( Excerpt of Ranebi’s message in 5777)
Although this holiday is called Rosh Hashanah by our sages, it is called Yom Teruah in the Torah. In Leviticus 23, we read where God orders the Israelites to proclaim His Moedim or Appointed Times. The Shabbat, the first of the Moedim covers all the holidays and then continues with the rest: Pesach, Rishonim Bikkurim, and Shavuot, followed by a period of rest over the summer months. Then we arrive at the Fall Festivals which take place over the period of just one month – Tishrei. They begin with Yom Teruah; ten days later Yom Kippur is observed and in five days the eight-day festival, Chag Sukkoth or Festival of Booths is celebrated. Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkoth are the Shalosh Regalim, the three Pilgrim Festivals during which all the men would travel to Jerusalem alone or with their families bringing their extra offerings to thank the Creator for His provision. Our prophet Zechariah tells us that this last festival, Sukkoth which closes all the Moedim, will one day bring all humanity together. In chapter 14 we read that all the nations of the world will send ambassadors to Jerusalem at Sukkoth to render homage to the King of Israel, our Creator.
Today we celebrate Yom Teruah as we begin the Yamim Norayim, the days of awe during which we do a check and balance of our lives. Everything begins at home, with us. It is very easy to point a finger at others or justify our actions and blame others, but our Creator wants us to search our hearts and examine what we are doing. In any business, at the end of the year, we open our books to see if there is a profit or loss. If we made a profit, we can rejoice and if there is a loss, we need to recover it. How do we do that? That’s where the beautiful word, Teshuva comes in.
Our sages translate teshuva as repentance, but I disagree…that is far too easy! How many people spout out the words, “I’m sorry” and stop there, thinking that’s all they need to do? Teshuva means to return to our Creator. This is not something new. Chapter five in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar tells us that we need to confess or admit our sins before we bring offerings to the Creator. The confession, the vidui, has not yet become repentance. It is only the beginning of the process. The next step is making restitution, paying back and solving the situation. Once you have done this, the sha’ar hashamayim, the gates of the heavens open; we sense that the Presence of God is with us and we can embrace our oneness with Him. That is true Teshuva.
Yeshua taught us a beautiful parable – the Prodigal Son. It is a story of the rich man’s son who had everything, however, one day he asked his father for his inheritance right away. He left home, free from his father’s authority and squandered his entire fortune on wild living. Once he had spent all that he had, there was a severe famine so he hired himself out to a citizen of the country who sent him to his field to feed pigs. What a thing to have happened to a Jew! He longed for the food that the pigs were eating but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses he said, How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
He humbled himself and admitted to his father that he was so sorry for what he did and asked him to hire him as his servant. Instead of punishing him, his father forgave him and threw a huge party for him welcoming him back with open arms. The older son who had never left home, got really upset. He was angry with his father and complained to him, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
This son represents the religious types, who are holier than thou and think that are serving God their father but it is not out of love for Him but because of what they can get from it. They are resentful and don’t realize they don’t need to slave to gain God’s love because He already loves them the way He loves all His children. They have everything and can enjoy His presence. God doesn’t buy us and we can’t buy God. They might think, “I’ll try to do things to gain His good favor” but God is not limited; He knows our intentions; He knows everything about us. That’s why Jeremiah said in chapter 17: The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceeding weak–who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. ”
Let’s not fool ourselves. Let’s not be actors or play the blame game. Perhaps you think that are so smart you can fool your neighbor and maybe even yourself, but you can never fool GOD. The most important element of teshuva is being honest; we need to acknowledge and confess then repair the situation if we can. Sometimes only God can repair it and that’s when we need to go to Him. That is what this time of year is all about. These are Yamim Norayim, difficult days. We cannot run away, escape, or hide from God. We need to face Him as we need to face ourselves. That is what Yeshua taught us in this beautiful prayer…”Our Father who is in heaven, Your name is holy; Let your kingdom come; let Your will be done on earth as you have ordained it in the heavens. Provide for us all that we need daily and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Do not lead us into temptation but deliver from evil, for Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever. Amen” Notice that Yeshua didn’t ask his people to worship and adore him nor to pray to him. He told us to pray to our Father to forgive our trespasses as we forgive others. How can ask for forgiveness when we are holding something against someone else, refusing to forgive them?
At this time, when the gates of heaven are open, let us take the time to truly search our hearts and humble ourselves before Him. That is our part in this beautiful relationship with the Creator of the Universe. He is the only Hope that we have.
Chag Sameach
Ranebi