Make a Resolution of Physical Repentance

Make a Resolution of Physical Repentance

I remember in the US the constant Weight Watchers and gym advertisements every December trying to cash in on people’s New Year’s resolution to lose weight.

Yet during the preparation for the Jewish New Year the focus, at least in the synagogues and yeshivas, is on spiritual resolutions. We look back on our deeds, make apologies to friends and family for our missteps, and make promises to ourselves and to God that next year we are going to be better people.

We don’t imagine hitting our chest on Yom Kippur for the double-digit increase in cholesterol or for the lack of fiber in our diets.

Yet maybe there is a need to rethink the matter.

Rav Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine, who lived just before the creation of the State of Israel, explains in the beginning of Orot HaTshuva that an essential aspect of repentance is “bodily repentance.” The admission that negative physical habits are damaging, followed by an attempt to better one’s health is indeed an important type of repentance.

Living a religious lifestyle and eating a kosher diet does not mean that one is living a healthy lifestyle or eating a healthy diet. The significance of spiritual and emotional repentance should not be minimized; however, we cannot forget our bodies in the process.

We must also repent for the sins that we have done against our lungs through smoking, and the sins that we have done against our hearts through eating fatty foods and not exercising enough. Without physical repentance the process is incomplete.

Wow God, You Are Blessed!

One of my most awkward moments when visiting the US is reciting the blessing after using the restroom in a public locale. I have received many strange looks as I seemingly talk to myself for thirty seconds in the hallway.

From birth to death, nearly all major events in our lives, as well as many small ones, are accompanied by a blessing. Seeing lighting, eating a strawberry for the first time in the season, blowing the shofar; it’s not difficult to reach the desired number of 100 blessings per day. But what is the point of these phrases that accompany so many of our daily activities?

Without relating to specific blessings, I want to discuss three brief ideas about the deeper meaning behind blessings:
Simply put, a blessing allows us to recognize the source.

First, the Talmud in Tractate Brachot tells us that one who takes pleasure from God’s world without making a blessing is likened to a thief. Simply put, a blessing allows us to recognize the source. Especially with our well-stocked supermarkets, it’s easy to forget the source of our sustenance is Hashem.

Secondly, an answer that I heard from Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo is that the proper English translation for Baruch Atah Hashem is not Blessed are You God, but rather one simple word: wow. A blessing is a statement of amazement. We should look at the ordinary orange in our hand with fresh eyes and realize its beauty. Blessings allow us to maintain our sensitivity to the majesty of God’s creation.

Lastly, in the opening section of the Laws of Blessings the Rambam (Maimonides) explains that the rabbis created a multitude of blessings in order to keep God on our lips at all times. The daily grind makes it difficult to remember that we are constantly standing in front of Hashem. The rabbis instituted blessings to remind us to remain conscious of God’s presence at all times.

The danger in having so many blessings is that we can say them by rote. I hope these ideas can help us say our blessings with greater consciousness, and use them as a tool for connection with our Creator.

Come Greet the King in the Field

Judaism is a demanding spiritual path. The Torah expects exactitude in mitzvot that encompass every facet of life. Not only are we instructed to live according to the laws in their completeness, but we must do so with great joy.

But what about those of us who have not perfected our character traits, and who haven’t mastered the halachic system? Is there still a chance to achieve closeness with God for those like me who still have room to grow?

We have entered a special time in the Jewish calendar, one of my favorite times of the year called the month of Elul. It is known for focus on inner work leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is the time to look at our actions over the last year, to pinpoint where we have missed the mark, and formulate a plan to be a better human being, a better friend, a better spouse, a better parent.

It’s not only a time that we designate for inner work; the month of Elul itself has a unique quality that allows for great success during this time. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the author of the Tanya and the founder of Chabad Chassidut, explains this point via an allegory that in Elul the king comes out into the field.

Normally, in order to greet royalty, one has to enter the inner chamber of the palace, which can only be done by certain individuals during special circumstances. But during Elul the king comes out to the field; he steps out in the open with a wide grin and greets everyone who comes to meet him.

Normally only the pious ones, who have achieved high levels in spiritual growth, are privileged to merit an intimate relationship with God. But during Elul, Hashem comes out to meet us wherever we are. It is a time of divine kindness, a time for closeness to Hashem in whatever broken state we are in.

This closeness to God that can be experienced through inner work during Elul is not an end to itself; it is a means for spiritual growth, and can provide a deeper, more meaningful experience during the high holidays. Just as we go to greet Hashem in the field during Elul, in turn God will enter our lives and our hearts during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – no matter what state we’re in.