Something to Celebrate

Several years ago, I spoke with a local friend as we were walking out of Yom Kippur services. Knowing that he had expressed reluctance to attend the services, I asked him how the day had gone.
He looked at me tentatively and asked "Am I allowed to say I enjoyed it?"
I can see why some people think of the High Holidays as rather glum.
Spending hours in synagogue is only the beginning.
The days' theme focuses on acknowledging our responsibility to G-d and each other; there’s also an impossible-to-miss emphasis on "atonement", which entails a process of identifying and facing our mistakes.

How uplifting can all that be?
Interestingly, Chabad tradition describes a joyous enthusiasm that needs to permeate this time of year, up to and including these self-reflective, internally-scrutinous, High Holiday experiences.

Why and how?

The central answer to this question lies in another question: Does it really matter? Does it truly matter whether I’m respecting and strengthening my relationships with my G-d, my community, my family and myself? In fact, do I and my life – in relation to the cosmos - matter at all?

With that attitude, my High Holidays are likely to be a drag.

But it’s not my attitude.

Judaism tells us that our actions, each and every behavioral choice throughout the day, are very precious to G-d.

They matter.

Because WE matter.

Our daily thoughts, words and action matter deeply to G-d; they rank so high on His “priority scale” that they are, to use the Rebbe’s expression: “Higher, Higher, and even Higher, to the extent that nothing else is Higher.”

Think about it in terms of a parent’s connection to a child. When something is happening that strikes at the heart of the relationship, there is nothing more important.

Nothing.

Nothing is more important to G-d than you and your life.

Every move, every moment, is critically important; because every move and every moment speaks to the core of our special relationship.

So this time of year presents an exciting opportunity. It’s a time to re-visit and strengthen our unbreakable, intimate connection with the Divine.

And if it hurts to see that the relationship is in need of some repair, so what?

Isn’t fixing a cherished relationship something to celebrate?