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It is now time to celebrate the second Shabbat of the new year. Last Shabbat was spent observing the new year holiday of Rosh Hashanah. I very much hope that all of you enjoyed your Rosh Hashanah celebration. For me, it was a privilege to be able to pray with all of you. I felt that there was a strong sense of unity, joy, and community in our sanctuary, and for that I am grateful.
Now we are about to observe a very special Shabbat, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which is known as Shabbat Shuva, the sabbath of return and repentance. On this Shabbat we read a special haftarah which focuses on the themes of repentance and forgiveness. It begins with a verse from the book of the prophet Hosea. "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have fallen because of your sin." (Hosea, 14:2)
This brief sentence sums up very clearly and succinctly the entire message of our high holiday season. We all have fallen short, both individually and collectively as a group. There is much room and potential for growth. All that we need, and all that we should long for, is an opportunity. And that is exactly what we have been given! The new year itself is the opportunity; a clean slate, a fresh start, and a chance to search out a new and better path. We all need a little bit of an upgrade, some fine tuning and refocusing.
Shabbat Shuva is a powerful chance to feel the reawakening before the onset of the awesome day of Yom Kippur. Let us all do our best to return to everything that we truly are and to find the purest version of ourselves, with passionate commitment and devotion to making the very best that we can out of the year 5784.
May we all have a blessed Shabbat Shuva, an enlightening Yom Kippur, and a year of 5784 filled with happiness, peace, and health.
Shabbat shalom and Shana Tova!
Cantor Zachary Konigsberg
[email protected]
917-696-0749
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