Keeping Afloat in the New Year

As we approach Rosh Hashanah and look back on the past year, it has been a year of great turmoil for the Jewish people. The war against Iran, Hamas, and the Houthis is still raging two years in. Anti-semitism is increasing worldwide, with Jews being attacked and maligned. Twenty live hostages are still languishing in Gaza, and too many young soldiers’ and civilians’ lives have been lost. Last week, a terrorist attack took six lives in Jerusalem and four soldiers on the same day. In Israel, the vitriol of anti-war protests has escalated, and the United States saw a political assassination succeed. The Russian-Ukrainian war is ongoing, with the danger of expansion into Poland. And the specter of AI is looming over all of society. We know significant change is on the horizon, but we do not know what it will look like. 

Upheaval and uncertainty reign around us, and we feel like we are swimming in a sea of turbulent waters, holding onto our loved ones, our communities, and our people. Rosh Hashanah tells us that there is one more place we can turn. It is a reconnection to the Almighty,  our creator, and to our belief in His goodness. In the Rosh Hashanah prayer, we say Avinu, our Father, before Malkenu, our King. The Nesivos Shalom, the Slonimer Rebbe, tells us that on Rosh Hashanah, G-d recreates His world every year, and in doing so recalibrates the unfolding of the events which are to come over the next year. This means that anything is possible. We ask for mercy and favor, we ask for prosperity and health. Indeed, without this belief, we could be very pessimistic about the future. Yet it is not enough to have trust in the Almighty; as Jews, we also know that we must be G-d’s partners in being agents of change for the good.

The Torah teaches us that G-d wants us to collaborate with Him in creation. We must do our part to bring about the change, and not just through prayer. We are partners in the creation of the world, in the creation of society, and in the creation of ourselves. Partners in the creation of the world:  G-d told Adam to increase and multiply, to fill the world, and to dominate it. We are pro-technology. AI is a tool, but humans can misuse it. How do we navigate this landmine? Many are starting to realize that it may only be through humanity’s coming together to steward AI, a potentially kamikaze tool. The stakes are so high, yet how do we get malevolent actors to buy in?

Partners in the creation of society: I might have my strong opinions about what is going on in Israel, about the war in Gaza and the hostages, about the role of religion in the State of Israel and many other issues.  But am I able to discuss these issues with those I disagree with, rather than devolving into anger, insults, cancelling, or worse.  Especially amongst the Jewish people, our peoplehood should come before our partisan opinions.  We have already seen political assassination in Israel, and now it is spreading in the US as well.   The way to reverse things is to be able to disagree and still be respectful.  Our Rabbis teach us in Ethics of the Fathers 4:3: Do not deprecate any person, and do discount  anything, for there is no person  that does not have their moment,  and there is no thing that does not have its place.

Partners in the creation of ourselves: It is, in some ways, easy to turn to the world around us and lament the events unfolding, and to feel helpless. It is much harder to turn to ourselves and to say change starts with me taking accountability for myself and seeing how I can change and improve to become a better person. This is what Rosh Hashanah is all about. The Chofetz Chaim said, when I was young, I was idealistic and I wanted to change the world. However, I realized that this was not attainable, so I decided to try to change Polish Jewry. When I saw that even this was too big a task, I thought I could change my region or my community. And then I realized I could change only myself, and that is where I should start. 

The Chofetz Chaim took one trait to focus on, Loshon Hara, and He worked on himself to not speak ill of others. Then he wrote about this subject and traveled around selling the book to impact others. One hundred years later, it is still studied, translated, and cited, inspiring people throughout the world and making us realize how destructive negativity and gossip can be.

Years ago, one of my teachers offered some very sage advice. He advised taking one thing to change for the High Holidays. Focus on that one task, a character trait, a bad habit, or a good practice that will have a lasting impact. Last year, I set out to write a gratitude list each morning. The word Jew, Yehudi, comes from l’hodot, to give thanks. A year later, I am still doing it. I miss some mornings, but this exercise is conditioning me to focus on the good, be appreciative to the Almighty for what I have, and to be a happier person overall. 

I might not be able to change the world, although I can still try to impact those around me. However, I can change myself, and the High Holidays provide a framework to bring about that change. Maimonides tells us the Shofar is a wake-up call to break out of our rut, our habits, our routine, and to reach higher. If we all strive for this lofty goal, we might not feel so helpless as the world seems to spin around us. By elevating ourselves, we might uplift those around us and the world. Shana Tova