Dear all,
Maya and Eli joined me on the bimah during our Shofar Service on Rosh Hashanah. As Jerry sounded the ancient call, we experienced a layered combination of awe, inspiration, and a little giddiness. There is something about the sound of the ram’s horn that both transports us back to Sinai and carries us forward toward new possibilities.
That is why the shofar is such a powerful symbol of this time of year. We reach back to reflect on the choices we have made. We look ahead and commit ourselves to doing better tomorrow.
But perhaps most important, the shofar wakes us up today.
It reminds us that we cannot change the past, and we cannot know what tomorrow will bring. But this moment—this magnificent moment in our lives—is ours. And we have the opportunity, right now, to make a difference.
So as the echoes of the shofar fade, perhaps the question is simply:
What will you do with this moment in time?
Gamar Chatima Tova, may you be sealed with goodness in the Book of Life!
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
