Get In the Game!

"Reaching out for something you've got to feel while clutching to what you had thought was real … the struggle within" (M)

Don't be stuck on the sidelines -
get into the game!

People often wonder why the happy and celebratory days of Sukkos follow Rosh ha'Shana and Yom Kippur - the Days of Awe. After all, why do we sit in a Sukkah just days after we begged for our lives? What is the connection between the two?
On a different, yet related note, once we finish the busiest time of the Jewish year, we may question what we can take with us from the "holiday season." How can we keep the spirit of these days alive throughout the rest of the year?

Everyone wants to be someone great. Nobody wants to be just average. Each of us have role models to whom we aspire, and through our lives we attempt to achieve the goals with which we may become more like those role models.
A few days ago, I was in a restaurant and recognized that half of the people were wearing the same green outfits - Jets jerseys. Being Sunday, a day many dedicate to football, several people had returned from the game and came out to eat to celebrate their win. Why do they wear the jerseys, though? If they aren't the players, then why wear their clothing?
The answer is that when they watch the game and root for their team, they feel connected to them. They feel part of the team. When their team wins, they celebrate - just like the players. When their team loses, they sulk - just like the players. So, during the game, the fans pretend like they're players. Yet, when the game is over, the jerseys come off and they return to normal life. They are no longer "players," rather regular people.
But what about the players themselves? The role models? The people who everyone looks to? They, too, take off their jerseys - but they are still the same people! They are still players!

As we stood in shul on Rosh ha'Shana and Yom Kippur, we promised Hashem to be better. We promised to become the people we know we're supposed to be. The people we know we can be. But this is no easy task. How can we immediately transform ourselves to become truly great overnight? The moment we walk out of shul, we are hardly different people. How can we take the feeling of sanctity of Rosh ha'Shana and Yom Kippur - the feeling of wanting to be great - with us throughout the year?
In comes Sukkos. The moment we leave shul we are told to start building a Sukkah. We are taught that we are to leave our Diras Keva, our permanent home (our houses) and move into the Diras Arai, our temporary home (the Sukkah) - and it, the Sukkah, should become our Diras Keva during this time.
This is our answer. Hashem is telling us to leave our permanent place - the person we have grown into - and move into our temporary place - the person we become only on occasion. Everyone experiences times when we feel tremendously elevated and inspired. There are times when we fulfill mitzvos that uplift us. Carry us. Give us a sense of accomplishment. Transform us into a greater person - temporarily. However, time passes. The feeling wears off and we revert back to our regular selves.
Although we may wear the jersey of our role model, we are not the real player ... yet. After the experience is over, we take off the jersey - the temporary person - and return to our permanent self. Sukkos is about making the temporary permanent. It is the time to keep the jersey on. To become the player - the role model. To incorporate the inspiration of Rosh ha'Shana and Yom Kippur into our everyday lives. To become part of our reality. Who we truly are.
To make the temporary permanent.

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, help me be the best I can be today!"

Race to the Starting Line

“You got a fast car, but is it fast enough so you can fly away - you gotta make a decision” (TC)



The race is on - get moving!

  The year is now officially underway. We've made it this far once again. Yet, as with all new beginnings, there are certain expectations we have for ourselves, as well as promises we made to Hashem on Rosh ha'Shana and Yom Kippur that we must fulfill in the coming months. One thing is for certain - we must not sit back and relax now that the Day of Judgment is behind us. After all, we are essentially now preparing for the next Yom ha'Din.

If you have ever played the classic arcade racing game, you know the thrill and excitement of high speed driving that cannot be imitated on the roads of real life. Gripping the wheel and thrusting the pedal to the metal, you drive through a series of tight, challenging turns while avoiding "dangerous" collisions with other drivers. As you slow into turns and rebound from the frequent side-swipes, you keep your eyes on the clock as the time ticks.
But where are you going? What is the goal?
To complete the lap and make it to the starting line again before time expires.
"Am I going to make it?" you nervously think to yourself.
With a few moments to spare, you finally make your way to the "checkpoint" - the starting line - and begin a new lap. But the challenge now increases - you'll have less time to complete this new lap. If you made it this far, you surely can find a way to drive through the same course again.
Only faster. Better. Make smarter decisions. Crash less.

We all made it to the starting line and just pulled out once more, and, although we may have crashed a couple of times (bein odom l'Mokom) and brushed by others driving on the road of life (bein odom l'chaveiro) this past year , we are still alive and intact, thank G-D. We get to start the clock once again.
However, the responsibility that rests upon our shoulders is great. If we managed to make it this far, Hashem has faith that we'll do even a better job this year - in the new lap. We'll have to drive better. Safer. Bump around and crash less.
And the margin of error is slimmer since time will be tighter.
But we've been here before. We've done this lap before. Each day poses the same challenges - but we're smarter now. Stronger now. We've become better drivers.
Drive safely!

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please help me overcome today's challenges so that I can better serve You!"

Be Connected - Always

"You should know, everywhere I go, You're always on my mind, in my heart, in my soul ... You're the meaning in my life, You're the inspiration ... Wanna have You near me ... no one needs You more than I need You" (C)

The signal is at its strongest -
are you connecting to it?

Time is ticking. It isn't just a cute cliche - it's real.
People wonder, "What is so special about this time of year? Everyone talks about doing teshuva and how now is the time to 'connect' with Hashem. What does that mean? And why now?"
We know that Hashem is closer to us during this time period, and, therefore, it makes Him more accessible to us. It means that we can earn forgiveness faster, gain a closer and more lasting bond with Him and essentially change our lives for the better.

The other evening, a neighbor of mine introduced an interesting idea to me - a plan for our neighborhood. He remarked, "Instead of everyone buying their own personal wireless router to connect to the Internet, where some will have a stronger signal than others, why can't we just buy a really powerful router and place it someone central among our condos? This way, everyone can be connected all the time!"
Perfect idea! 

The further we are away from the router, the weaker our connection. The weaker our connection, the slower we work. The slower we work, the less we get done. If we're so far away from the router to the point that we have no signal - we're not connected at all!
During the month of Elul and the Yomim Nora'im, Hashem is "closer" to us. The signal is stronger now than any other time of year. Thus, we can connect better. Work faster. Get more done. While some have a strong connection to Him throughout the year, the signal that is transmitted now is universal. Anyone can tap into it. Anywhere.
The only question is - have we turned our access feature on?

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, I want to stay connect to You - please help us keep the connection strong all year long!"