Recognizing the Good – 2 weeks from Rosh Hashanah
Dear Friends,
As High Holy Days approach, Jewish tradition invites us to prepare by paying particular attention to two values that lie at the heart of this sacred season: forgiveness and gratitude.
Forgiveness, when sought from someone we may have hurt, requires an honest look at ourselves – to recognize something we may have said, something we may have done, or perhaps something we failed to do. Teshuvah begins when we become aware enough to say: I see what happened. I recognize my part in it. I want to make it right.
Gratitude asks something remarkably similar of us.
There is a beautiful Hebrew phrase, Hakarat HaTov, which literally means “recognizing the good.” It is the foundational Jewish concept of gratitude. It goes far beyond simply saying “thank you.” Hakarat HaTov asks us to become more conscious of the goodness already present in our lives – the kindness of another person, an unexpected gift, a relationship we treasure, a blessing we too easily take for granted.
Before we can be grateful for the good, we have to notice it.
Perhaps the greatest gift of these weeks before Rosh Hashanah is a profound opportunity to awaken to our own lives – to become truly present and live more consciously.
And, just as importantly, to count our blessings. The High Holy Days give us time to pause and to reflect.
I look forward to seeing you for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, either in person at our Synagogue by the Sea or on our Livestream. If you have not yet done so, register for High Holy Day services HERE.
Let us welcome the holidays together with open hearts, grateful for the past and hopeful for the future.
Shabbat Shalom, Jan
