 Writing can be a challenging, even exasperating process for the mind. And sure, sometimes you can hurt a finger or cause a blister. But writing isn't known for causing injuries as severe as a broken nose. However, when
Academy Award winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin explained his battered bridge, he said, " “I wish I could say I was in a bar fight, but I broke my nose writing." Sorkin said he was staring into a mirror, passionately reciting some dialogue, when he got too close and head-butted himself!
Joy and enthusiasm have been described as "the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars." Yes, there is a seriousness that comes along with Rosh Hashana, the awesome Day of Judgement. Nevertheless, we should also bear in mind that there is no greater joy in the entire world than being part of the Jewish people and having the opportunity to develop a relationship with the Almighty. Rejoice with trembling on Rosh Hashana -- don't let your nose get too close to your machzor (holiday prayer book) -- and may you and your family be written and inscribed in the Book of Life for the coming year.
Torah Reading for Rosh Hashana
The two days of Rosh Hashana fall out on Thursday, September 29 and Friday September 30. On Thursday the Torah reading is from Genesis 21:1 -- 21:34. On Friday the Torah reading is from Genesis 22:1 -- 22:24.
The theme of the Thursday Torah reading is that G-d remembered Sarah at the age of 90. She bore a son named Isaac to her 100 year old husband Abraham. Our tradition teaches that Sarah conceived on Rosh Hashana. Not only do we recall Sarah and Abraham's great merit, but we should be inspired to repent and pray just as they did.
The theme of the Friday Torah reading is the account of the Akeidah, the Binding of Isaac. Both Abraham and Isaac demonstrated their willingness to make any sacrifice to comply with G-d's will. Our tradition teaches that the Akeida took place on Rosh Hashana. The shofar of Rosh Hashana is customarily made of a ram's horn to recall the merit of the Akeida because a ram was substituted for Isaac on the altar.
Parshas Ha'Azinu Deuteronomy 31: 1 - 52
Ha'Azinu is comprised primarily of Moses' "song" about the horrible tragedies and supreme joy which will make up the Jewish people's future history. While not a song in the familiar sense, Moses' song is a blend of otherwise disparate ideas into a beautiful symphony of thought. It expresses the idea that everything that G-d does -- past, present and future -- somehow fits into a perfect harmony, although our limited human understanding prevents fully recognizing the wisdom of G-d.
Ha'Azinu contains the mitzvah for each Jew to write a Sefer Torah (Torah scroll). Many suggest that this mitzvah can be fulfilled by the purchase of books containing Torah content. Does your home contain any books of Torah? Today there is an abundance of excellent Torah books written in English. Let me suggest two: The Stone Chumash (5 Books of Moses), and Living Each Week by Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski. Ha'azinu concludes with G-d's command to Moses to ascend Mount Nebo, where he will view the land of Israel and then pass away.
Rabbinic Ruminations
Color Vision Deficiency, commonly (but inaccurately) referred to as Color Blindness, affects 1 out of 12 men and 1 out of 250 women. Total color blindness is very rare. Only 1 out of 300,000 suffer from it. The most common type of color blindness is the inability to distinguish between red and green; the least common is the inability to distinguish between yellow and blue. What are some things that bother color blind people most?
When grilling a piece of meat, a red deficient individual cannot tell whether it is raw or well done. Many cannot tell the difference between green and ripe tomatoes or between ketchup and chocolate syrup. Many others are always buying and biting into unripe bananas -- they cannot tell if they are yellow or green. A colorblind person is generally unable to interpret the chemical testing kits for swimming pool water because they rely on subtle color differences. Many colorblind people cannot tell whether a woman is wearing lipstick or not. More difficult to handle for some is the inability to tell the difference between a blue-eyed blond and a green-eyed redhead. At school, color vision deficiencies bother affected children from the earliest years. Coloring can become a difficulty when one has to take the blue crayon -- and not the pink one -- to color the ocean.
"The real voyage of discovery," wrote French novelist Marcel Proust, "consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Color, seen in its full display, surrounds us. A world of only black, white and shades of gray would be dreadfully dreary. Yet how often do we take the time to appreciate our ability to see colors? A prayer said each morning found in the siddur (prayer book) with the words 'pokeach ivrim' expresses gratitude for the blessing of sight. Each day let us appreciate the invaluable gift of sight -- and our capacity to see colors.
Quote of the Week
No great man ever complains of want of opportunities - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Joke of the Week
Observations:
To write with a broken pencil is . . . pointless.
When fish are in schools they sometimes . . . take debate.
A thief who stole a calendar . .. . got twelve months.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles . . . U.C.L.A.
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes .. . . was on shaky ground.
The batteries were given out . . . free of charge.
A dentist and a manicurist married. .. . . They fought tooth and nail.
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