4 Hours Before Rosh Hashanah 5781; This is where life iswritten

It is Erev  Yom Hadin. We are busy with seemingly mundane things; showering the children and wiping the kitchen floor. Putting away the pots, taking out a baking pan, back to the store for more challos, setting the timer for the lights and maybe the air conditioner too…

In another minute the Mishpat begins. Fatal decisions affecting an entire year. Life is hanging in the balance. Recent events demonstrated what can happen. Let us plead with the King to show us mercy!

We would love to be at the Kosel Hamaaravi right now, standing by the holy, ancient stones and offer a prayer that immediately flies up straight to Heaven.

In truth, we are there. Our sheluchim, who are considered like ourselves, are on their way to daven for us during these last minutes of 5780, at the place closest to the Kodesh Hakodoshim.

Who are these sheluchim?

Gedolei Hador themselves. Leading Talmidei Chachamim, Chassidishe Rebbes, Roshei Yeshivos.

Where are they, and where are we? Struggling with our daily tasks and challenges, we try to learn Torah and do maasim tovim as much as we can. People like us have a lot to benefit from people like them. They will be our sheluchim at these critical moments.

The power is tremendous. It’s the power of hundreds of years of Torah learning, the power of the tzibbur that rests on their shoulders, the power of tzedakah that is distributed to tens of thousands of poor Jews. There they are, angelic in their appearance, faces glowing with the last Tefilah of year 5780. Standing before the Shechinah, in the place of the Shechinah.

“The power of this Tefilah” – so stated MoreinuPosekHadorHaravHagaon Yosef Shalom Elyashivzatzal. “The power of the Tefilah session of Vaad Harabbanim on Erev Rosh Hashanah can change a person’s gezar din from death to life…!”

A Year Is Being Signed and Sealed

5780 is closing its gates, and suddenly a new calendar is hung up: 5781.

That’s an alarming sight. This past year was long enough and dramatic enough. We went through a lot. Can you even remember YamimNora’im of last year, before COVID? And what will the next year bring??

Do you remember that last year we could visit our grandparents and even get a hug from them? That we could fly when we wanted, where we wanted, and the airport was packed with people? That life was “normal,” before the COVID casualties, before the businesses that closed, before the riots that rocked our cities?

Life has changed a lot.

And what does year 5781 have under its wings? Will the pandemic finally disappear? Will we get back to “normal”?

What do we hope for in the new year? We ask the Aibeshter for peace, health, parnassah, nachas, simcha… that Hashem should keep the good things going and send away the bitter things.

On Rosh Hashanah, everything that we think we have is reconsidered and reevaluated and rejudged. No detail is to be taken for granted.

This year we need no reminders. A microscopic virus already showed us enough.

Health.

Mental health.

Parnassah.

The children.

The home.

Our needs are great and our lives are fragile.

Tzedakah to Vaad Harabbanim, coupled with the Tefilah of the GedoleiHador on Erev Yom Hadin at the KoselHamaaravi. This year more than ever.