Sermon for Kol Nidre night 5785
October 11, 2024
For those of you who are regular attendees at Shabbat services throughout the year, I’m sure you notice how various elements of the service --- prayer language, congregational tunes, and Torah cantillation modes are different for the High Holidays.
But even for those of you whom we tend to see much less frequently at services during the rest of the year, I would guess that there is at least one liturgical change that you notice as well.
It comes in the various forms of the Kaddish – whether it’s the half kaddish or the full kaddish or the mourners kaddish.
I’m referring to the repetition of the word “le’eylah” (לעלה).
The rest of the year in the Kaddish --- we declare that God is “le’eylah min kawl birkhata veshirata tushbechatah venechemata da’amiran be’alma” --- “beyond all blessings, songs, praises and words of comfort that we can say in this world”
That statement in the Kaddish reminds us that there is so much in existence that is utterly beyond our comprehension. That there is so much mystery and miracle all around us at all times that if we were to truly perceive it all it would just blow our minds --- maybe even literally -- who knows!
I think that’s what the Torah means when it portrays God telling Moses ---
“I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name ADONAI, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show […] but you cannot see My face, for a human being may not see Me and live.”[1]
That passage from the Book of Exodus goes on to describe God’s divine attributes, the idea that we cannot perceive God directly, but, rather we perceive the effects of God’s actions in the world.
We proclaim those attributes multiple times in our High Holiday services:
ה' ׀ ה' אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃
נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙
Adonai, Adonai, compassionate and gracious God, patient, abounding in kindness and truth; assuring steadfast love for a thousand generations, forgiving transgression and sin, and granting pardon.[2]
And from these and other teachings with which Judaism abounds, we learn that the ultimate life of religious faith consists of trying to emulate such qualities in our own lives --- regardless of whether you believe in a personal God or are atheist or anything in between. As Jews, we are a people with a shared heritage and destiny even while our particular theological outlooks may vary.
But I want to go back to what I started talking about regarding the words of the kaddish ---
The rest of the year we say that God’s actual nature is “LE’EYLA” (“BEYOND”) all blessings, songs, etc. “da’amiran balma” (“that we utter in the world”).”
But, during the Yamim Noraim – the days of awe from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur we don’t just say “Leyla” “BEYOND” we say “LE’EYLAH ULE’EYLAH” -- “Beyond and Beyond’ – or, more idiomatically —“FAR BEYOND”.
The ultimate nature of reality is FAR BEYOND that which we mere earthlings can express or understand.
I have been thinking about that extra “LEYLAH” on this High Holiday season --when it seems like it’s FAR FAR BEYOND my abilities – and perhaps LE’EYLAH ULE’EYALH – far far beyond ---- the abilities of my fellow rabbis in synagogue pulpits around the world --- to thread the needle --- to find the proper balance --- between
sharing what I believe
versus
maintaining a spirit of welcoming community with those with whom I am in profound and painful disagreement.
Perhaps those of you who attend the discussion session tomorrow afternoon will come up with that magic formula.
As for me, up here trying to come up with words of some value or inspiration to share with you on this holiest of nights ... I just keep thinking “le’eyla, ule’eylah” – it’s far far beyond me to square the circle --- it’s far far beyond me to get everyone on the same page –
regarding the existential question of Jewish survival in a post-October 7th world.
And I won’t try to do that here.
Those of you who know me well, probably know what I think. And those of you who don’t, can certainly ask me when I’m off the bima.
One of my rabbinical colleagues recently shared in an online group that they were
“Looking for a Yom Kippur sermon idea - something on political polarization and the election along with some rabbinic texts,…But I’m not sure what to say except that polarization is bad. Any ideas?”
In my response to that query I wrote this:
“The old "makhloket leshem shamayim" [argument for the sake of heaven] vs "makhloket shelo beshem shamayim" [argument not for the sake of heaven] dichotomy could be useful. As for me, I'm sorely tempted to do a sermon about how putting a band aid on a problem (rather than trying to solve it) is actually a good response...”
That’s what I wrote.
About a month ago I took a bad fall while I was out for a run on the Lakewalk. I managed to walk and then continue to run the remaining couple of miles home while my arm and my leg were dripping blood.
Thankfully, I didn’t need any stitches.
And yes, after cleaning myself up, I did indeed put on a bunch of band aids to cover the wounds.
And, miracle of miracles, I kept the band aids on long enough that everything healed on its own.
As we say in the asher yatzar blessing in the daily Shacharit liturgy:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' רוֹפֵא כָל־בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת
Barukh atah Adonai, rofey khawl basar umafli la’asot
"Blessed are you Adonai, the wondrous healer of all flesh."
My inclination is to be a peace-maker – to put metaphorical band aids on our communal hurts and just give them time to heal on their own with the passage of time.
I know this modus operandi does not work for all situations
But I really do appreciate band aids!
And I pray that, as a congregation, as a society, as a world – we be graced with the ability and the opportunity to find common ground without insisting upon identical ground.
I realize that I am mixing a lot of metaphors and perhaps being somewhat obscure in my remarks.
But what I’m getting at --- and what I bet you can indeed get from what I’m saying --- is this:
Let us remain in covenantal community with one another, supporting one another, caring for one another, rooting for one another even though --- outside these walls --- we may be in bitter opposition to one another on matters that may be deep in our hearts.
Ahm Yisra’el Chai/ May our people continue to live and thrive.
Gmar chatimah tovah/ May we all be inscribed and sealed for goodness in this new year.
Tzom Kal/ May those who are observing the Yom Kippur fast, do so easily.
Shabbat shalom --- May this Yom Kippur -- this Shabbat Shabbaton – this Sabbath of Sabbaths – be a time of meaningful reflection and communion ---
AND MAY OUR BROKEN HEARTS BE HEALED.
Amen.
© Rabbi David Steinberg
October 2024/ Kol Nidre Night 5785
[1] Exodus 33:19-20
[2] Exodus 34: 6-7 (Actually, the recitation in liturgy of those so-called “Shelosh Eshrey Midot” (“Thirteen [Divine] Attributes”) omits the end of verse seven but that could be the subject of another sermon altogether… )
