High Holidays info from United Synagogue compact

DVAR TORAH



SNEAK INTO SHUL THIS YOM KIPPUR

Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, Congregation Herzl-Ner Tamid, Mercer Island , WA



God has told you…what is good

and what the Lord requires of you:

only to do justice,

and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)



In our tradition, learning to do good is a whole body experience. It is not only our minds that need to be sensitized to do what is just and kind. The mitzvot of the Torah educates our whole being to live a meaningful and worthy life. At havdalah time, when we light a bold flame in the dark, we visualize bringing hope into dark corners in the week ahead. We place our entire body inside a fragile sukkah to remind us that there are homeless people who need our help. When we put on tefillin, we sanctify our arm with the words, “God opens his hand and gives to each creature what it needs.” In this way, we remind ourselves to open our own hand and be generous to all of God’s creations. On Passover we taste the bitterness of slavery with our mouths when we eat the maror.



And on Yom Kippur, we sanctify our feet. It is traditional on Yom Kippur to wear non-leather shoes. Shoes were a sign of luxury in the ancient world, and the removal of shoes in a religious setting was a sign of modesty and simplicity, a way of humbling ourselves before God. Leather attire is also associated with violence and cruelty. Leather comes from the skin of an animal. On Yom Kippur, we ask God to inscribe us in the Book of Life. At a time when we are conscious that our own life is a gift from God, Jewish tradition bids us to show special compassion for the life of all God’s creatures.



We can go further. Physical walking in our tradition is associated with spiritual progress. Jewish history began when Abraham responded to God’s call to walk in a new direction: Lech lecha me’artzecha/ Go forth from your homeland…to the land that I will show you. And Moses’ career as redeemer began with a command by God to remove his shoes. His career as a champion of the oppressed had been interrupted by Pharaoh’s death threat. Moses fled to Midian, married and had children. He was settled, or so it seemed.



Moses thought that by running from Egypt he had escaped the call of the conscience, the sense of mission that burned within him. How surprised Moses was to hear God saying to him from the burning bush: “Moses, even this remote desert is not devoid of My Presence. Whatever ground you walk on, My imperative ‘Be Holy!’ will always be with you.”



So it is with us. In our comfortable surroundings it is easy to forget that an insistent voice still calls us to a compelling life’s mission. When we remove our leather shoes on Yom Kippur and replace them with the cloth of simplicity, we remind ourselves that wherever we stand is holy ground, and God calls to each of us right now, saying “I need you!”



On Yom Kippur, each of us has holy feet. It is a day for us to examine our direction and to ask ourselves what steps we will take to make our lives more meaningful in the coming year. It only takes one step to set ourselves onto a new path.



We can start by sneaking into shul this Yom Kippur.



(Dvar Torah originally appeared in Synagogue Bulletin, September 2007)









OR LA YEHUDIM TISHREI 5769

(A Light to Our Fellow Jews in the Month of Tishrei)



HOW BIG ARE YOUR SUKKOT?



We’re not talking about the dimensions of the hut in which people have sat since the time of the Bible. We’re talking about how expansive we can be in the range of people, ideas, and experiences that we invite into the physical sukkot we will sit in during the coming holiday (Sukkot begins Monday eve, October 13, 2008.)



The sukkah itself is defined by its permeable ceiling, suggesting that even those places where we take refuge should remain open to that which is outside. What’s true for architectural walls is also true for spiritual and intellectual walls.



One tradition even teaches that our venturing into the sukkah at precisely the time when the weather begins to threaten, demonstrates our inner strength and willingness to confront that which surrounds us, rather than build barriers against it.



From our first journey in the desert to the journey we’re on today, the challenge always lies in balancing the security and familiarity we all need, with the new wisdom and insight that we acquire along the way. As we sit in the sukkah, we celebrate both.



The sukkah has meant many things to many people throughout the ages, so rather than simply describing its significance, we can fill it with our own meanings, hopes and aspirations. There has always been room in the sukkah to embrace them all.



This year, for each of the seven days of the holiday, consider your own answers to these ancient questions posed by past generations at Sukkot.



§ What do you do that truly brings you joy? How can you make space for more of it?

§ When do you feel most spiritually connected? How can you strengthen that connection?

§ Which institutions – Jewish, American, or global – are most important to you? How can you dedicate yourself to them more deeply?

§ What do you most want to learn in the coming year? What do you most want to teach?

§ Who do you want to bring into your life? How will you invite them in?

§ What’s the most important part of the Jewish story to you? Why?

§ What people, ideas, or practices that seem to be at odds might be brought together so that each would be enhanced by contact with the other?



You shall live in Sukkot

for seven days…



Leviticus 23:42





If you build it,

they will come…



From the movie

Field of Dreams

CLAL

The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership

440 Park Avenue South, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10016-8012

www.clal.org



(Originally distributed by CLAL, 2007)









ACT AS A JEW TO IMPROVE THE WORLD



GEORGE CARLIN’S ROSH HASHANA MESSAGE



The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems, more medicines, but less wellness.



We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.



We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.



We've conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.



These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this message to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this or to just hit delete. Remember -- spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember to say, "I love you" to a partner and loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend a hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.



AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.



(We mourn the death of George Carlin. His humor, wisdom and message live on. May he rest in peace.)







LIVE THE JEWISH CALENDAR



TASHLIKH: CASTING OUR SINS AWAY

(originally prepared by Lois Goldrich, USCJ Department of Public Affairs, 1998)



Tashlikh is a remarkable ceremony – symbolic and concrete all at the same time. Through this ritual, we express not only our desire to be free from sin, but our continuing hope that we will be forgiven for past misdeeds. On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah – or on the second day, if the first day is a Shabbat – it is customary to go to a flowing body of water and to recite prayers while “casting” our sins (represented by bread crumbs) into the water. As we read in Micah: “You will cast (tashlikh) all your sins into the depths of the sea” (7:19).



By performing tashlikh, we signify our hope that God will overlook our failings during the past year and grant us favor in the year to come.



The preferred “Order” for the bodies of water is (1) the sea, (2) a river, (3) a lake, spring, or fountain. If there is no such water within walking distance; in the case of inclement weather; or if one did not perform the ceremony on Rosh Hashanah for any reason, the tashlikh may be performed at any time up to Yom Kippur.



According to some customs, the body of water we visit should have fish in it. It has been suggested that this helps to remind us of our precarious existence and thus puts us in the mood to repent. It has also been suggested that we may be compared to fish caught in the net of divine judgment.



While it is traditional to shake out the hems of one’s clothing to ensure that all “sins” have been disposed of, tashlikh ceremonies differ all over the world. The Jews of Kurdistan had a custom to recite the tashlikh prayer near a river and then to jump into the water and swim around, instead of only shaking out the hems of their clothing.



On Repentance

“Do not say that repentance is not necessary except for serious transgressions such as illicit sexual relations, robbery and theft. Just as a person must repent of acts such as these, he is required to examine his bad traits and turn away from such negative characteristics as anger, hostility, jealousy, the tendency to ridicule, pursuit of material possessions and honor, and gluttony. A person must repent of each of these. These offenses are more difficult to deal with than the other ones because such traits affect our actions at all times, and it is difficult for a person to refrain from such habitual behavior.”

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance, 7.3



Suggested Prayers and Readings

Out of the depths I call to You;

Lord, hear my cry, heed my plea.

Be attentive to my prayers, to my sigh of supplication.

Who could endure, Lord, if You kept count of every sin?

But forgiveness is Yours: therefore we revere You.

I wait for the Lord; my soul yearns.

Hopefully I await His word.

I wait for the Lord more eagerly than watchmen wait for the dawn.

Put your hope in the Lord, for the Lord is generous with mercy.

Abundant is His power to redeem;

May he redeem the people Israel from all sin. Psalm 130



“Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity and pardoning the transgression of the remnant of Your people? You do not maintain anger forever but You delight in loving kindness. You will again have compassion upon us, subduing our sins, casting all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and enduring love to Abraham, as You promised our fathers from days of old.” Micah 7:18-20



“None shall hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the love of the Lord shall fill the earth as the waters fill the sea.”

Isaiah 11:9







(From the Mahzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, edited by Rabbi Jules Harlow, c. 1972 by the Rabbinical Assembly. Reprinted by permission.)






A Tashlikh Prayer



Let us cast away the sin of deception, so that we will mislead no one in word or deed, nor pretend to be what we are not.



Let us cast away the sin of vain ambition which prompts us to strive for goals which bring neither true fulfillment nor genuine contentment.



Let us cast away the sin of stubbornness, so that we will neither persist in foolish habits nor fail to acknowledge our will to change.



Let us cast away the sin of envy, so that we will neither be consumed by desire for what we lack nor grow unmindful of the blessings which are already ours.



Let us cast away the sin of selfishness, which keeps us from enriching our lives through wider concerns, and greater sharing, and from reaching out in love to other human beings.



Let us cast away the sin of indifference, so that we may be sensitive to the sufferings to others and responsive to the needs of our people everywhere.



Let us cast away the sins of pride and arrogance, so that we may worship God and serve His purposes in humility and in truth.



(from Mahzor Hadash, c. 1978 by the Prayer Book Press of Media Judaica, Inc. Reprinted with permission.)



Creating Liturgy: The Building Blocks of a Tashlikh Service

Tashlikh can be recited independently or as a communal ritual. Summoning us to spend time outdoors after a morning spent inside the synagogue, the ceremony also provides an opportunity for creative liturgy. The tashlikh ceremony is an ideal family activity, providing an opportunity for parents and children to perform a ritual together. Children may prepare the bread crumbs for “casting” and then distribute them to the various members of the family. Parents can also explain the ritual to the children as they walk to the water’s edge and assign each family member a different reading.



Looking Back on the Past Year

During the past year, what has made you really happy?
What do you really regret not doing last year? What opportunities did you miss?
Whom do you wish you had not hurt? How might you make up for what you did?
What was a Jewish high for you this past year? What was a Jewish low for you this past year?


Looking Forward to the New Year

What new goals have you set for yourself?
How would you like to do things differently?
How will you enhance your life Jewishly?




Today is the Birthday of the World

What two wishes do you have for the world on its birthday?



The water is pure, teaching us that it is time to cleanse ourselves and wash away all of our mistakes. Today we begin a new year of goodness. Today, as we throw away our crumbs, let us rid ourselves of all bad habits and any grudges that we may have had. May we always feel God’s love for us and know that God will help us improve ourselves in this new year.









EATING AS A JEW



THE APPLE TREE’S DISCOVERY

(A Story to be read when dipping apples in honey on Rosh Hashana)

By Peninnah Schram and Rachayl Eckstein Davis



In a great oak forest where the trees grew tall and majestic, there was a little apple tree. It was the only apple tree in that forest and so it stood alone.



Winter came. As the snow fell to the forest floor, it covered the branches of the little apple tree. The forest was quiet and peaceful.



One night the little apple tree looked up at the sky and saw a wonderful sight. Between the branches of all the trees, the little apple tree saw the stars in the sky, which appeared to be hanging on the branches of the oak trees.



"Oh God, Oh God," whispered the little apple tree, "how lucky those oak trees are to have such beautiful stars hanging on their branches. I want more than anything in the world to have stars on my branches, just like the oak trees have! Then I would feel truly special."



God looked down at the little apple tree and said gently, "Have patience! Have patience, little apple tree!"



Time passed. The snows melted and spring came to the land. Tiny white and pink apple blossoms appeared on the branches of the little apple tree. Birds came to rest on its branches. People walked by the little apple tree and admired its beautiful blossoms.



All summer long, the apple tree continued to grow. The branches of the tree formed a canopy overhead as they filled with leaves and blossoms.



But night after night, the little apple tree looked up at the sky with the millions, and millions, and millions – and millions of stars and cried out, "Oh God, I want more than anything in the world to have stars in my tree and on my branches and in my leaves – just like those oak trees."



And God looked down at the little apple tree and said, "You already have gifts. Isn't it enough to have shade to offer people, and fragrant blossoms, and branches for birds to rest on so they can sing you their song?"



The apple tree sighed and answered simply, "Dear God, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but that is not special enough! I do appreciate how much pleasure I give to others, but what I really want more than anything in the world is to have stars, not blossoms, on my branches. Then I would feel truly special."



God smiled and answered, "Be patient, little apple tree."



The seasons changed again. Soon the apple tree was filled with many beautiful apples. People walked in the forest. Whoever saw the apple tree would reach up, pick an apple and eat it.



And still, when night came to the forest, the apple tree looked at the stars in the oak trees and called out, "Oh God, I want more than anything in the world to have stars on my branches! Then I would feel truly special."



And God asked, "But apple tree, isn't it enough that you now have such wonderful apples to offer people? Doesn't that satisfy you? Doesn't that give you enough pleasure and make you feel special?



Without saying a word, the apple tree answered by shaking its branches from side to side.



At that moment, God caused the wind to blow. The great oak trees began to sway and the apple tree began to shake. From the top of the apple tree an apple fell. When it hit the ground, it split open.



"LOOK," commanded God, "LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU SEE?"



The little apple tree looked down and saw that right in the middle of the apple was a star. "A star! I have a star!"



And God laughed a gentle laugh and added, "So you do have stars on your branches. They've been there all along, you just didn't know it."







EPILOGUE:

Usually when we want to cut an apple, we cut it by holding the apple with its stem up. But in order to find its star, we must turn it on its side. If we change our direction a little bit, we too can find the spark that ignites the star inside each of us. The stars are right there within each one of us. Look carefully, look closely, and you'll find that beautiful star.









SIMNA MILTA: THE FOODS WE EAT ON ROSH HASHANAH AS SYMBOLS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD



May it be Your will, HaShem, our God, and God of our ancestors (the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel ) …

“Yehee ratzon mil-fa-necha, Adonai Elo-heynu, V’elo-hey Avoteynu V-Emateynu…”





1. Pomegranate – Rimon



…that our merits shall be plentiful as the seeds of pomegranate

“she’narbe z’chuyot k’rimon”



2. Squash/Pumpkin – K’ra



...that the decree of our judgment shall be annulled and our merits shall be proclaimed before You

“she’ye-kara g’zar denaynu, v’yi-karu l’fanecha z’chuyotaynu”



3. Beets – Salka



…that our enemies shall disappear

“she-yistalku oy-vaynu”



4. Leek/Cabbage – Karti



…that our enemies shall be obliterated

“she-yikartu so-naynu”



5. Dates – Tamarim



…that you shall eradicate those who despise us

“she-yitamu so-naynu”



6. Carrots – Gezer



...that our merits shall increase

“she-yirbu z’chuyotaynu”



7. Fish – Dag



…that we shall be fruitful and multiply as fish

“she-nifreh v’nirbeh k’dagim”



8. Head of a Sheep or Fish – Rosh Keves or Dag



…that we will be as the head and not the tail

“she-ne-heyeh l’rosh v’lo l’zanav”



9. Apple Dipped in Honey – Tapuach b’d’vash



…that you grant us a good and sweet year

“she-t-hadesh alaynu shana tova u’metuka”









LEARNING AS A JEW



THE TESHUVAH OF ROSH HASHANAH



The major theme of the month of Elul and the High Holiday season is teshuvah - repentance and return to God. Yet if we examine the Rosh Hashanah prayers, there is no mention of sin or penitence. We do not recite any confessional prayers, nor do we make any promises to improve. The Rosh Hashanah prayers deal with a completely different theme: the entire world accepting God's sovereignty. How does this aspiration fit in with the overall seasonal theme of teshuvah?



Before blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, we say:



"From my straits I called out to God. He answered me, and set me in a wide expanse ."

[Psalms 118:5]



The verse begins with narrow straits, and concludes with wide expanses. What are these straits? These are our troubled, perhaps suffocating, feelings of oppression and failure. With God's help, however, we are able to escape to "wide expanses." Our emotional binds are eased, and our physical constraints are released.



This progression from the narrow to the wide is also a good physical description of the principle mitzvah-object of Rosh Hashanah: the shofar, which gradually expands from a narrow mouthpiece to a wide opening.



From the Individual to the Community

Rav Kook did not explain this narrow-to-wide progression psychologically. He likened it to the distinction between the prat, the individual, and the klal, the community. There are the narrow, private issues of the individual, and there are the broad, general concerns of the community and the nation.



Teshuvah takes place on many levels. Each individual tries to correct personal faults and failings. The nation also does teshuvah, as it restores itself to its native land, its language, culture, and beliefs. And the entire world advances as it learns to recognize divine morality and rule.



The shofar, with its gradually widening shape, is a metaphor for these ever-expanding circles of repentance and spiritual progress. The order is significant. Our individual "teshuvah" must precede the universal teshuvah of the klal. During the month of Elul, we have been engaged in rectifying our own personal faults and mistakes. On Rosh Hashanah, our outlook broadens. We pray for the repentance of the entire nation that recognizes God's sovereignty, and we yearn for the ultimate repair of the entire universe.

[adapted from "Celebration of the Soul", p. 36]







THE SHOFAR …WOULD YOU BELIEVE?



That the shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashana as the climax to the daily shofar blowing after Shaharit, during the entire month of Elul?
That the shofar is the earliest musical instrument mentioned in the Torah which is still in use?
That the shofar is mentioned in Psalms 98 as a musical instrument?
That the shofar is mentioned 69 times in the Tanakh (the books which comprise the Jewish Bible)?
That the first reference to the use of the shofar was to call the Jewish people together at Mount Sinai prior to the revelation?
That only a ram’s horn may be used as a shofar? This commemorates the ram which was sacrificed to God by Abraham instead of his son, Isaac. The animal sacrifice was a dramatic indication that the God of Abraham rejected human sacrifice. This was monotheism, in opposition to the various Fertile Crescent civilizations which practiced human sacrifice to their gods.
That the shofar was also used to call able-bodied men to wars in the days of the judges?
That the shofar has been used to signal other messages beside those mentioned above? See Amos, Chapter 3 and Samuel, Chapter 15.
That a cow’s horn may not be used as a shofar because it reminds us of the worship of the golden calf.
That the shofar was used to proclaim the beginning of the Yoval (Jubilee)/the fiftieth) year? The Jubilee marked the end of forced slavery and the forgiveness of the debts of the poor. The Talmud describes which types of debts were forgiven.
That the statement on the Liberty Bell was first heralded by the sound of the shofar (Leviticus, Chapter 24, Verse 9-10)?
That the shofar was sounded in the siege that Joshua organized and led around the ancient city of Jericho ?
That we could pragmatically – not halakhically – decide that three (3) is a symbolic number for Rosh Hashanah!
Three theme words -- teshuva, tefila, tzedaka
Three types of sound by the shofar – tekiyah, shevarim, teruah
Three special groups of prayers within the Musaf Service – Malhuyot, Zichronot, Shofrot – in which three difference combinations of shofar sounds are heard
Three opportunities to kneel in prayer to God during the Musaf Service


It is not surprising, therefore, that Rosh Hashana is also referred to in the Yom Tov Kiddush as Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar.







TEKIAH GEDOLAH



Marga Hirsch



The central liturgy of Rosh HaShanah has no words at all: it is kol shofar, the call of the shofar. The notes sounded on the shofar – tekiah, shevarim, teruah – are blown in patterns of three: each pattern repeated three times, with multiple sets of notes blown at different times in the service. It is traditional that the final note of the last set be a tekiah gedolah, a great tekiah. The prolonged tekiah need only be twice as long (some say three times) as a regular tekiah. I’ve even heard it swell as it grew extra-long, but not over long, and when it ended, there was complete silence as the entire congregation breathed together.



But recently, the tekiah gedolah has become an exhibition opportunity and a competition and, in some congregations, an ensemble performance. It is becoming a common belief that the takiah gedolah must be as long as the ba’al takiah, the shofar blower, can make it. That belief has changed the focus of the shofar service, and not for the better. Rather than concentrating on each of the sounds, congregants wait only for the tekiah gedolah.



The voice of the shofar is meant to inspire teshuvah, not giggles. Through the shofar, God calls us to justice: we recall creation and the revelation at Mount Sinai; we anticipate the ultimate Messianic revelation and return to Zion . With the shofar, we call to God with our deepest pleas that are beyond words.



The mitzvah of shofar is lishmoa, not litkoa – to hear the sound of the shofar, not to blow the shofar. The ba’al tekiah serves the congregation, not the other way around. Over-extending the tekiah gedolah emphasizes the shofar blower rather than the shofar sounds, the means rather than the message. Tiferet Uziel advises (in S.Y. Agnon’s Days of Awe), “Let the ram’s horn blower think himself of no importance, for he merely resembles an instrument made of hide…Ought the instrument to boast because the music issues from it?”



The tekiah gedolah that concludes Yom Kippur is another matter. Traditionally, the isolated, prolonged note is an echo of the call to repentance. After the buildup of the repeated verses at the end of Ne’ilah, the tekiah gedolah of the lone shofar ends Yom Kippur with a final wordless shout to God, a last moment of intense communication with the Divine as the gates close, leaving us to return to mortal concerns, especially food.



Today, many synagogues extend an open invitation to join in blowing the concluding tekiah gedolah. This approach celebrates community, giving everyone who wants it a turn to participate. In ensemble, the tekiah gedolah becomes a farewell wave to God after a day spent together. Our attention turns from individual contemplation of teshuvah to joy in being together. The instrument is the same one that we use to call out to God, but now we are playing it for ourselves.





PERPETUATING JEWISH LIFE



LAWS OF SHOFAR: A DISCUSSION WITH YOUR CHILDREN

Rabbi Stuart Seltzer

(originally prepared by Rabbi Seltzer for educators to use in Junior Congregation)



1. Tekiah is a long blast – like a trumpet celebrating or welcoming good news.

Tequi’ah – a straight unbroken sound that ends abruptly (Mishna Rosh Hashana 4:9)

a. What good news did you celebrate this year?

b. What good news do you expect to welcome this year?



2. Shevarim are three short notes which resemble sighing – a sound of disappointment.

Shevarim – a series of three broken sounds whose combined duration equals that of a tequi’ah (M.R.H. 4:9)

a. What disappointment did you experience this past year?

b. What did you learn from the experience?



3. Teruah is nine staccato blasts which resemble weeping.

Teruah – a quick succession of short trills made up of nine staccato tones equivalent in combined duration to a single tequi’ah (M.R.H. 4:9)

a. Did anything happen this past year that made you weep or feel like weeping?

b. What do these different sounds remind you of?



4. The mitzvah of Shofar is to hear the sounds of the shofar. (Maimonides, Hilchot Shofar 1:1)

Because a great value is placed on listening more than playing, does this mean that listening is harder than talking? Is this true for you?



5. The shofar should be bent or curved in shape. (Talmud Bavli Rosh Hashana 26b)

a. Why do people bend when they ask forgiveness?

b. Over the past year, is there someone you would like to forgive for something?

c. Can you think of any other ritual objects whose shape says something about meaning?



6. The shofar was used to proclaim “freedom throughout the land.” (Sa’adiah Ga’on)

If a people or land is not free, should they still blow the shofar and why?



7. The shofar was used as a call to war. (Torah)

a. Do you think the United States should continue to be at war in Iraq ? Why?

b. What are the best reasons for a country to go to war?



8. During the Middle Ages, the shofar was sounded to usher in Shabbat.

a. What do you do to welcome Shabbat?

b. How do you recognize that Shabbat has arrived?



9. In modern times, the shofar is used to inaugurate a new president of Israel .

a. What do you think the president might be thinking about when he hears this ancient sound?

b. During what other events would it be appropriate to sound the shofar?



10. The shofar is sounded during the entire month of Elul before Rosh Hashana to remind us to begin thinking of our sins and our need for forgiveness. (Shulcham Aruch: Orech Hayim 481:3, note by the Rama)

Why do you think the High Hoy Day period starts with a loud noise?



11. The shofar sounder plays the tekiah gedolah for as long as his breath holds out.

Does this remind you of anything, e.g. underwater swimming, angry child, exciting moment, more?



12. The shofar is not sounded on Shabbat. (Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashana 29b)

Are you disappointed when you do no hear the shofar?

Do you wonder why?







GUESTS AT SUKKOT



Maxine Segal Handelman, Consultant for Early Childhood Education

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, handelman@uscj.org



(Originally prepared as a Shiur for USCJ Early Childhood meeting, September 2007)





When you sit in the sukkah, “the shade of faithfulness,” the Shechina spreads Her wings over you and …Abraham, five other righteous ones, and King David make their dwelling with you…Thus you should rejoice with a shining countenance each and every day of the festival together with these guests who lodge with you. Zohar Emor, 103b







Questions for discussion:



1. What do guests add to our celebration of Sukkot and our time in the sukkah?



2. If you build a sukkah at your house, tell your favorite story about a guest who shared a meal with you there. If you’ve dined in someone else’s sukkah, relate your favorite sukkah visit (and be sure to share the reasons why it was the best). If you have no personal sukkah experience, go to www.youtube.com, search “sukkah” and “sukkot” and watch a couple of videos. My personal favorites include “Sukkah Preparations – Sukkah Building ,” the Sukkah Shake,” “Sukkot,” and “happy sukkot.”



3. Each night of Sukkot, a prayer is recited asking a biblical figure to come and visit in the sukkah. The seven ushpizin – guests – are usually Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David. Various traditions, both medieval and modern, invite female guests, or ushpizot, to the sukkah as well. According to the tradition of medieval Italian Kabbalist Menachem Azariah of Fano, the ushpizot are Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther, because these women are distinguished in the Talmud as prophetesses. Other traditions include such biblical figures as Rebecca Leah, Rachel, Dinah, Tamar or Ruth.



What do you know about any of these people? Why would our tradition include inviting “imaginary” guests to the sukkah?



Having ushpizin in the sukkah along with real guests, family and friends, give children an opportunity to practice the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim. How might you use the concept of ushpizin and the stories of these biblical characters to increase the joy and meaning of your class’s Sukkot celebration this year.











BUILDING A BRIDGE TO ISRAEL



SUKKAT SHARON



Throughout the ages, the “booth” (sukkah) of the harvest festival has been an important way of showing love for the commandments (hiddur mitzvah). As the Talmud teaches us, “Adorn yourself before Him (in the fulfillment of the precepts): make a beautiful sukkah in His honour, a beautiful lulav, a beautiful shofar, beautiful fringes and a beautiful Scroll of the law, and write it with fine ink, a fine reed and a skilled scribe, and wrap it about with beautiful silks” [Tractate Shabbat 133b]. The Jewish people in all their wanderings have taken to “adorning” or beautifying the sukkah as befits the celebration of the most joyous of holiday.



The contemporary artist Sharon Binder draws on European folk tradition in designing decorations for the sukkah. Depicting the harvest symbols of the seven species with which the land of Israel is blessed – A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and of [date] honey…[Deuteronomy 8:8] – she has created a colorful series of panels that may be used to create and entire sukkah interior that is both permanent and portable, as well as weatherproof.



The panels, originally hand-painted and now reproduced on durable, plasticized canvas, may be ordered as a set or as individual pieces. Each panel measures 1 x 2m. (39” wide x 79” long) and is fitted with grommets for easy hanging in the sukkah. In warmer climates and especially in Israel , the panels may be used to form the actual walls of the sukkah. An additional panel, depicting the etrog and lulav, along with the hadas and aravah branches, highlights another significant observance of the festival. These panels, signed by the artist, will greatly enhance the custom of building sukkot and provide inspiration for years to come.



The artist has added innovation to tradition by introducing seven matriarchs to the guest list of Biblical personalities (ushpizin) who are invited each night of the festival to dwell in the sukkah:

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Joseph, Tamar, Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Ruth, David.



“The work of Sharon Binder can be seen as a continuation of a long chain of Jewish creativity. One who enters the sukkah she has designed will experience the glorification of the mitzvah in its truest sense.”

Susan Fraiman, Lecturer in Jewish Art History



Contact Sharon Binder

Website: www.sharonsukkah.com

e-mail: binder@actcom.co.il

Cell: 972 55 376 868

Jerusalem, Israel



NOTE: When you visit Israel , keep in mind that Sharon Binder’s art appears at the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center of the United Synagogue on Agron Street .