Less Selfish, More Selfless
By Rabbi Ephraim Silverman | Chabad of Cobb
As we prepare for the holidays, I think it is important that we have a clear understanding of what we hope to accomplish during the upcoming months. There are so many different prayers, customs and rituals that it is easy to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the big picture and real meaning of these important days.
One of the most important ideas in Judaism is the famous statement of Hillel. Hillel explained that the essence of Torah is the quality of our relationships with others, and the rest of Judaism is commentary. I believe the same can be said of the holidays.
The spiritual growth and closeness to G-d we hope to feel this month should help us become a little less selfish and a little more selfless. If, after the holidays, we have become more sensitive and attuned to the needs of others, then we can be confident that we have not lost sight of the main theme.
This is an easy way to measure the true success of our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur experience.
Unity has always been the key to salvation for our people and is of tremendous significance in current times, when we Jews of the Diaspora need to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Israel.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the entire Jewish community a happy and sweet new year.
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