The summer time is ending and the fall season is beginning. For those of us who have children getting ready for school, this means that it is now time to begin shopping for school supplies. I remember when I was younger, at the end of every summer, I would go shopping with my parents and my younger brother for new school supplies. We each picked out new clothes and shoes. We both picked out a new backpack for the year. We bought our new folders, dividers and notebook paper. We purchased our annual stapler, pencil sharpener and dozens of brand new pens, unsharpened pencils and crayons. We then would go home and before school would begin, we would take the tags off our clothes, wear in our sneakers, sharpen our pencils, place our dividers and notebook paper into our folders and made sure that our backpacks were ready to go for the first day of school.
Every fall, the beginning of school is juxtaposed with the High Holy Days on our Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provide us with opportunities to greet family and friends wishing one another a shanah tovah u'metukah, a good and sweet new year. As we shop for our new school supplies during the last few days of summer, each of us should "spend" the time to shop for our "shul supplies" as well. Just as our children are prepared for the first day of school when all of their school supplies are ready, so too, we need to be prepared for the yamim noraim, the days of awe, by getting our "shul supplies" ready before Rosh Hashanah begins.
But what shul supplies do we need to get? What should be on our spiritual shopping list? And finally, how much do these things cost? Each of us has a different list of items. There are the practical supplies that we buy for the New Year, which include greeting cards, Shira Baskets, menus and food items for our holiday dinners, membership renewals so that we have our High Holy Day tickets sent to us, travel reservations if we are going to visit family during the holidays and so much more.
Then there are the spiritual supplies that we need to go out and get before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur begin. Just as we buy new calendars to start off the New Year in school, so too we spiritually prepare for our clean slate beginning a new year with the potential of experiencing new moments that will add to our communal identity and personal journeys until next year. Just as we buy and sharpen our new pencils for school, we must also sharpen our minds and our souls before we speak with our friends and with God asking for forgiveness for the past mistakes we have made. Just as our colorful crayons and markers will have their caps removed for the first time and their colors will be fresh on the brand new paper we have purchased, so too, before the high holy day season begins, we have the opportunity to go out and prepare the brand new spiritual colors of prayer, emotion, enthusiasm and energy.
As we gear up for a new school year, we take our lists of required supplies to the store, and we can usually find everything we need all in one place. Finding our "shul supplies" is not quite as easy. There are no stores where we can purchase these things. Instead we must find them inside ourselves and our loved ones. Since it takes time to think about what we need and then to go on a spiritual shopping excursion before Rosh Hashanah begins, let's start shopping today and not wait until the lines are too long and we have no idea where to begin.
Michelle, Brianah, Julia and I wish everyone a restful last few weeks of summer. Please take the time to enjoy shopping for both school and shul. The supplies are waiting for us. We just have to go and get what we need.
"GETTING READY FOR NEILAH"
At the end of Yom Kippur, "when the sun is over the tree tops", synagogues around the world participate in the closing service of Yom Kippur called Ne'ilah. The word "Ne'ilah" literally is translated as "locking." During Ne'ilah, the last hour of Yom Kippur, the gates of forgiveness begin to close and are finally locked when the Shofar is sounded. The Ne'ilah service serves as a final moment to converse with God and ask for forgiveness.
During certain parts of the service, when we are having intimate conversations with God, the Ark is opened. The final Amidah of Yom Kippur at the time of Ne'ilah is one of those moments. Thus, the ark remains open.
Two years ago at Bet Shira, we began a custom of inviting anyone who would like, to come forward and have private time with God during Ne'ilah of opening the ark for the entire Amidah.. This is a time to appreciate the past and look forward to the future.
We look forward to continuing this custom during Ne'ilah. In anticipation of our time in front of the ark we, along with our fellow congregants will be focused on the prayers and nusach (special holiday melody) of Ne'ilah. To avoid distraction and enable the magic of Ne'ilah to unfold, individuals will be invited by section to approach the ark. As we focus on God and ourselves, let our conversations with others begin after Ne'ilah is finished and the sound of the shofar has been blasted.
We look forward to a wonderful Ne'ilah service as we escort 5768 into our lives.
Kol Tuv,
Rabbi Micah Caplan
