New Year Message From Chief Rabbi Funnye

Chief Rabbi Capers Shmuel Yefuneh
11th Elul 5782 – September 7, 2022

Shalom Aleichem to Kol Adath B’nai Yisrael, First and foremost, I want to wish the entire Israelite community Shana Tovah U’Metukah-V’ketivah Chatimah Tovah (May you have a sweet and good year!), from our house to the whole Israelite community. As we approach this Holy Season of Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah, I want to share a few of my thoughts with our community. The Psalmist tells us in the Psalm 133 chapter: “Behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity”.

As the Holy Season rapidly approaches us, I would like to share with you a few reflections on the month of Elul. Elul is the sixth month of the Hebrew Calendar, leading us to Rosh Hashanah/ Yom Teruah, the Jewish new year. This is a month to spiritually prepare for the High Holydays season through reflection and repentance.

Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and personal stock-taking, known in the Hebrew as cheshbon hanefesh-literally “an accounting of the soul.” This process is conducted in preparation for Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah when Hebrew tradition teaches, all of humanity is called to account and a divine judgement is issued. The customs associated with Elul are all intended to help cultivate the proper mindset for this divine encounter. One of the customs of Elul, is the tradition of blowing of the shofar every weekday after morning service. As on Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah, the daily shofar blast is intended to rouse us from complacency and jolt us into repentance.

It is also customary to recite Psalms 27, which speaks of the assurance of G-d’s protection and includes a plea that G-d does not forsake his people, daily during the month of Elul. Another teaching about Elul is that the four Hebrew letters of the month’s name are an acronym from the verse in Song of Songs: “Ani l’dodi v’lododi li (“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.”) Song of Songs is understood to be an allegory in which the lovers are G-d and Israel. Elul is thus understood to be a time of recommitting to our relationship with G-d.

My last thoughts on the “Ten Days of Awe” which leads us to Yom Kippur, are that as my beloved teacher, Rabbi Hailu Pars, use to say: “So many Yom Kippurim, and so little forgiveness.” Let each of us seek to forgive those of us that we may have wronged. Let us seek forgiveness from G-d, as we learn to forgive each other!

May all our fasting be light, but meaningful this Yom Kippur!