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Wake up & Hear the Shofar!

Rabbi Shai Specht

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September 15, 2009 by Rabbi Shai Specht   Comments (0)

rosh hashanah, yom kippur, High Holidays, peace, Love, interfaith

Wake up & Hear the Shofar!

Exodus 19:19:
וַֽיְהִי֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר הוֹלֵ֖ךְ וְחָזֵ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד מֹשֶׁ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר וְהָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים יַֽעֲנֶ֥נּוּ בְקֽוֹל
And when the voice of the shofar sounded long, and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and Creator answered him by a voice.

The sound of the shofar at the giving of the Torah has never ended. It continues and becomes stronger from generation to generation. It calls upon Israel and the people of the nations of the world to fulfill the commandments of Creator, to be loving and kind, which gladden the heart and enlighten the eyes.

This year especially, let us use the sound of the Shofar as a wakeup call - a way to bring us back to civility and compassion, love and light. Let us reach out to those in need; those in physical need and those who need our extra love and support emotionally.

The time has come for us to stop labeling people as “this” or “that,” and start putting ourselves in the other’s shoes. Love does not discriminate and neither should we! The Almighty created each and every one of us as we need to be (in the Divine image). We need to embrace diversity and realize that true/pure love has no boundaries.

Let the Shofar remind us that we should Never under estimate the power of love & light. A little word of encouragement, a hug, a smile, are just a few of the actions we can take to make someone else’s life better and ultimately enrich our own journey. Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything, so think before you say something or take action. Survival requires a source of self-respect, self-awareness, and self-honesty. Find a balance point before reaching out, and fill your heart with warmth, passion and compassion.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev said: “Some people hear the shofar of Rosh Hashanah all year, and some hear the sound of the shofar which was blown when the Torah was given all the days of their lives.”

Let us stop hitting the snooze button any longer so that we may fully experience the joys of living in peace and harmony as brothers and sisters.
May the voice of the shofar become louder and louder, and may we Wake Up to a brighter more loving day.

Remember us in Life, Ruler who creates our lives; inscribe us in The Book of Life, Creator of Life.