HUMANITY IN THE SEASON OF TESHUVAH
The last few verses of Psalm 146, which we recite every morning as part of P’sukei D’Zimra tell us
Adonai frees the bound
Adonai gives sight to the blind
Adonai raises those bowed down, and loves the just
Adonai protects the stranger, supports the widow and the orphan,
But frustrates the desire of the wicked.
These last three groups, the stranger, the widow and the orphan, represent the arch-type for the weak and vulnerable of whom the wicked would desire to takes advantage or to harm. In the Hebrew, the last two phrases rhyme, perhaps for emphasis? But we are told, God is on their side.
The Haftarah for Yom Kippur, taken from Chapter 58 of Isaiah, tell us, emphatically in verses 6-9 that these are the people not only that God champions but that God wants us, as a manifestation of our fast, to assist and raise up also. Note that verse 6 begins “NO, this is the fast that I desire…”. Depriving and denying ourselves has its place in the season and day of repentance, but to truly gain God’s favor takes more. It takes emulating God in acts of kindness and compassion
No one, certainly not I, will contend that the Cheshbon HaNefesh, examination of the soul which is the first step in Teshuva, should not include one’s violation of transgressions between man and God. Of course it does. We need to uncover for ourselves the areas of observance and ritual in which we have fallen short, express our regret and our disappointment with ourselves and resolve, sincerely, to improve in the year to come.
We are also being told that there are shortcomings in our behavior towards our fellow human beings (God’s other children, our brothers and sisters) that we need to address. These sins, we learn are not cured only by repentance and resolve but by direct apology and making amends (and restoration where possible), by asking for and receiving forgiveness from our fellows. But even that is not enough. There are those whom we may not have hurt directly. There are those who have been hurt by bad luck or an injustice within society. These people are the orphans, widow, the poor and downtrodden the weak and vulnerable who are no longer able to help themselves. according to my read of Isaiah, we sin against these people by being insensitive to their plight, by refusing to offer a helping hand or a boost up. I would go so far as to suggest that if I walked into a restaurant, ordered and ate a cheeseburger and then left without tipping the waiter the failure to tip might be the greater sin.
During this season of repentance, starting with hearing the Shofar at the beginning of the month of Elul, a full month before Rosh Hashanah and a full forty days before Yom Kippur, let’s, you and I, most especially I, remember that we owe a debt of gratitude and obedience to God, resolve to improve in that area, and then remember that we, the fortunate and the unfortunate, are in this together and part of our obligation to God is to remember and act on our obligation to each other.
May we all earn inscription for a blessing in the book of eternal life.
SHANAH TOVAH
(I have a feeling I might have written a similar piece before. If so, bear with me and remember that, to me, some messages are important enough to bear repeating)
