The month of Elul advances upon us every year with a heavy tread as we know that we can not continue mindlessly acting and reacting to life as we do throughout the year. We have to reassess and refine our thoughts and actions, extract the good in us and maximize it and expel whatever thwarts us from being the best we can be in every sense of the word.

Personally we have a responsibility to make the most of our G-D-given skills and talents and, in this manner, fulfill the potential G-D has instilled within each of us. But as part of the collective consciousness of the Jewish people, we are also obligated to use those skills and talents to assist our fellow man and to pool our resources for the benefit of the Jewish nation as a whole.

G-D gifted the Jewish nation with a voice — Hakol Kol Yaakov (the voice belongs to Jacob {and his children}). We are not a warrior nation; we are musicians, speakers and teachers. We can lift our resonant voices to heaven to beseech G-D's forgiveness for ourselves and those we know are misguided and are circumnavigating the proper path. In fact, it is a mitzvah to include those we know are sinning in our prayers. We can exercise our voices for the purpose of soothing broken hearts, complimenting good deeds, softly censuring bad ones, picking up depressed spirits... the list is limitless as is our ability to realize all the items on a daily basis. Therefore this month and for the coming holidays let us incorporate our fellow Jews in our prayers - singularly and as a nation - and let us strive to be kinder, gentler, softer-spoken and more communicative with them to effect more rewarding relationships with each other and G-D.

Rosh Hashanah 5762 | Back to Rabbi's Messages