By Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
The Jewish month of Elul is a time of preparation for the New Year. We feel the change of the seasons, we hear the sound of the Shofar, we know that the Day of Judgment is soon upon us.
As we ready ourselves for the Days of Awe, we are especially excited this year at Stephen Wise Temple to share with you our new High Holy Day prayerbook (machzor). The following is excerpted from our machzor’s Rosh Hashanah evening service:
A story is told by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772–1810) about a man who studied with our master and teacher Rabbi Yitzchak of Nedborna. Before Rosh Hashanah, the man came to his teacher to ask permission to leave early. Rabbi Yitzchak said to him, “What’s your hurry?” He replied, “I am a shaliach tzibur (prayer leader) and I need to examine the machzor and prepare my prayers.” Rabbi Yitzchak said, “The machzor is the same as last year in God’s eyes. Better that you should examine your deeds and prepare yourself!”
Although our machzor this year is indeed new, filled with additional commentary, readings, and original art, it is, I suspect in many ways, the same “in God’s eyes.” That is to say, its purpose has not changed: to call us to repentance, to inspire us to be better so that we can make a better world.
It is Elul. Rosh Hashanah is but a few weeks away. The time has come once again to examine our deeds and prepare ourselves for teshuva.
