Rabbi's New Year's Message

The Lord will count with the script of the nations(Psalm 87:6)

In the Hebrew numeric there is no digit parallel to zero. The letters of the Alphabet serve as numbers. In the secular writings zero is utilized very much. In this method a multiple series of zeros add up to nothing. A digit placed in front of them will equal millions.

Prayer is a worship of the heart (Taanis 2A). We pray three times daily. With such frequency, there exists a risk of sometimes reciting a prayer by rote, uninspired and without proper concentration. What is the value of such heartless prayer? How can this failure be corrected?

In the thirty ninth chapter of Tanya we are told that even though there might be an accumulation of uninspired prayers, one sincere supplication coming forth out of the depths of our heart and soul will raise all of the past prayers to this one’s high level.

Imagine a person who suffered severe financial losses and is given an opportunity to reverse his failures and convert them into immense profits. He would set everything aside and go on with an all-out effort  to bring this about.

Minchah of Erev Rosh Hashanah presents all of us with a precious opportunity to reflect back on our prayer worship of the past year. We will offer this Minchah with full devoted concentration and an outpouring from the depths of our hearts.  We will be placing  a “1” in front of all past zeros and convert them to millions. We will conclude the year with abundant merit and we will look ahead anticipating a blessed New Year.

תכלה שנה וקללותיה - תחל שנה וברכותיה

The past year’s curses will be eliminated

The New Year will begin with all its blessings