Rabbi Howard Morrison

On the last day of his life, Moses assembles the entirety of the Children of Israel and exclaims: "You stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your God." In the opening six verses of the Parsha, the term "Ha'Yom-This day" appears five times. Why the repetition? On one level, "This day" refers to the day that Moses will day. In subsequent rabbinic literature, "Ha'Yom" refers to Yom Kippur in particular and the High Holy Day season in general. The five-time repetition of "Ha'Yom" could possibly mean that each and every day of our lives we stand as individuals and as a community before God.

How are we Jews standing right now, given the past year of tragic events? How will we stand in an unprecedented new year which has not known of such horrors since the days of the Shoah? Will we stand in fear? Will we stand hidden from our Jewish identities? Will we choose to not stand as Jews at all?

I hope and pray that now and into the new year, we will stand with courage, hope, faith, and optimism. Always feel assured to lean on your family, community, and rabbi. We need to stand firmly and proudly always and especially nowadays.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison