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Jokes about confession abound, but confession is no laughing matter. Judaism takes confession seriously, especially on Yom Kippur. In Judaism, confession is an intensely private affair. It is only between you and G-d. No one else is invited or permitted to overhear your confession. We must confess silently. The public …

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Home » High Holidays

New Year Greeting 5761: The Passage of Time

Submitted by on November 2, 2005 – 3:02 amNo Comment | 2,728 views

A Year in London Ontario

As the New Year approaches it is time
to sit back and reflect upon the past twelve months and all that has
transpired therein. From a personal perspective, Basie and I look back
to a wonderful period of settling in, meeting new friends and being
warmly accepted into the London Jewish community.

Our
experience in this community has created many loving memories, upon
which, we will look back fondly in the many years to come. On behalf of
Basie and our children I would like to thank you from the bottom of our
hearts.

The Passage of Time

A new year is about to arrive and that
usually means that the past year is “already” coming to a close. I use
the word “already” intentionally because it never ceases to amaze me
how quickly the years pass.

The old saying goes “Time passes
quickly when you’re having fun.” I would like to offer a new “old”
saying, one that I just made up; “Time passes quickly when you fill it
with meaningful activities.”

Indeed, when we fill our lives with
Torah and Mitzvot we are blessed with the swift passage of time. The
weeks flow by and we don’t even realize their passage. We are so
consumed with our projects and causes that we don’t have the time to
notice its passing.

We go from one mitzvah to the next, from one
generous offering to the next, from one meaningful encounter to the
next. We never pause, we never falter, always moving forward to pick up
where we left off.

The Train Analogy

Life, like a speeding train, races along its
track in a headlong rush towards destiny. However, even speeding trains
must stop when they reach their station. Our train pulls in to its
station at this time of year and makes a temporary stop. During our
stay it’s good to evaluate past progress and stock up with provisions
for the future.

In this spirit, I offer the following advice.
When G-d encountered Adam in the Garden of Eden (A story which took
place on the eve of Rosh Hashanah) the first question He asked him was
“Ayekah” Where are you? This is a good question to ask ourselves before
Rosh Hashanah, as our train pulls into its station. Pause for a moment
in the whirlwind of life and ask yourself: Where am I? What is my goal?
What is my direction? How far have I come? How far is there yet to go?
What have I yet to accomplish?

This worthy question brings the
parade of time to a temporary halt. Should we find ourselves on the
right track then we have lost nothing but time, and we continue onwards
“full steam ahead.” Should we find ourselves in need of a slight
correction, we have just given ourselves the opportunity to do so.

May
we be blessed with a year of health, wealth and the time to enjoy it.
May it be a year of meaningful involvement and interaction with the
Jewish community. May it be a year of spiritual enlightenment, growth
and accomplishment. May this be a year of nachas for us all.

 

Shanah Tova