From the Narrow Place to New Beginnings

  D’varim (Deuteronomy) is a book that finds our ancestors encamped on the eastern side of the Jordan River before entering the land toward which their journey has led them. Yet before they cross over, Moses invites the people to remember and reflecton his teachings as he prepares them to  enter a land of new beginnings.
  Likewise, a few weeks ago, on 17 Tammuz, we began our own journey — a journey that will take us to Rosh Hashanah, preceded by Tisha B’Av and the month of Elul. Although we may not want to think about it just yet, this is a season that asks us to acknowledge brokenness — both in our world and within ourselves. It reminds us that destruction rarely comes all at once; it begins with small cracks that, if left unattended, grow wider over time. Thus, repair is also a journey.
  That is why the High Holy Days are not simply about turning the calendar. They are about becoming the kind of people who are ready to enter a new year with greaterwisdom, compassion,  humility, and purpose. They call us to remember, to reflect, to seek forgiveness, to repair what has been broken, and to recommit ourselves to the values by which we hope to live.
  That is precisely the invitation of D’varim. Moses teaches that before we move forward, we must first look honestly at where we have been, for growth is not found by forgetting the past, but by learning from it. May we, like our ancestors, cross our own Jordan with renewed faith, renewed purpose, and renewed hope.
  I look forward to soon sharing these precious words with you: L’shanah tovah u’metukah — may we all be inscribed for a year of blessing, peace, health, and renewal. I hope to see you on Rosh Hashanah!
L’shalom,
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky

Rabbi Adam B. Ruditsky