From Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein Friday, September 3, 2021
Dear CBO Family,
The Shabbat before a major holiday is an interesting point in time. Right before Pesach, we celebrate what we call Shabbat HaGadol, the Big Shabbat. The Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah has no such name. In fact, the Saturday night usually houses Selichot, a late night prelude to the High Holidays, but because of the calendar, it took place last weekend.
The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have a unique name, Aseret Yamei Teshuva, the 10 days of repentance. In fact, the day of Rosh Hashanah, right before the holiday begins, we don’t say tachanun, we withdraw a certain prayer that gives us space to plead with God. The Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah gets short shrift. We are right to ask why. And I’d like to posit my own answer.
Judaism has mechanisms to build up to holidays and also make us hungry for them at the same time. We introduce melodies and shofar blowing a month in advance, although we take it away the day leading up to Rosh Hashanah. On the day leading up to Passover we are supposed to fast from lunch until the seder to make the anticipation of the sumptuous meal even more profound. We blast the shofar and then take it away to whet our appetite for the noise which with shatter the barriers to lasting change. Just as the tide withdraws right before the waves blast in, so too do we withdraw slightly right before the Holiday.
We must make room for the profundity of the moment. We might limit social interactions or although that is not much of a problem these days. We might eat simple meals leading up to the big feasts ahead or eat less sweet food as we get ready for apples and honey. Maybe we take steps back from social media. None of these are laws, just concepts to help prepare us spiritually. They are simply ways that allow our tides to recede in time for the wave of Rosh Hashanah that can nourish and move us.
May this be a profound New Year for you and yours.
Shana tova, Rabbi Bernstein
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Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism