ED: The following is a excerpt from the story, “Rabbis Share Sneak Previews of Holy Days Messages” which ran in our Rosh Hashanah Sept. 7 issue.
Rabbi Moshe D. Bryski
Chabad of the Conejo
A prevalent sentiment these days seems to be that things are “broken,” from politics to government, domestic to foreign affairs, media matters to social issues, schools to synagogues, family life to the dating scene. Spiritually, this response to events is neither healthy nor accurate. The word “broken” implies shattered beyond any hope of redemption or repair. Judaism rejects fatalism. It summons us to embrace the cracks and imperfections and use them as catapults to growth; to improving and elevating that which we can.“If you believe that you are capable of messing things up, believe that you are capable of fixing them,” says the Chasidic Master.
While things may be far from perfect, they’re even further from hopeless. There is in fact a lot of good going on in the world and in our lives. The question is wherein lies our focus? How do we frame the stories of our lives? We each have a role to play in the repair process. It begins by bringing new light into our corner of the world. Rather than “broken,” call it “under construction.” Tell an uplifting story about your life in 5779 and that will become your destiny.
