Elul Thoughts, Elul 28 (short read)

Below is teaching of Chaplain (Rabbi to be) Adam Ruditsky in conjunction with the book Preparing for the High Holidays

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רפואה מן התורה

Generations come and generations go, but the world stands (Ecc. 1:4)

There is nothing new under the sun, people come and go, but the world and its ways stay the same.  What also stays the same is that people need tikkun, or repair.  During the holidays, particularly on Yom Kippur, we will say many prayers that have to do with t’shuva, prayers that speak to the act and/or its potential. When we say the Al Chayt, we seek forgiveness for acts of slander, bribery, extortion, perverting justice, lies, baseless hatred, but also gossip and greed.  In fact gossip, along with idolatry and murder it is considered one of the worst sins in Judaism. The point is that like others, yesterday and tomorrow,  human error will continue to exist. This is not like a Christian understanding that all people are depraved, which is not the Jewish way, a way that says we are perfectly and wonderfully formed but also no one is above making errors. With all our human advancements human nature never really changes yet our tradition gives us the tools to fix it. 

Because the world is a different place each moment, I am alive, there is unlimited
potential for change