Bad Habits are always tough to break and even more difficult to overcome. Whether it is biting our fingernails, getting swamped at the office and coming home late four nights a week or simply forgetting to take care of ourselves and our families by taking a vacation away from our everyday schedule.
The habits that we fall in love with in life make it difficult at times, for us to change because they are our security blankets and our comfort zones. Our habits make it difficult to find the more proper, moral, ethical and at times more meaningful ways in renewing our lives physically, emotionally and spiritually. However, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the rest of our High Holy Day Season provides for us and forces us to examine our habitual behavior on a daily basis in seeing what needs to be changed and to create a plan in breaking our old habits.
In the High Holy Day Machzor we open the ark recite the words, “Hayom TeAmtzeinu- On this Day God, give us courage and strength!” The High Holy Days have been the backbone of our people for hundreds of years and have been the spiritual days on our precious and sacred calendar that provide for us the push to change, the push to examine and the push to move forward from what has occurred over the past year.
As we prepare ourselves for 5766, and celebrate a year of renewal, courage and strength, we must find our own ways to break the habits that we choose not to be a part of and live with. Starting over is not always easy. Our Rabbis is Pirke Avot, the ethics of our sages share with us “Kol Hatchalot Kashot, All Beginnings Are Difficult.” The ability to change our behavior and acknowledge the mistakes we have made over the past year takes courage and strength. It is also completely natural for us as human beings to get defensive, and not want to confront our bad habits. It is God’s expectation however that we struggle with them and test ourselves during certain times in our lives, and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are two of those times that provide for us an opportunity to revisit and re-evaluate the choices we make and the lives we choose to live.
As we move through our High Holy Day season, may God give us the strength and the courage to break away from old habits and create different and holier experiences as we begin a powerful, exciting and moving 5766.
Michelle, Brianah, Julia and I wish our entire Bet Shira Congregational family a year full of blessing, strength and fulfillment.
Shanah Tovah V’Kol Tuv,
Rabbi Micah Caplan
