac, two brothers who are the progenitors of Islam and Judaism, the Muslim nations and the State of Israel.

The two brothers have been viewed as part of a dysfunctional family, but on close examination of the Biblical text, this is not so. Before we are introduced to Ishmael  as he appeared in the Torah reading for the 1^st day of Rosh Hashanah let’s look at some background:

Background

Abraham's Children

In the 15^th chapter of the Book of Genesis at verse 5, Hashem promises the 85 or so year old childless Abraham that he will have many children:

וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִֽהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ:

“And He took him outside, and He said, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your seed".

However, the problem is that Abraham’s wife Sarah is not able to become pregnant, and she gives her servant Haggar to Abraham as sought of a surrogate alternative. Trouble arises between Sarah and Haggar.  Sarah mistreats Haggar who then runs away. An Angel gives incentive to Haggar to return to Sarah and to continue to bear the mistreatment.

At 16:10 the Angel tells Haggar that He greatly multiply her seed:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה הַרְבָּ֥ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אֶת־זַרְעֵ֑ךְ

“And the angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed,…”

At 16:11 the Angel promises Haggar that she will have a son:

יֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְקָרָ֤את שְׁמוֹ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־עָנְיֵֽךְ

“And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction”.  

At 16:15, Haggar becomes pregnant, and at the age of 86 Abraham becomes a father, and we are introduced to his son Ishmael.

וַתֵּ֧לֶד הָגָ֛ר לְאַבְרָ֖ם בֵּ֑ן וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְרָ֧ם שֶׁם־בְּנ֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־יָֽלְדָ֥ה הָגָ֖ר יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל

“And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael”.

Although Haggar was commanded to name her son, it is in fact Abraham who carries out the commandment. The implication being that Abraham listened to Haggar, and as we shall see, at Hashem’s insistence he also listened to Sarah.

FOUR THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT ISHMAEL

1. The name יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל Yishmaʿel means 'God will listen', suggesting that God  fulfills His promises.

Ishmael was about 14 years old when Isaac was born.  Some few years later, Sarah becomes upset with Ishmael, perhaps because he teased Isaac.  She did not want Ishmael to inherit from Abraham.  I assume the inheritance would be a double portion, Ishmael being the first born.

To Abraham’s discomfort, Sarah wants Abraham to turn Ishmael and his Mother out. At Hashem‘s insistence, Abraham acquiesces, listens to his wife and turns Ishmael and his Mother out into the desert.

Haggar and Ishmael

Ishmael is close to dying of thirst when an Angel rescues him. The Angel tells Haggar (16:12) that her son:

וְה֤וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו יִשְׁכֹּֽן

“And he will be a wild donkey of a man,”

2. He will love the wilderness and to hunt. (As interpreted by Rashi) 

“his hand will be upon all, and every hand upon him, and in the face of all his brothers he will dwell."

I take this to mean: 3. Ishmael will not be domesticated.  He will contend with his brethren.

Perhaps this means that amongst the descendants of Ishmael there will never be harmony, either religious or political; there will always be contention.

We learn more about Ishmael  at 21:18:

וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיְהִ֖י רֹבֶ֥ה קַשָּֽׁת

4. “…he dwelt in the wilderness, and he became an archer”.

 

Let’s digress for a moment and look at the impact that Ishmael’s character traits (as shown in the Torah) had on his half- brother Isaac. Ishmael may be described as follows:

1. The name יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל Yishmaʿel means 'God will listen', suggesting that God  fulfills His promises.

2.  he will love the wilderness and to hunt.

3. Ishmael will not be domesticated.  He will contend with his brethren.

4. “…he dwelt in the wilderness, and he became an archer”.

Isaac, in contrast to his Father and to Ishmael, was a passive individual. In Hebrew his name is Yitzchak, יִצְחָק means “he will laugh”.  I think he was a pleasant person; perhaps he had a benevolent smile.  When he meets his future wife, he loves her.

Isaac was content to be a stay-at -home farmer, and a good one at that. However, when confronted by the Philistines he did not contend with them, but picked up stakes and moved away.  Unlike his father or like Jacob his son, Hashem did not change Isaac's name.  Similarly in contrast to the other Patriarchs, Isaac never leaves Canaan.

Isaac’s feeling for Ishmael is reflected in his relationship to Jacob and Esau.  Isaac clearly favored the rough and tumble Esau over Jacob, the man of the tent.  Esau the hunter, the bowman, the outdoors man, very much like Ishmael, was the kind of man that Isaac admired. 

Returning to the narrative:

Ishmael’s story does not end here: Isaac and Ishmael continued to have a positive family relationship:  We marry within the family. When Isaac’s son Esau looked for a wife, he married Ishmael’s daughter and not one his Mother’s kinsman.  At 28:9  –

וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו, אֶל-יִשְׁמָעֵאל; וַיִּקַּח אֶת-מָחֲלַת בַּת-יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן-אַבְרָהָם

“So Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son,” 

Do not lose sight that even at this late date in the narrative, Ishmael is called "Abraham's son".

When Abraham passed away both brothers cooperated in a spirit of peace, shared interest and respect.  At 25:9 -

וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, בָּנָיו, אֶל-מְעָרַת, הַמַּכְפֵּלָה

“And Isaac and Ishmael his [Abraham's] sons buried him [Abraham] in the cave of Machpelah,”

As promised by the Angel to Haggar (21:18) : Ishmael will father many children/  Ishmael had 12 sons, each a tribal leader. I take this as meaning that Ishmael will be the Father of the Arab people, much in the way that Jacob is the Father of the Jewish people.  They each had 12 Tribes.

 I think that when Ishmael spent his formative years under Abraham’s roof that he learned and accepted the concept of one God, the Creator.  His children learned from him just as did the children of Jacob.  I think Ishmael’s influence paved the way for Mohammed and for Muslims everywhere.

Jews and Muslims, if not exactly brothers, are surely cousins. The Abraham Accords brings about a time in which Jews and Muslims can live together in the spirit of peace.  We have shared interests and a shared heritage.  It leads to healing and makes for a better future.

Amen.

ROSH HASHANNAH

 

ROSH HASHANNAH

NUMBERS 29:1

וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם--כָּל-מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:  יוֹם תְּרוּעָה, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם.

"And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation: you shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing for you you".

LEVITICUS 23:24

דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֵאמֹר:  בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שַׁבָּתוֹן--זִכְרוֹן תְּרוּעָה, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ.

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a ultimate rest for you, a memorial proclaimed with blasts, a holy convocation”.

Rosh Hashanah literally meaning "head of the year". It is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for Rosh Hashanah is Yom Teruah יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎, literally "day of shouting or blasting or blowing (of a horn or a trumpet or a shofar)". is the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman.

The term "Rosh Hashanah" in its current meaning does not appear in the Torah. Leviticus 23:24 refers to the festival of the first day of the seventh month as zikhron teru'ah "a memorial of blowing"; it is also referred to in the same part of Leviticus as שבת שבתון  shabbat shabbaton or ultimate Sabbath.

The celebration of Rosh Hashanah begins on the 1^st day of the seventh month.  This month is called month of Tishrei.  Tishrei is a Babylonian word that means “beginning”.  During the Exile to Babylonia we must have been rapidly assimilated and substituted Babylonian names for our calendar months.  In the 1^st Book of Kings, about 300 years before the Exile, the seventh month is called Ethanim.

1 Kings 8:2,

וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, כָּל-אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּיֶרַח הָאֵתָנִים, בֶּחָג--הוּא, הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי.

“And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month”.

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MAX’S ROSH HASHANAH  QUIZ QUESTIONS

Max has come up with a quiz that relates to Rosh Hashanah .  Attached are his questions. They will be used as a starting point in the new class that is scheduled for this Wednesday, 10:30 AM at Mool Ha Yam.  Do your best. See you there or on Zoom:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75582427094?pwd=Uy9DQUoySXlYV0szQzhQUk1NRWNodz09

Meeting ID: 755 8242 7094

Password" 8s3tt1

1-What is the Mikveh of Time?

2-What is the purpose of Selichot?

3-When and What is the process of Annulling Of Vows ?

4-Why is Rosh Hashanah celebrated in two days ?

5-What Halacha applies to Shehechianu on second of R.H.?

6-What are the three main themes in Rosh Hashanah ?

7-What is the purpose of the Shofar on R.H, ?

8-What are the three types of voices for the Shofar ?

9-What is the number of Shofar sounds that must be heard on R.H. ?

10-What two Blessings do we say before sounding the Shofar ?

11-Where in the Torah does it say that the 1st of Tishrei is R.H.?

12-Why do we choose apple to dip in Honey ?

13-Which book of Tanach does Taschlich come from ?

14-What three barren women were remembered by HASHEM on R.H.?

15-What is Chanah contribution to our Daily Prayers ?

16-Personal finances is determined on R.H., except Three Things?

17-What was Abraham Abbinu prayer on Mount Mariah ?

18-What food to avoid on Rosh Hashanah ?

19-What food to eat for protection from our enemies ?

20-What food to eat to increase our Mitzvots ?

21-Who are the main Characters in first day Rosh Hashanah.?

22-Who are the main Characters in the second day Rosh Hashanah ?

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   TORAH READINGS FOR ROSH HASHANAH

FIRST DAY, BEREISHIS, 21:1- 21:34

SECOND DAY, BEREISHIS, 22:1-22:24

In the reading for the 1^st Day, among other things, at the behest of Sarah, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away.  This is tantamount to divorcing Hagar and disinheriting Ishmael who would have normally shared with Isaac.

Question arise as to why Sarah did not want Ishmael to remain in her home?

And why should Ismael not share the inheritance with Isaac?

Are their implications for Jews in Israel today?

Rabbi Riskin addresses these questions, firstly looking at why Sarah was so upset with Ishmael.  At 21:9 -

  וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת-בֶּן-הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָהָם—מְצַחֵק

“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport.”

Rabbi Riskin sees מְצַחֵק as not just “fooling around”, but probably Isaac being sodomized by Ishmael, the older brother overpowering the weaker brother.

And in the previous Parsha at 16:12 Rabbi Riskin translates –

 “…  יָדוֹ בַכֹּל, וְיַד כֹּל בּו…”

“…his hand grasps for everything…”

Ishmael is not a person who shares.  And given an opportunity he will overpower his brother.  He will take it all.

Since 1947 we have always been willing to share, but Ishmael has always wanted it all.  If Rabbi Kahane had his way, Ishmael and his Egyptian mother will have been banished, sent away. And he shall be a wild ass of a man: his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren.'

Rabbi Riskin interprets this verse differently: “his hand is in everything and a hand in all.”

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The Akedah, Binding of Isaac:

In the reading for the 2^nd Day, among other things, Abraham obeying the command to prepare to sacrifice one of his children has to be one of the most difficult episodes in the entire Five Books.  At 22:2 -

וַיֹּאמֶר קַח-נָא אֶת-בִּנְךָ אֶת-יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר-אָהַבְתָּ, אֶת-יִצְחָק, וְלֶךְ-לְךָ, אֶל-אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה; וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם, לְעֹלָה

“And He said, "Please take your son, your only one whom you love, Isaac, and you go to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt sacrifice…”

Abraham is the epitome of kindness.  He argues with Hashem to save the inhabitants of Sodom.  But in this instance, Abraham is complacent, resembling Noach in not pleading to save a life.

Perhaps the test was for Abraham to argue with Hashem, and if so, Abraham failed.  After the incident, Abraham returns to Beersheba alone.  We do not hear any further conversation between Abraham and Hashem.  Moreover, Sarah dies.

Bob Dylan’s take on the Akedah:

Oh, God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"

Abe said, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"

God said, "No" Abe say, "What?"

God say, "You can do what you want, Abe, but

The next time you see me comin', you better run"

Well, Abe said, "Where d'you want this killin' done?"

God said, "Out on Highway 61"

https://youtu.be/8hr3Stnk8_k

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 The Haftarah :reading for the 2^nd Day is from Jeremiah 31:1-19:

The Prophet speaks of the in-gathering of the scattered exiles.  Most notably, Ephraim is singled out.  Ephraim is a metaphor for the 10 Lost Tribes of the Kingdom of Israel who were banished in the conquest of Israel by the Assyrians in 720 BCE.

It does not take a leap of faith to see that we are in the midst of an in-gathering.

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THE FAST OF GEDALIAH

 On the day following the 2nd day of Rosh Hashannah we have a fast day, the Fast of Gedaliah.  Who was Gedaliah?

When the Kingdom of Judah fell in 586 BCE and our capital Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, we became a Babylonian province called Yehud.  The first appointed Governor was Gedaliah who oversaw the administration of the province from the city of Mitzpe, located just north of Jerusalem in lands allotted to the Tribe of Benjamin.

Using the Book of Jeremiah (40-41), the 2nd Book of Kings (25) and an on line course entitled “The Rise and Fall of Jerusalem” as guides let’s explore what Gedaliah may be about:

Gedaliah was part of the aristocracy.  Both his father and grandfather played prominent roles in the royal court of the Kingdom of Judea.  Although part of the aristocracy, Gedaliah was not a descendent of David; he was not in line to sit on the throne.  That is one the reasons that Gedaliah was chosen as Governor; descendants of David were considered to be trouble makers. Gedaliah was indeed assassinated by a member of the royal bloodline.

The Babylonians wanted stability.  And with Gedaliah at its head, Yehud began to return to stability.  Jews, not necessarily the exiles to Babylonia, but those who had fled to neighboring lands began to return.  Gedaliah ruled for about 4 to 5 years before being murdered.  It is thought by many that with his passing, the end of an Era had gone by, and that our land was completely depopulated, this being the reason for the Fast of Gedaliah. 

I do not think this is so.  While it is true that the aristocracy and those of the royal bloodline as well as the Priests had been vanquished, the farmers and those who worked the Land had remained behind. The Babylonians did not want people who had the potential to foment rebellion to remain in the Land.  But what they wanted more than anything else was the wine, oil and wheat paid as tribute from their vassal province

 

 

 

THE NAHARIYA AUTUMN RACE

 

The Nahariya Autumn Race

Before we get too deep into this story consider the following two presumptions based on statements from the Babylonia Talmud:

1. In Sanhedrin 37B, it says: “The world was created just for me."

2. Bava Metzia 58b-59a alludes to the proposition that embarrassing a person is a form of bloodshed tantamount to killing him.

 

I have run in Nahariya’s autumn race at least five or six times.  Once when I could not run because of an injury, I speed walked with darn good results.  Although through the years I have slowed down considerably and it has become increasingly more difficult year after year to cross the Finish Line I still love to run and particularly I love this race.  But this year because of the virus the race has not been scheduled. 

 

Until I started thinking about it I was sorely depressed.  Then like a flash the quote “The world was created just for me" popped into my head, and everything changed.

 

I am not ashamed to say that I am one of those persons who talks with God. I have reasoned that Hashem knew that this year I would not be able to make it. Hashem is merciful, wanting to keep me alive.  Not wanting to embarrass me as embarrassing a person is a form of bloodshed tantamount to killing him, so Hashem had the City shut down the race just for me.  For my part I am humbled and most thankful, B”H.  Just wait to next year.

 

 

 

NITZAVIM , DEVARIM 29:9-31:30

 

NITZAVIM, DEVARIM 29:9-31:30

In this week's parsha we hear among other things:

 When we stand before Hashem, we stand as one people, the Klal Yisrael, together in unity.

We will be exiled, but Hashem will gather us in and return us to our Land.  Fast forward : We have already returned; redemption has begun.  

Torah knowledge is not remote or distant, but is close at hand.

We have free choice, either to reap the benefits of keeping Hashem's commandments or to not walk in His ways and be subject to the curses.  It is your call: choose life or choose death.

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In Parshat Nitzavim at 29:9-14:  Moses gathered all the Israelites—men, women, and children—to enter them into a covenant with Hashem. This covenant established us as Hashem’s exclusive nation.

 The covenant, Moses explained, was not limited to those who were physically present on that day; rather, it included all future generations of Jews as well.  That means you and me.

The question arises as to what is the right of Hashem to commit future generations, let alone children, to the obligations of His covenant?

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In Parshat Nitzavim at 30:11-14,  Moshe enjoins us to follow the mitzvot, informing us that “it is not beyond you, nor is it remote from you. It is not in heaven . . . It is not across the sea . . . Rather, it is very close to you, in your mouth, in your heart, that you may do it.”

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In Parshat, NITZAVIM there is a curious phenomenon that occurs at 29:28, and all in all in about ten places in the Chumash.  These are the dots or nekudot that appear over a letter or word or words.  In in our case it is the nekudot that appear over the words "for us and for our children until...".

הַנִּ֨סְתָּרֹ֔ת לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹ֞ת ֹלָֹ֤נוֹּ ֹוֹּלְֹבָֹנֵֹ֨יֹנֹוּ֨ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם לַֽעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת

“The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things are for us and to our children forever: to do all the words of this Torah”.

What do we make of these nekudot? Is it Hashem's way of calling our attention to a particular passage? 

Perhaps as some believe  they were put there by a personage in authority such as Ezra the Scribe, who is likened to Moshe Rabbeinu.

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 In the Parsha at 30:19 we are told to choose life:

וּבָחַרְתָּ, בַּחַיִּים--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה, אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ

“…choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;”

This statement is very timely in light of the approaching High Holydays.

Look at the word “חַיִּים”.  The letters חַם meaning warmth surround the double yud that stands for Hashem.  When you are alive with warmth, you have Hashem within you.

Whether you hold by the Ramban who says that the Mitzvah referred to is doing T’sheuvah or you agree with Rashi that the Mitzvah is to abide by the entire Torah, it is well within our grasp.

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 In the Haftarah portion at Isaiah 63:9, the Prophet says that because of Hashem’s love and pity He will redeem us.

בְּאַֽהֲבָת֥וֹ וּבְחֶמְלָת֖וֹ ה֣וּא גְאָלָ֑ם וַֽיְנַטְּלֵ֥ם וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֖ם כָּל־יְמֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם

“with His love and with His pity He redeemed them, and He will bear them, and He will carry them for all the days of the world”.

 What exactly is redemption?

In today's vernacular: To redeem something, is to get something out of hock.

For the Jew, the Land of Israel is his native country.  For the Jew, Exile is having been barred, sent out from or dispersed from his native country.  For the Jew, his Exile results from religious, political and punitive reasons.  The Jew in the Diaspora is a Jew in Exile, and he awaits a return to his Land.  HE AWAITS REDEMPTION.

Redemption is an essential concept in Judaism.  In Judaism, redemption (ge'ulah, גְאוּלָה) refers to God redeeming or freeing us from our exiles, starting from the first exile, our slavery in Egypt (BT, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 11b).  This form of redemption is called “Exilic Redemption”. There is a concept of a Final Redemption in the belief system of mainstream Orthodoxy that considers us to be currently in a state of exile.  When we are redeemed or freed by God from the current Exile, we will return to our Land and as a consequence owe Him a debt of gratitude. 

Redemption also applies to individuals or groups: an Israelite slave, Jewish captives, and the firstborn son.   It is from these three cases that the concept of exilic redemption is derived because Jews are considered God's 'firstborn' derived from Jacob, and Jews are God's slaves forever.

 Theologically, I am currently considered held captive by mainstream Orthodoxy even though I reside in the modern state of Israel..  Mainstream Orthodoxy aside, for me Redemption is well underway.

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The Hebrew verb haqhêl הַקְהֵ֣ל, "assemble" comes the Mitzvah Hakhel in Deuteronomy 31:10–12:

"At the end of every seven years, at an appointed time, in the Festival of Sukkot the year of Shemitah. When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord, your G‑d, in the place He will choose, you shall read this Torah before all Israel, in their ears.

Assemble the people: the men, the women, the children, and your stranger in your cities..."

This is timely: We are entering a shemitah at Rosh Hashanah.

The Hakhel ceremony was conducted on the first day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Trumpets would sound and a large wooden platform was erected. The king would sit on this platform and all in attendance would gather around him.

 The High Priest, who would present a Torah scroll to the king  The king began the reading with the same blessings over the Torah that are recited before every Aliyah in synagogues today.

 The reading consisted of the following sections from the Book of Deuteronomy: 

From the beginning of the book through Shema Yisrael (6:4);

The second paragraph of the Shema (11:13-21);

"You shall surely tithe" (14:22-27);

"When you have finish tithing" (26:12-15);

The section about appointing a king (17:14-20);

The blessings and curses (28:1-69).

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This week the 23rd of Elul was the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Sholomo  Carlebach, Z'L.  Have a taste of this spiritual genius:                              

 

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This one take-away from Reb Yitz’s Monday morning shiur:

From Rav Kook’s final shiur – During the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah we blow the shofar.

In terms of acceptability there are three available sources for this shofar :

1, A shofar made from a sheep’s horn is the most acceptable.

2. A shofar made from a kosher animal other than a sheep is also acceptable but is not as favorable as that made from a sheep.

3. Where there is no horn from a sheep or other kosher animal available, it is permissible for us to use the horn of a cow.

The gist of the hierarchy of sources for making a shofar is that not all Jews do a Mitzvah or lead a Jewish life, and all of its implications, in the same way or to the same degree of acceptability.

But the important thing is to reach out to Hashem as best we can and in doing so show the unity our Jewish nation and people.