Traditionally Rosh Hashanah is a time to reframe. A time when we look inwardly and ask ourselves who am I, why am I hear, and how shall I live going forward into the year ahead. The journey forward however, is never worth its true weight unless we look back and learn something from our past as well.
This year I reflect on my own past with a sense of pride and accomplishment, as I mark ten years of spiritual leadership to this wonderful community!! I recall the moment back in 2013 when I heard the words “Lech Lechah”. It was as if God was calling me personally to go forth on a journey to an unknown destination, and in so doing asking me to leave everything that was familiar to me behind. I did so with unwavering faith, against the odds of those who believed given my background and upbringing, that I would not survive Jewish life outside of North West London.
What then was the secret of my success even when the odds might have been stacked against me?
Abraham and Sarah, the two biblical characters we read of on Rosh Hashanah are among the supreme historical examples of success against the odds. Think about it, God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, and that he would inherit the land. But he did not live to see these promises fulfilled, and yet the Torah tells us that he died at a good age, old and satisfied. How can we imagine that he was “satisfied” at the end of his life with dreams and promises unfulfilled?
I believe the answer is this. “He who has a why in life can bear almost any how.”
It was Sarah and Abraham’s sense of destiny and calling that gave their lives purpose and allowed them to survive the difficult times even the unfulfilled goals at the end of their lives – because they had faith that the journey was not yet over, and because they had a why which enabled them to find the strength to bear the how.
In removing the “limitations” which often causes us to be doubters and sceptics, let us not be afraid to take the first step for the sake of our collective Jewish future, and when we doubt ourselves, let’s be reminded of those powerful words, “He who has a why in life can bear almost any how.”
Shanah Tova – Daniel