RH Publication Draft 1

The importance of healthy eating

BY MARCIANA ESTRELLA

Most newspapers are now published online as evenue (other businesses or individuals pay to
isasters; health and medicine, science, and place advertisements in the pages, including
technology; sports; and entertainment, society, display ads, classified ads, and their online
food and cooking, clothing and home fashion, equivalents). Some newspapers are government-
and the arts. A wide variety of material has been run or at least government-funded; their reliance
published in newspapers. Besides the on advertising revenue .weather forecasts;
aforementioned news and opinions, they include criticism, and reviews of the arts (including
well as in print. The online versions are called literature, film, television, theater, fine arts, and
online newspapers or news sites. architecture) and of local services such as
restaurants; obituaries; entertainment features
Newspapers are typically published daily or such as crosswords, horoscopes, editorial
weekly. News magazines are also weekly, but cartoons, gag cartoons, and comic strips; advice,
they have a magazine format. General-interest food, and other columns; and radio and television
newspapers typically publish news articles and listings (program schedules).
feature articles on national and international
news as well as local news. The news includes Most newspapers are businesses, and they pay
political events and personalities, business and their expenses with a mixture of subscription
finance, crime, severe weather, and natural revenue, newsstand sales, and advertising
disasters; health and medicine, science, and revenue (other businesses or individuals pay to
technology; sports; and entertainment, society, place advertisements in the pages, including
food and cooking, clothing and home fashion, display ads, classified ads, and their online
and the arts. A wide variety of material has been equivalents). Some newspapers are government-
published in newspapers. Besides the run or at least government-funded; their reliance 
aforementioned news and opinions, they include 

Table of Contents

Welcome!
Message from the Freidmans
Message from the Guttentags
What to look forward to this year
Machzor Page Numbers Rosh Hashana
Machzor Page Numbers Yom Kippur
Divrei Torah: Rosh Hashana ,Yom Kippur ,Succot
Fun & games

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Welcome!

Hello Youth! Hello Parents! Hello HGSS Community!

Allow us to introduce ourselves… We are Ethan and Yael Genende and we are excited to
announce that we are the new HGSS youth couple! We are a young and passionate couple
all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa and have for the past few years dreamed of
relocating to the United Kingdom. Our love for people, Torah and Jewish Community and our
desire to utilise our unique South African-flavoured leadership flair made us jump at the
opportunity to be a part of this highly acclaimed community.

We have spent a many of our formative years steeped in the leadership of the South African
Jewish community. We have had the privilege of coordinating and running various camps,
programs, educational seminars as well as facilitating and leading overseas programs. We
have come to HGSS full of ideas and eagerly awaiting a fun, jam-packed and life changing
year ahead.

We are at a time in the Jewish calendar that is full of reflection, contemplation, connection
and renewal. Perhaps a time for new years’ resolutions, for starting a fresh and making

Add subheadingamends. We thus feel it is the perfect and opportune moment to start our new roles in the

AddThaebaledingcommunity, to use what existed before as our base and build even higher. We hope we can

work together to build a truly meaning and impactful 5778.

This publication has proudly gone out to the whole community on behalf of the HGSS Youth
and we hope this will provide clarity on what is going on this year as well as give you some
great articles and Torah to bring you even closer to this important time we are now in.

We look forward to meeting all of you and taking the HGSS youth to greater heights. Please
know our youth flat is always open for chats, food, chilling and schmoozing.

Shana Tova Umetuka
Ethan and Yael Genende

Machzor Page Numbers: RH *Art scroll

Day 1 Day 2

Shacharit Shacharit

Hamelech 262 Hamelech 262

SIlent Amidah 296 SIlent Amidah 296

Repetition of Amidah 306 Repetition of Amidah 342

Le'kell Orech Din 330 Kedushah 374

Kedushah 332 Avinu Malkeinu 384

Ein Kamochah 390 Ein Kamochah 390

Reading of the Torah 401 Reading of the Torah 402

Haftarah 416 Haftarah 416

Mussaf Sounding of the Shofar 432

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Silent Amidah 448 Silent Amidah 448

Repetition of the Amidah 470 Repetition of the Amidah 536

Unetanah Tokef 480 Le'keil Orech Din 538

Kedushah 486 Unetanah Tokef 538

Vechol Ma'aminim 490 Kedushah 542

Aleinu 500 Vechol Ma'aminim 546

Ochilah Kohanim 504 Aleinu 554

Birkat Kohanim 524 Ochilah La'Keil 558

Hayom Te'amtzeinu 532 Duchaning 574

Ein Kelloleinu 586 Hayom Te'amtzeinu 582

Adom Olam 88 Ein Kellokeinu 586

Adon Olam 88

Machzor Page Numbers: RH *Art scroll

Day 1 Day 2

Shacharit Shacharit

Hamelech 262 Hamelech 262

SIlent Amidah 296 SIlent Amidah 296

Repetition of Amidah 306 Repetition of Amidah 342

Le'kell Orech Din 330 Kedushah 374

Kedushah 332 Avinu Malkeinu 384

Ein Kamochah 390 Ein Kamochah 390

Reading of the Torah 401 Reading of the Torah 402

Haftarah 416 Haftarah 416

Mussaf Sounding of the Shofar 432

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Silent Amidah 448 Silent Amidah 448

Repetition of the Amidah 470 Repetition of the Amidah 536

Unetanah Tokef 480 Le'keil Orech Din 538

Kedushah 486 Unetanah Tokef 538

Vechol Ma'aminim 490 Kedushah 542

Aleinu 500 Vechol Ma'aminim 546

Ochilah Kohanim 504 Aleinu 554

Birkat Kohanim 524 Ochilah La'Keil 558

Hayom Te'amtzeinu 532 Duchaning 574

Ein Kelloleinu 586 Hayom Te'amtzeinu 582

Adom Olam 88 Ein Kellokeinu 586

Adon Olam 88

Rosh Hashana:

      A Unique Experience

Rosh Hashana is different from any other Jewish Holiday that we celebrate because it does
not relate to a unique Jewish experience, whereas other Jewish holidays do. If you think about
it Jewish holidays record events of dramatic religious significance or relate to the agricultural
cycle of the land of Israel and our religious obligations of the land. The holiday of Rosh
Hashana is universally significant because it is the day that not only Jews but all of mankind is
judged and therefore it is more than just a Jewish experience. Then why is Rosh Hashana
referred to as a Jewish holiday if is intended for all of mankind?

Everyday in our prayers we recognise Hashem as the King of the universe, but what makes
Rosh Hashana different is that we reflect on the creation of the world when Hashem’s reign
was given fuller expression and we focus on the coronation of our King. This is why it is an
obligation on this day for all of mankind to recognise Hashem as the divine ruler and it is the
greatest opportunity for man to proclaim and crown Hashem as the ultimate King.

Add a little bit of body text

Hashem does not only sit on a throne of kingship but also on a throne of judgement and Rosh
Hashana is the time that we are judged by our King. The close connection that the Jews have
to Hashem distinguishes them from all other nations of the world as we strive to achieve purity
and repentance for our wrongdoings and sins. Hashem imparts justice to all mankind and his
creations but another additional element is imparted to the Jewish people and this is the
attribute of mercy. We receive this unique attribute of mercy because we all come together
and participate in the coronation of Hashem as a community and we were the only nation to
establish Him as the King of the universe.

Hashem created the universe, Hashem moulded man from the dust and blew a life and soul
into him, Hashem created us in His image. This was just the start of the many wonders that
Hashem has fulfilled for us and the miracles that he continues to fulfil for us daily. This is why
it is fitting that on this day all of mankind should acknowledge their true King and Master of the
Universe, how much more so a man that was born with a Jewish soul.

From Fear to Hope

Rosh Hashanah celebrates the coronation of G-d as King of the universe. And having G-d as
our King is worthy of celebration. Rosh Hashanah is referred to by the Mishnah as the “Yom
Tov of Rosh Hashanah”, something not done for other holidays. We are commanded to eat a
joyous meal, confident in facing judgment from the one true King.

In keeping with the theme of Kingship, the chazzan begins shacharit with “Hamelech, the
King”, his voice rising in a crescendo as he declares G-d’s majesty; only approaching the
amud (prayer lectern) to continue his prayers after “coronating” G-d. The liturgical poems all
revolve around the theme of G-d as King, and Malchiut, Kingship, plays a central role in the
special Mussaf Davening.

“And so, G-d our Lord, instill Your terror on all Your works and dread upon all that You have
created”. So begins the special additions to each one of the Rosh Hashanah amidot. Our first
encounter with the Master of the universe must instill fear and trembling. But that fear must
not freeze us; rather it must unite us. “Let them all become a single society, to do Your will
wholeheartedly”. Being alone is very frightening; having the companionship of others enables
us to overcome much. It is only with the help of others that we can truly worship G-d. The
Torah was given to the nation of Israel, with each person making their contribution to the
people of Israel. The Rambam goes so far as to declare that one who separates from the
community loses their share in the world to come, irrespective of their personal piety.

When fear helps to bring us together, we see G-d in a different light. And so the machzor
continues, “G-d, our Lord, give honour to Your people, and praise to those who are in awe of
You, and hope to those who seek You”. The unity of the Jewish people is what gives us
honour, praise, and hope. And with hope we have joy. “Gladness to Your land and joy to Your
city”. No matter how difficult a situation we may find ourselves in, hope sustains us, leading to
joy as we look forward to better days. When hope is lost, life can be unbearable. It is not by
chance that Israel’s national anthem is Hatikva, The Hope. Our prayers move from fear to
hope, from G-d’s power to G-d’s benevolence.

This past year has not brought much hope to the world. Much more than in many other years,
we see before our eyes the fulfillment of the words of the machzor: “Regarding the countries,
it is said on this day which is destined for the sword and which for peace”.

The upheavals that we are in process of witnessing have been swift. Yet what started with
great hope is turning to great fear. The motivation for the uprising during the Arab spring, that
began almost two years ago, may have been human rights and freedom, we are in danger of
the crushing of that hope with repression and terror. What makes this frightening scenario that
much more tragic is that such repression is carried out in the name of G-d, causing many to
view all religions in a much more negative way.

The manner in which we worship G-d makes all the difference. “Torah scholars increase
peace in the world”. Our Torah must be the Torah of peace. Tragically that is not always the
case. The power of religion enables it to be (mis)used as a tool for evil. As we strengthen our
commitment to G-d, we must have a corresponding increase in our commitment to those
created in His image.

Our implementation of Torah must give people—all people—honour, hope and joy. If we
succeed, then we will merit seeing the fulfillment of the next paragraph of the machzor; “Then
You, G-d will reign alone over all Your works, on Mount Zion, resting place of Your glory, and
in Jerusalem Your holy city”. May we be blessed with a year of hope, joy and the Majesty of
G-d bringing honour to all. And may the upheavals of this year be those of the redemption.

The Four Names of Rosh Hashana

The Torah refers to Rosh Hashana as Yom Teruah. The Teruah sound is a series nine short
and broken blasts which resembles the sound of weeping. It is because the sound of the
Teruah resembles remorse and the inner turmoil that we are meant to feel on Rosh Hashana
that the Torah gave it this particular name. The word Teruah also denotes the breaking and
shattering of the crushed mood of one who repents of his sins. Teruah also relates to the
word ‘Ur’ which means to awaken – a reminder for us to wake up and do teshuva.

The Sages gave Rosh Hashana another name, Yom Hazikaron, the Day of Remembrance.
On this day, Hashem recalls the deeds that we did throughout the year and also the merit of
our Fathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov and the merit of Akeidas Yitzchak.

The Toras Emes asks why the Sages gave Rosh Hashana the name of Yom Hazikaron as
opposed to the definition in the Torah of Yom Teruah. The Gemara (Rosh Hashana 16a)
states: Hashem said to Bnei Yisroel, “Recite for Me on Rosh Hashana verses that mention
kingship, remembrance and the shofar – kingship, so that you may proclaim Me king over you;
remembrance, so that your remembrance may rise favorably before Me; and through what?
Through the Shofar.” Hashem tells us what to do to be remembered favorably on Rosh
Hashana. The sounding of the shofar should rouse to proclaim Hashem is our King.
Therefore, Yom Teruah is a name that honors the Jewish People, whose merits will be
remembered by Hashem through the sounding of the shofar. While Yom Hazikaron on the
other hand, honors Hashem because on this day, Klal Yisroel proclaim Him as the King of the
entire world.

On Rosh Hahana, Hashem judges not only Am Yisroel, but the entire world. Furthermore,
Hashem does us a great kindness by judging us once every year so that our transgressions
do not accumulate to the point where they are beyond atonement. Thus, Rosh Hashana
earned the named Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgment. An accumulation of the world’s sins
would reach a stage where it would have to be destroyed. Therefore, Rosh Hashana is a Yom
Tov, a day of celebration.

And finally the last and most well-known of all four names, Rosh Hashana. For what reason
did Chazal call the Yom Tov Rosh Hashana (Head of the Year) and not Techilas Hashana
(Beginning of the Year)? Answers the Likutei Torah that just as the head is the primary body
part of the body so too Rosh Hashana is the most important day of the year. For the decisions
made will affect our destinies for the entire year.

Rabbi Pinhas of Koret writes that we should spend the day of Rosh Hashana immersed in
praying and learning Torah. This may be compared to a builder who is about to put up a new
house. Before he starts he draws the blueprints of the planned construction. Rosh Hashana,
the first day of the New Year, is a blueprint of the year that lies ahead. Whatever a person
does on Rosh Hashan become sthe pattern of his conduct throughout the year. The praying
and studying that he does on Rosh Hashana will set the standard for the coming year.

Realise Your Potential

The day of Rosh Hashanah focuses on three main themes. Namely, Malchuyot (Kingship),
Zichronot (Remembrance) and Shofarot (Blowing of the Shofar). These three ideas are the
core of the Mussaf Davening of Rosh Hashanah. I would like to explore these ideas in order to
make our davening more meaningful this year.

Malchuyot- The big misconception of Rosh Hashanah is that it is a day of repentance and
forgiveness, but in fact we do not mention words like sorry and please forgive me once in all
our prayers. The day is entirely focused on the coronation of the King whereby we recognise
Hashem’s kingship of the world and we accept that Hashem is the true owner and ruler of the
world.

Zichronot- What are we remembering on Rosh Hashanah? In the davening, one of the verses
that we recite “praiseworthy is a man who does not forget You and a man who truly puts his
trust in You. For those who cling to You constantly, no evil will ever befall them, and you will
not embarrass forever those who trust in You, for the remembrance of every being and his
characteristics will come before You”. On Rosh Hashanah we remember that man is different
to any other creature, in that man has free choice and controls his actions in this world.
Unfortunately, sometimes, we get so into our daily routines that we can often forgot who really
inspires our activities. Chas v’ Shalom we even come to think that we are in control of the
world, so during Zichronot we remember that it is Hashem who really gives us the ability to
achieve our potential.

Shofarot- We blow the shofar at the end of each of these sections because it glues together
Malchuyot and Zichronot. In the Shofarot prayer the main psukim quoted are the ones of
Matan Torah, giving of the Torah. When we hear the shofar it wakes us up to get back on the
right path in order to serve Hashem. Malchuyot is the greatness of Hashem, Zichronot is man’s
ability in this world and Shofarot comes to show us how to bring the concepts of Malchuyot and
Zichronot together, that the way to bring Hashem into this world and for us to fulfill our potential
in this world is through the Torah.
Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of man in the world (at least according to
some opinions) and therefore, these three concepts bring us back to the reality of how we
should be conducting our lives.
May we inculcate these ideas into our lives and when we daven this year on Rosh Hashanah
may we bring Hashem into this world and realise our full potential.

Our King or Our Father?

Entering the Month of Elul, a topic on everyone’s mind is how to relate to Hashem, is he our
king? or is he our father? Behind this debate, lies another fundamental issue. Are we supposed
to serve Hashem out of fear, as a servant would a king, or out of love, as a son would to his
father?In Derech Hashem, we learn about the relationship between the love and fear of god.
three times in the Sefer, the Ramchal sets up the subject matter with the word ‘love’ before the
word ‘fear’ , however, when delving into each aspect individually, he first describes fear, and
only after love. It is clear from this setup that while the most desirable trait is to love hashem,
you must first work to instill with fear.This trend can be seen in the Torah when Bnei Yisrael
stand at Har Sinai and hear Hashem’s voice. After only a few seconds, Bnei Yisrael could not
take it anymore, and they trembled and stood far away. They pleaded with Moshe that he
should first hear the rest of the commandments and relay it to them, rather than hearing it
directly from God. Rashi comes to comment on this. He explained the Moshe was extremely
angry at the peoples reques since he felt that when The nation heard the voice of Hashem for
the first time, they should have been flooded with love and want to be even closer to Him.
However we see that in contrast to Moshe’s feelings, Hashem was, In fact, very pleased with
the people for their response. According to Rashi, He felt that Bnei Yisrael did well with their
request.

How can it be that Moshe and Hashem felt so differently towards the nation’s response??
One can understand it as follows, for people on a level such as Moshe Rabeinu, it is fitting to
be consumed by a love for hashem, however, it is imperative that the basis of jewish faith
should first be a level of ‘yirah’, fear. ‘Yirah’, often mistranslated as fear, is more about being in
awe of our creator. If we just had to take a second to look around us at God’s everyday
creations, it is possible to be flooded with awe, ‘yirah’ of hashem. Only once this is established,
can we have the ability to love hashem. In order to love someone, we must first be able to
understand, and indentify with them. Although at times, we are flooded with a moments of
inspiration and understanding of Hashem, we all know that this understanding often fades and
we are left totally baffled by Gods actions. Therefor, it is extremely dangerous to establish a
foundation of ahava-love, since, although it is a higher level, it is also fleeting.

Now we can understand why hashem was pleased that Bnei reacted with fear at Har Sinai,
since it was this moment that the very foundation of the jewish people was formed.
Furthermore when approaching Rosh Hashana, we are preparing to accept hashem as king.
We need to build for ourselves a foundation of awe, Yirah of hashem in the beginning of the
year, so that we allow for moments of ahava to re-enter our lives.

Excuse Me,Where's Your Crown?

We are all aware of the strange yet intriguing occurrence which we find in the Torah known as
a Nazir. A Nazir is a man or woman who takes upon themselves to refrain from common
normal pleasures of life for a set period of time. For this abstinence, the Nazir is called “holy to
G-d” (Bamidbar 6:8). In a nutshell, the choice to become a Nazir is seen as a matter worth
praising and is even compared to the holiness of the Cohen Gadol according to the Midrash.

Let’s be honest, what is so great about a Nazir? Refraining from cutting hair, drinking wine and
coming into contact with the dead does not seem worthy of the immense praise. Furthermore,
is abstinence an action the Torah promotes and a way in which we are commanded to become
holy? And it goes even further than that, the Nazir must bring a sin offering once they have
completed the specific time as if they are asking for forgiveness for a wrong doing. How can
they have been so holy yet have been wrong? What does Hashem want us to learn from this?
The 11th century Spanish Torah giant known as the Ibn Ezra sheds a beautiful light onto this
topic. What does the word Nazir actually mean? Nazir stems from the word Nezer, a crown.
While majority of people are slaves to their endless desires and “needs”, the Nazir, through
holding back, demonstrates domination over his drives and therefore wears a crown, just like a
king who is free and in control of himself, not a slave to anyone.

Let’s take this a step further… Creation of man took place with two diametric opposites: on one
extreme the material and physical body with the spiritual and holy soul on the other. Our soul is
breathed into us by Hashem Himself, it is sourced directly from Hashem. This breath
represents our essence – our spiritual side, the deep core of who we are that is in essence a
part of Gd. As such our soul continuously yearns to return back to its source. The Baal
HaTanya writes in Likutei HaTorah that the soul is always yearning up toward Hashem. We
can feel this need to return and experience Hashem constantly. Yet this can only occur when
we shut off the background music that our lower physical side produces while attempting to
hack into our spiritual side, as a consequence of the holy soul being embodied in physicality.
The body has very basic bodily needs and can often be viewed as animalistic while our soul
continuously wishes to reconnect to G-d and live in absolute holiness.

This leaves us in a constant internal battle between our lower and higher self. Think of a typical
day in your life… There is never a passing 24 hours without us being attracted to all sorts of
material yearnings, it can be money, popularity or even a forth piece of pizza at supper.

At the same time, not a day goes by without us yearning to connect to the truth, goodness,
kindness, peace, love, all our callings in an attempt to bring us closer to Hashem. If Hashem so
dearly wants us to be close and connected to Him; why give us all these powerful physical
temptations? This is the secret. Hashem wants us to be the ones that choose, choose to love
Him, choose a connection with Him and choose the truth. Hashem doesn’t want robots, He
wants kings. He wants people who have decided what they want on their own and have made a
unique connection with Him. One who finishes this struggle as a victor, despite the incredible
hardships of desire, and choses his higher self is the one who is truly a free person. He will be
above the grasp of his lower self, in control of his desires and return to the way it should be: a
free man with ultimate power over himself.

Our holy Nazir had a wonderful goal: to abstain from worldly desires for the sake of being worthy
to wear the crown of self-control in life. He returns back to his ordinary ways, which were not evil
in the first place, but now he understands that every aspect should be used for holiness.
Such a simple example of the wine which could be used for physical and low actions or for
Kiddush and thanking Hashem. In fear of having even a fleeting thought of abstaining for the
sake of it, he offers a sin offering, for such a thought was never his intention. Every time one
takes a step away from the evil inclination and choses one’s higher self the spiritual muscles
grow and ensure that we are well equipped to be victorious in the future. As sated so clearly in
Pikei Avot: “Who is truly strong? The one who overcomes his inclination”

I would like to suggest that this brings us perfectly to the days that lie ahead. This is a time of
crowning our G-d as our King. Why must we crown Him as King? Hashem doesn’t need anyone
to crown Him, surely? Because He wants us to learn and understand what the truth is behind
wearing a crown. In order to be a king we cannot be a slaves, we must have control over our
lives, over our every thought and action. This crown is the crown you share with Hashem, our
truest essence. This is the time Hashem has opened His gates and He has given us the
opportunity to remove the dirt from our clothing and prepare to wear our crown, to be back
where we are supposed to be, in a perfect connection with Him.

Culminating the days of awe with Yom Kippur truly is the moment where we can receive our
crowns. We disconnect from our physical selves and experience a full 25 hours of spirituality.
Bringing us to live a life of Torah the way Hashem wants us to, through choice and will. It is not
an easy journey and that is why the story of the Nazir receives praise like the Kohen Gadol,
simply because he deserves it. May we all reach a level worthy of wearing a crown in service of
G-d and have the ability to elevate our every physical act to a level of holiness and purity.

Yona: The Beauty of Humanity

As the sun casts its final shadows across the streets, an eerie silence fills the air.

It is Yom Kippur afternoon. You are not tired. You are not even remotely hungry. You have
spent the day enveloped in the awesome grandeur and mystery that surrounds an intimate
encounter with your G-d. You have poured out your soul. And G-d has listened. You have
drained your heart. And G-d accepts. You have revealed to Him the innermost chambers of
your mind. And He has judged. You are scared; you are terrified. But somewhat joyful and
content.

Yet, up until this point your prayers and supplications have exclusively focused on Israel’s
needs. Your confessions and poems were limited to requesting forgiveness for yourself, your
family and your community. In fact, after the Mincha Torah reading, which discusses the
specific relationships forbidden to a Jew, you find it difficult to shake off the notion that you
belong to a holy nation – an Am Kadosh. Unique in its exclusivity.

The ba’al koreh (reader) takes his place on the bimah. And the prophecies of Yonah fill your
ears. The Book of Yonah recounts a strange tale. An unknown prophet is tasked to bring a
message of hope to an Assyrian nation of sinners. Unable to come to terms with the great
responsibility to which he is entrusted, Yonah flees – finding himself upon a doomed ship and
then, strangely, in the bellyof a giant fish. Ultimately, Yonah arrives at the gates of the city and
with the simple sentence of “in another 40 days, Ninveh will be overturned,” convinces them all
of repentance.
Indeed, Teshuvah appears to be the subtle undercurrent of hope upon which our story floats.
An evil nation repents. So too we repent. G-d forgives the wicked. G-d forgives us. This tide,
however, does not hold strong until the very end. After completing his mission, Yonah falls into
a state of melancholic depression. A righteous upheaval has consumed the city. Yet, Yonah
observes from the side-lines and requests to die.

The Jerusalem Talmud relates the following fictional incident:
They asked Wisdom, “A sinner, what is his punishment?” Wisdom replied, “Evil pursues
sinners” (Proverbs 13:21).
They asked Prophecy, “A sinner, what is his punishment?” Prophecy replied, “The soul that
sins, shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

They asked the Holy One, Blessed is He, “A sinner, what is his punishment?” The Holy One,
Blessed is He replied, “Let him repent and I will atone for him”.
Logically, Teshuvah makes no sense. The fact that one can unravel the very fragments of time
and space and undo his past actions, is truly unfathomable. Jonah was incapable of justifying
the need for repentance.

Murderers! Thieves! Adulterers! And You, G-d, are going to forgive them? Is that noble? Is that
ethical? Is that the G-d of Israel that I know!?

The child of a Holocaust survivor, Yossi Klein Halevi grew up in 1960s Brooklyn perceiving
reality through the lens of his family’s brutal past. Increasingly identifying with their history of
suffering, he regarded the non-Jewish world with fear and loathing. In his book Memoirs of a
Jewish Extremist, Halevi explores the deep-rooted anger of his adolescence and early
adulthood that fueled his increasingly aggressive activism as a member of the radical fringe of
American Jewry.
“My father made certain I learned the wisdom of Jewish exile…Esau the Goy hates Jacob the
Jew. Not merely one or another group, not even an entire nation, but the whole non-Jewish
world.”

Such is the Yonah-mentality. A philosophy that subscribes only to the distinguished character of
the Jewish People. One that harbours no tolerance for the needs, be they physical or spiritual, of
greater society. Jonah cannot comprehend that G-d would shower his mercy upon the evil
nations of the world. It is for this reason that he runs away. Too afraid to grapple with the ethical
challenges of collective repentance, Yonah flees. To him, humanity is not worthy of a glorious
recourse into the clutches of morality. Mankind does not deserve G-d’s favours.

As the final hours of Yom Kippur draw to a close, we remember that we Jews are not alone. We
recount, says Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the tale of Teshuvah, not of an Israelite tribe, but of a
Mesopotamian city whose population actually harboured hatred for Israel. Indeed, the gates of
repentance are open to all people, Jews and non-Jews alike. We retain our uniqueness, yet
embrace the beauty of humanity. In today’s complicated world of Israel-Activism and anti-
Zionism the meaning of such tolerance bears little significance. It is all too easy for us Jews to
be consumed by the isolationism of the “goyim” around us. “I am a Hebrew”cries the Prophet,
“and I fear Hashem, the G-d of the Heavens”. Like Yonah, we regard the world around us as
hostile and alien. We are the chosen people. We are the elite – the light of nobility amongst the
nations.

Yet, the sailors of Yonah’s ill-fated ship possess an innate glimmer of virtue and integrity.
“Perhaps G-d will think of us and we will not perish” they proclaim. We too wish to be a part of
G-d’s remarkable universe of justice.The final verses of our tale end with a fascinating lesson of
reproach. Yonah has left the city of Ninveh, unable to witness its successful repentance and the
sweltering heat of the Iraqi desert has driven him to the point of exhaustion. Mercifully, G-d
provides the son of Amittai with a kikayon plant “that it may be a shadow over his head; to
deliver him from this evil”. The plant, however, is destroyed by a worm and as Yonah laments
his suffering G-d responds, “You have mercy on a mere plant. Should I not have mercy on the
people of Ninveh?!”

As the sun casts its final shadows across the streets, an eerie silence fills the air.

It is Yom Kippur afternoon. You are not tired. You are not even remotely hungry. You have spent
the day enveloped in the awesome grandeur and mystery that surrounds an intimate encounter
with your G-d. You have poured out your soul. And your G-d has listened. You have drained
your heart. And G-d accepts. You have revealed to Him the innermost chambers of your mind.
And He has judged. But in that silence, have you considered them?

Avinu Malkeinu

One of the most important prayers which we say on Rosh Hashana as well as in Neilah of
Yom Kippur (and the aseret yemei teshuva) is Avinu Malkeinu. However, just the first two
words already present a big question. Avinu means father, which implies love, and malkeinu
means king, which implies fear. These are two conflicting ideas, so how can we say them
together?

Rav Milston in his book ‘Ki Va Moed’ says in the name of the Maharsha that the word ‘Avinu’ is
used as a reference to Hashem and His special relationship with Am Yisrael. As it specifically
states twice in Yeshayahu ‘Ki ata avinu ki Avraham lo yida’anu ve’yisrael lo yakiranu ata
Hashem avinu go’leinu ma’olam shemecha” (63:16). And the second one “ve’atah Hashem
avinu ata anachnu hachomer ve’ata yotzrenu uma’ase yadcha culanu” (64:7). The word
malkeinu can be found Devarim in relation to Hashem “vayehi bishurun melech behitasef
roshei am yachad shivtei yisrael” (33:5).
On Rosh Hashana, during the repetition of the Amida after shofar blowing we say the prayer of
‘Hayom Harat Olam’.

We beg Hashem to look upon us with mercy and love as a father would his son. However, if
we have not reached these levels and instead of love serve Hashem with fear we are not
considered as sons but rather as His servants and we then beg Him to judge us on our future
intended merits.

As we can see this perplexing idea of fear and love follows us all through our davening.
Perhaps we can suggest that these two elements compliment each other on our powerful
relationship with Hashem. It would be impossible for one to reach the highest level of spirituality
without combining them. This can be seen in the story of Akeidat Yitzchak.

Both Avraham and Yitzchak are known for their powerful relationships with Hashem; Avraham
through his love of Hashem and Yitzchak through his fear of Hashem. However, during the
Akeidah they were both tested in the trait each one was lacking. Avraham, who had developed
a previous relationship with Hashem based on love, was then challenged in the greatest fear of
all parents and Yitzchak, who developed a fear relationship, was tested to see if he would be
prepared to die ‘al kiddush Hashem’ (which is the highest form of love for Hashem).

Through this act our first two forefathers were bound together. Avraham gained the fear he had
lacked beforehand and Yitzchak gained the love which he had lacked beforehand. As a result
of this, Yaacov (the product of this ancestry) could experience the true Emet of the combination
of the two middot of love and fear of Hashem.

From this, when we recite ‘Avinu malkeinu” this Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, lets remind
ourselves that the only way to have the true and real relationship with Hashem is through both
fear and love.

May we all be inscribed in the book of life.

Days of National Unity

The Mishna in Sukkah (5;4) that describes the Simchat Beit Hashoeiva, the water drawing
festival that took place during Sukkot, makes a perplexing statement. It explains how the
‘Chasidim and Anshei Maaseh’, the pious people and men of deeds, were the ones dancing
with pyres at this celebration. Of course there is a need for entertainment, for fun and for dance,
but should the most righteous men be providing it? Is it not degrading for a community leader to
be a fire dancer at a Sukkot party? Is it not below his honour?

The Gemara in Sukkah (53a) describes how Hillel the Elder, when dancing at Simchat Beit
Hashoeiva, would say: ‘If I am here, everything is here, and if I am not here, who is here?’ This
statement is troubling. Would Hillel, a holy and righteous man, arrogantly boast that he is the
life of the party?

Tosfot explains that, as the leader of the community, Hillel was speaking on behalf of the
Jewish people. This seems pretty simple. Obviously without the nation no one would be there! I
believe that Tosfot is not actually saying that if the people are not there then no one will be
there, but rather that if Jewish Nationality is not present, it is as if no one is at the celebration.
The difference is subtle but striking. If the people do not come as part of a nation, then their
presence is pointless! Without the element of national identity, this is merely another party, a
good holiday jol.

This idea, I presume, can be used to answer our original question as well. Because this is a
national celebration, not an individual one, it should be specifically the community leaders
leading the dancing. It shows that, yes, perhaps at another time, it would be inappropriate for
them to do so, but now this is not the case. We are all equal before Hashem because we are
simply parts of a united people, and the public figures are the first ones to demonstrate this.
Social barriers no longer exist, because we are celebrating together, as a nation.

National unity is a value that should be preached all year round. It is something that is seriously
lacking in the greater society of Am Yisrael. It is becoming almost clichéd to discuss it, which
only reflects how deep the issue is. I think that this idea, however, is even more powerful and
relevant during Tishrei. On Rosh Hashanah, we coronate Hashem as the King of our nation.
Together, we accept him as our Ruler. On Tzom Gedalia we mourn the assassination of the
leader of the Jewish people.

His murder, by another Jew, right after the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash, indicates the
Jewish failure to bind together in a time of distress. There was no sense of national anything.

On Yom Kippur, we pray for forgiveness. Of course we are the only ones that can take upon
ourselves to improve, but the plural language of the Tefilot indicates that we are asking for a
national forgiveness.

This is not to say that we may not make personal requests, on the contrary, we should. But
there is a duality of Yom Kippur in that we do Teshuva not only so that Hashem will forgive me
and bless me, but also in order that Hashem will forgive us and bless us.

Sukkot is the culmination of this process. Together we rejoice, together we pray. We have a
commandment to include the poor, the orphaned and widowed, the Levites and converts, in
order that no one be left out of the celebration. What follows is Simchat Torah, a nationwide
celebration of Talmud Torah. Even bigger than Daf Yomi, everyone makes a siyum on
Chumash. When and how did we learn it? Every week, publicly, in a community.

Of course this is not the only message behind the festivals of Tishrei. Every Chag has its own
unique characteristics, elements than run far deeper than this. But throughout the month, there
is an underlying theme of nationalism. May we merit this Tishrei to Daven, fast, repent and
celebrate in unity.

May each individual, and the nation as a whole, have a sweet, blessed, new year.

The Fun Corner

Can you crack
the riddles?

A doctor and a boy were fishing. The boy was the doctor’s son, but the
doctor was not the boy’s father. Who was the doctor?

How many animals did Moses take on the ark?

WHAT BELONGS TO YOU BUT IS USED MORE BY

OTHERASd?d aGliitvtelen btihtiosfdbaoyd1y3ttehxot f June in the year 2020.
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a
is awatrhdoeudstaond years?

It starts out tall, but the longer it stands, the shorter it grows. What is it?

Can you name three EST. 2012
HOW
consecutive days without using HAVE 2M8ADNAYYMS?ONTHS
the words Wednesday, Friday,
Premium Quality Goods
and Sunday?
What word looks the same
backwards and upside down?
What
does this mean? I RIGHTaHIrilelaerxypaFHencladtaistnCgtahwsrtihoaseeliJeryoatehfhns,isr,roocdnuacnnh'idtldsa!eseaaritnhgin; g.
IN ITS PROPER PLACE)

What is it?

INTERIOR DESIGN AND BUILDERS

WWW.NORTHBOUND.CO 

Answers: His Mother. Non, Noah took the animals, Your name.
The letter "M". A candle. Yesterday,today, tomorrow. They all do. SWIMS. Right between the eyes. A button

The Fun Corner

Whats the phrase?

Answers: Inside Job. Back to square one. Breakfast. Small talk. Undercover cop. Robbin Hood. 7 seas. Cut above the rest. 2
steps forward 1 step back. Downright stupid. Backward Glance. Green with envy