Dear Haverim and Haverot,

The process of teshuva is hard. Over the years we have tried to understand it from different vantage points. These efforts are part of the ongoing  interpretative process that keeps Torah alive for each generation that comes along. It is the thread of teshuva that runs through all of the generations and is the underpinning of our faith-seeking. Teshuva has many meanings. In Modern Hebrew it is an “answer”—she-eylah-question-teshuva/answer. This is also the term for the asking of Halachic questions. There is a vast literature of she-eylot and teshuvot that reaches back to the completion of the Babylonian Talmud in 500 CE. Teshuva also means turning- from the root lashuv.

Over the years we at TBZ have offered more nuanced definitions: recalibration, responsiveness, reconnection. All of these are parts of the process of teshuva. Restoring our balance on the tightrope of life is the way I addressed it last year. To live our lives and avoid the extremes—positions that never change for fear of the adventure of crossing the narrow bridge of life. Those who never venture forth on the tightrope that is strung across the chasm of extremes rarely have the chance to find the balance most of us seek. They are afraid of falling. Our walking the tightrope forces us to find our center, our balance. When we fall there is always a safety net-teshuva. All of us will miss the mark (this is the literal meaning of khet—often mistranslated as “sin” due to the influence of our living within a predominantly Christian environment).

The Days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called the Aseret Yemai Teshuva—the 10 days of Teshuva. These days are anticipated by the month of Elul. (This year it starts on August 10/11). Repairing relationships with family, friends, business associates, etc. is the focus of this Elul teshuva process. These 30 days offer us an opportunity for dealing with all of the lateral, interpersonal recalibration we need in order to have a truly joyous New Year.

When we enter the 10 days of Teshuva we take the time to consider our relationship with the Divine. This is why the Jewish New Year (in contrast to the secular one) is observed in shul. The Days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are particularly propitious for practicing a heightened level “mindfulness” that of was perhaps missed during the year past. The rituals of Jewish life are precisely aimed at achieving mindfulness and meaning: Shabbat observance teaches of about the holiness of time; kashruth teaches the importance of considering what we put in our mouths; the rules against slander and gossip keeps us mindful about what comes out of our mouths; participating in communal activities reminds us that, as Jews, we flourish in like-minded community.

This is true of all of the” ritual” mitzvoth—whether they are interpersonal or spiritual. They are available to us in order to help advance our lives to expanded consciousness. This wide range of actions offers us the opportunity to be involved in teshuva everydayof our lives. This is the consciousness that will reconnect us to the Mekor Hayyim, the Source of Life.

On Yom Kippur we are cleared of our khataim, our failure to hit the target we have aimed for by ignoring those mitzvoth (connection points) which
connect us to the Divine spirit that inhabits all of Reality.

At TBZ we actively pursue the parallel strategies of carrying on the ancient poetry of the High Holiday services while at the same time opening up new avenues of understanding of how the Divine plays a role in our lives. Our goal is to liberate ourselves from literal understandings of the High Holiday liturgy to a more sophisticated use of this marvelous legacy that will propel us to greater personal meaning.

I have often repeated that our goal at TBZ is not to create “better” Jews, but rather for all of us to use our precious inheritance, received from our
ancestors, to become more evolved human beings—yiddishkeyt as a road to menschlichkeyt. This means that the rituals of our tradition can and should be used in our daily lives to bring about this kind of teshuva.

My teacher, Rabbi Art Green, has said that the best way to talk about our religious and spiritual lives is to see ourselves as seekers, rather than believers. All of us are seeking meaning in our lives. All of us are looking for liberation from the pressures of the mundane. At TBZ we are convinced that we have cultivated a path for our seeking. Foremost, we contend it is found in being part of a community of seekers.

Whether you attend TBZ twice a year or fully participate in our Shabbat and weekly learning sessions, I ask you to consider how we can be helpful in
your quest for deeper meaning. That is why we are here all year round.

My family joins me in blessing for a sweet, healthy and prosperous year. A zisn, gezuntn, un mazeldik yohr. Shana tovah tekatevu vetekhateymu.