Time for Our Six Month Tune-Up

In and of itself Shabbat is a unique celebration. Yet there are a number of “special Shabbats” with names and traditions of their own. This month we celebrate Shabbat haGadol, the Great Shabbat, which precedes the beginning of Passover. One might ask, “Nu? What makes this Shabbat different from all other Shabbats? All other Shabbats are great … ”

Our Ashkenazi forebears (our Eastern European ancestors) had a tradition that the rabbi would preach twice a year: on Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and on Shabbat haGadol. The historical record shows that many of the Shabbat Shuvah (Shabbat of Return) sermons were focused on paths of teshuvah, repentance, while those of Shabbat haGadol dealt with the intricacies of kashrut laws for our Passover meals. And again one asks, “Nu? So what’s so ‘great’ about a rabbinic treatise on milk and meat, leavened food and unleavened food? I can always look it up on Wikipedia if I’m interested.”

What is so fabulous about these two Shabbats is that by separating the message of our return to right and to our best selves at the New Year and the re-training on details (some would say minutiae) of our actions six months later, we are reinforcing the core message of Judaism. We fulfill our potential through daily action.

We seek to be good, at peace with our choices, deeply committed to relationships with loved ones, kind to those in need and most at home in our identities. These are high aspirations. It requires diligence, presence and elevated self-awareness to constantly evaluate and improve on our behaviors. Our tradition asks us to fully ignore our earthly selves by fasting on Yom Kippur in order to work only on our holiest qualities. This is why the High Holy Day season occurs only once during the year. We can’t live every day as if it is Yom Kippur.

We can, however, live every day in such a way as to build the framework for stronger relationships and better choices. Shabbat haGadol offers us a powerful lesson. The rules of kashrut are metaphor for the conventions of daily living. By making a habit of certain behaviors, we come closer to the greater goals of our best selves. For example, I may want to grow into the person who is present in all my relationships. For today I will adjust my behaviors so that I respond to my cousin’s email, quickly return my son’s call, reach out to my uncle across the country. In doing these small acts, day by day, our regular behaviors strengthen our character as we develop into our best selves.

Six months ago we focused on the divine characteristics we sought to achieve. At this Shabbat haGadol we have an opportunity to focus on the commandments of daily choices: What foods do I put in my mouth? What coins are placed in the tzedakah box? What stumbling blocks will I remove from those around me?

May this season bring you the blessings of simple actions, simple choices and the holiest of miracles that they bring to every moment.

Re-printed from the March 2010 Covenant