Temple Newsletter for August 25th, 203

My Ethical Will

I recall a bumper sticker that captured my attention.  It read “Don’t postpone joy.” That message no doubt speaks to all of us about the challenges and demands that life puts upon us, and how we tend to put off or delay things small and large.

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As we are now but three weeks from a new Jewish year, I think one of the important messages of Rosh Hashanah is that we strive to live our lives as richly and meaningfully as we can in the present. Yes, “life” sometimes gets in the way and plans are delayed. But I’m thinking more about us as individuals, and the degree to which we’ve postponed too many important things.   

In this year which we are about to begin, our Jewish tradition surely calls to us “don’t postpone joy.”  Don’t take life for granted. Don’t take health for granted.  Don’t take the love of your spouse or your children and grandchildren for granted. And with them and our friends, may we ever-strive to live with the knowing that the more of ourselves we give to others, the richer we become.

And another thought: Let us not take for granted that we can recapture in the future, the goodness, the love and fulfillment that is available to us today, and God-willing tomorrow. To truly live each day of our lives; that is both the challenge and the opportunity that is life, and one of the integral messages of Rosh Hashanah. And yes, there is much wisdom in the observation “that the things that truly bring us joy are rarely things.”

May this new year be a blessed one for each of us and for the people we love. May we all have times of experiencing the joy that nourishes our hearts and souls.    

Rabbi David Greenberg