Dear Friends,
On Rosh Hashanah, during the prayers I interject with various insights about the holiday and to help explain the prayers. One of the insights I shared feels especially important now in these Days of Awe. Although we call this holiday Rosh Hashanah, the Torah calls it Yom HaZikaron, a Day of Remembrance.
But why? Does G-d need to remember us? Does He need a special day to recall who we are? G-d is the One who remembers everything. Does He have a forgetful mind? He even has a better memory than Rabbi Fishel.
So the Torah must be hinting at something deeper. What it is telling us is that Rosh Hashanah is the day when we remember G-d. It is the day we remember our purpose, why we are living, and what truly matters. It is about remembering our priorities, remembering who we are, and not forgetting our calling.
And this is what the shofar is all about. Its cry is a wake-up call, reminding us to bring our best selves into the year ahead. Living is an art, and life is too precious to be lived half-asleep.
Of course we pray for health, for our families, for livelihood and success. But our prayers gain depth when we say: Hashem, bless me with these gifts so I can live the mission for which I was created, to raise a loving family, to bring kindness and holiness into the world, to make a difference with the life You give me.
Mark Twain once said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” These sacred days invite us to remember our why, to live with clarity and purpose, to realign our lives with what matters most, and to ask for the strength and means to live that way. And as the saying goes, when you have a why, you can bear almost any how!
We now look forward to observing the very special and holy day of Yom Kippur with you. We wish you an easy fast and a most meaningful Yom Kippur, setting the stage for an inspired year ahead.
Yom Kippur is the day that the essence of our soul, that part of us that is pure, innocent and G-dly, takes over and reminds us of who we really are and what we are really here for. We fast, we pray, we dress in white, to highlight how holy we truly are at the core.
Please reach out to a friend or relative who may not have plans for Yom Kippur and invite them to accompany you to Chabad. Ask them to RSVP online. You'll have a mitzvah, and you might also be instrumental in igniting the "pintele yid" - within them. "As one flame lights another, one soul kindles another."
Let us raise our voices in prayer for all of Am Yisrael and its safety, strength, peace, and the swift return of every hostage. Let us make the most of these days, while the gates of heaven are wide open, to say to Hashem: From my side, I will fulfill my purpose; from Your side, provide all that we need, in body and in spirit, with the ultimate blessing of true redemption.
We are looking forward to a very meaningful Shabbat and then Yom Kippur.
Gmar Chatima Tovah - May you be "sealed" for a good year!
Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos