My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) -- Shabbat Shuvah
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel on September 24, 2009 | Tags:
This Shabbat is Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur. Our tradition teaches that the gates of repentance are always open (well, except for when they close at the end of the Neilah service), and we are constantly reminded that it is never too late to change one's ways and start anew. The haftarah for this Shabbat begins, "Shuvah Yisroel..." (Return, O Israel...). (Hosea 14:2) That idea of returning, or turning to a different path, permeates the season. What's significant, perhaps, is not that we are given repeated opportunities to change, but that we need them. None of us is perfect, and there's always room for improvement. What this Shabbat before Yom Kippur reminds us is not only can we always return, it asks us why we aren't starting right now. If it's never too late to begin, it's also never too early to start.
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Daniel M. KimmelJoined: October 2, 2007 Daniel M. Kimmel is a Boston area film critic, lecturer and author. He does these weekly mini-lessons for the Mishkan Tefila Brotherhood's newsletter. You are free to use them for similar purposes. Divrei Torah (117) |
