Beth Shalom
Oceanside Jewish Center

Hayom: Living One Day at a Time
Rosh Hashanah 5764
By Rabbi Mark B Greenspan

This morning, as we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I find myself wondering what the year ahead will hold for us. Looking back we see joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies. Many were unpredictable. If there is one incident which epitomized just how fragile and uncertain life is, it would have to be the tragic destruction of the Columbia Shuttle.

When Ilan Ramon and his fellow crew members awoke on the morning of Feb. 1st, there was no way that they could anticipate the terrible tragedy before them. After 16 days in space, they dreamed of returning home and basking in the glory of their accomplishments.

All seven members of the Columbia were extraordinary but Ilan Ramon’s journey had special meaning for us. His mission was the culmination of a glorious career and a historic moment for the Jewish people. To mark the occasion, Ilan brought objects that symbolized his connection to his people: an Israeli flag, several mezuzot, a microfiche version of the Bible, a rendering of the earth from the vantage point of the moon drawn by a young Holocaust victim, and a small Torah scroll. Though he did not consider himself religious, Ilan recognized the importance of his journey for Israel and the Jewish people. By requesting kosher food and marking the Sabbath in outer space, Col. Ramon added an element of spirituality to his trip.

At 9:00 AM that morning, when NASA lost contact with the astronauts, we knew that something was wrong. As the minutes passed, disbelief turned into sorrow. Seven great men and women were lost. Seven families began to grieve along with the rest of the world. Children were left without parents, proud parents without their children and spouses without loved ones.

Since that time, NASA has undergone a massive Heshbon Hanefesh. Yet these reports in the world can’t detract from the astronauts’s accomplishments. They understood that they were not just Americans, Israelis, Christians, Jews, or Hindus. They represented all of us. Though they carried their unique identity with them, they spoke for all humankind. They were “the best we had to offer.”

For me they were more than intrepid adventurers. They represent an ideal we all can and must strive for: they were people who were not afraid to live their lives out fully and completely each day, despite the risks. They were men and women who recognized the significance of the moment and weren’t afraid to live in that moment fully.

The Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, is a time when we are deeply aware of just how fragile life is, and how important the present moment can be. Maybe that’s what attracts so many people to synagogue at this time of year. The haunting melody and powerful words of the Unetaneh Tokef reach deep into our souls: “On Rosh Hashanah it is decided and on Yom Kippur it is confirmed; who shall live and who shall die.†We look toward the New Year with uncertainty. No one can know what it will hold.

All we can do is make the most of this moment. We look back as we reflect on the past and we look forward with hope that the New Year will be better than the old one. But we sometimes forget that the most important moment is this one. In the end that is the only moment that really counts.

Hayom: Today. This word recurs throughout the Rosh Hashanah liturgy. While we often speak of Rosh Hashanah as the “birthday of the world,” the well known passage, “Hayom Harat Olam,” does not mean “Today the world was created,” but rather, “Today the world is being created.” Rosh Hashanah has something to teach us about the present. Each day marks, an opportunity to start over; a chance to renew our lives. Together with God we are creating the world

“Hayom Harat Olam, Today the world is being created.” But what does this mean? The world already exists. How can it be created Hayom - today?

According to a rabbinic teaching, it was not the world but the first human beings who were created on Rosh Hashanah. According to the Midrash, the creation of the world began on the twenty fifth of Elul and culminated on Rosh Hashanah, the first of Tishri. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of humanity, not the beginning of the world.

On that first day, humanity lived out the entirety of its existence. The Midrash tells us what happened hour by hour. In the first hour God decided to create Adam and Eve; in the second, God consulted with the angels concerning the creation of human beings; and in the third hour, God gathered earth from which humanity was fashioned. In the fourth and fifth hours “God kneaded the dust and jointed the parts” and in the sixth, seventh and eighth hours God stood the first human beings up, breathed life into them and placed them in the garden. What happened in the final hours of that first day? God commanded them not to eat from the tree of life, watched as they disobeyed, and then passed judgment on them in the eleventh hour. Finally in the twelfth hour, God forgave their trespass. Adam and Eve “went forth from the Holy One’s presence free.”

In other words everything - birth, formation, rebellion, judgment, repentance and redemption all of life’s transformational moments, - took place on Rosh Hashanah. All of life unfolded and took place on one day. Everything that would ever matter already happened in those first moments of creation.

Imagine thinking about our lives in this way. Everything that needs to happen will happen today. This moment has infinite potential. Just as every life is like an entire world, every moment is an eternity. When we awake each day the entire world lies before us: what will we make of it? A wasted day means a wasted life. We’ve lost an opportunity to grow, to heal a broken soul, to comfort the bereaved, to bring the Messiah, to bring peace to the world. Once the day has passed it is gone forever!

Rosh Hashanah symbolizes every day. Each day has unlimited potential for good or for evil. Like the first human beings, on it we are born, we develop, we rebel, we obey, we are judged and we’re forgiven. There’s no yesterday and no tomorrow, only Hayom, only today. What will we do with this day while it’s still here, before it’s lost forever?

Most of us don’t think of our lives in this way. We live with regrets and hopes. We dream about the future and ruminate about the past. We spend more time looking back at what we missed or worrying about that which has not yet happened. We buy life insurance and never take advantage of the opportunity to live right now. The High Holy Day liturgy reminds us over and over again. Hayom! Today is the only one that counts.

The story is told of a Rabbi who met one of his students on the street rushing by. “Where are you going,” he asked. “To pursue my future livelihood,” said the student. “While you are rushing after your future, you may very well rush right by it. Better to pay attention to where you are than worry about where you’re going!” said the rabbi.

Each year, I meet couples who are going to be married. They’re busy planning for the future. When I ask them about what role Judaism will play in their lives they say, “Rabbi, we’re not that religious. We’ll worry about that when we have children.” Judaism is a distant worry, not a present challenge. But the truth is, today is the time to think about such issues, not tomorrow. Children will come, God willing, and when they do we’re often so busy with other more pressing matters that we forget about our high hopes.

John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans.” What’s important is not what we do for the next generation but we’re doing right now. If we defer Judaism our children will get the message loud and clear. They’ll figure out that being Jewish is not important for adults: So why bother? Judaism can’t be lived in the future tense. It must be lived now!

That’s why I admire Ilan Ramon. Had he put off being Jewish until he arrived home, we would not have admired him any less. The fact that he recognized the significance of the moment and the symbolism of his own actions made his decisions all the more impressive. Ilan Ramon lived in the world but he was not afraid to include Judaism as part of his life. The most powerful statement is living Judaism Hayom, today, while still being a part of the world.

Similarly, how many of us hope to visit Israel “some day?” “When things get better I’ll go, Rabbi.” Or “When I retire I’ll visit Israel.” Or “when the kids get older I’ll make the trip.” I’m proud that a small but strong group of congregants chose to visit Israel with me this past summer. They understood that Israel needs us Hayom not tomorrow, not when there is peace, not when things are OK. Their presence was a statement to the people of Israel that we care. Dreams deferred often go unfulfilled.

Israel is asking us to make a statement now: I care and I’m coming! So why not think about making that commitment today! Take a pledge card from the back of the sanctuary and send it back after Yontiff ““ by the way you’ll even be entered into a raffle for a free round trip to Israel.

There can be no deferred identity or pride. And there can be no deferred love. Love cannot be saved for tomorrow ““ it must be shared now. Too often we’re so busy “making a living” or “providing for our families,” and “ensuring the future” that we forget that others need us now. And it is the time that we take that makes the greatest impression on our loved ones; not what we save up for tomorrow or for posterity. No one has ever said, “I wish my father had spent more time at work,” or “I wish my mother took less vacations and worked harder.” What we remember are the moments of presence, shared experiences, and time we spent doing nothing more than simply being with our loved ones. Hayom. That’s what we remember.

And that’s what Hillel meant when he said, “Im lo achshav eimaytai. If not now, when?” This is the only time we have, the only time we can be sure of!

As we celebrate another Rosh Hashanah, we need to take the time to think about what really counts. We invest so much of our lives in “futures” that we often squander the riches of the present moment.

If we take one thing home from services, I hope it is this word - Hayom. Do the things that really matter today. Don’t put them off until tomorrow. There’s no assurance that there won’t be sorrows and tragedies. If we can say that we have no regrets and that we’re proud of what we’ve done in life and who we are then we can leave this world truly satisfied no matter when that moment comes.

At the end of the Musaf service we recite a poem, “Hayom, today.” With all the self reflection and promises we make, this is where our service leaves us: recognizing the significance of Hayom:

O Lord, today give us strength
Today bless us.
Today exalt us.
Today seek us for good.
Today inscribe us for a good life.
Today accept our prayer.
Today sustain us.
Today!

Shanah Tova ““ May today be a day of blessing for all of us!