24 - North Shore News — Friday, September 29, 2000 SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING wourney inte Rabbi Shmuel Birmham Contributing Writer MY dear reader, I would like to invite you take a journey with me. It is not a journey in space, but a journey into time — Jewish holy time. From the very beginning of the Torah (The Five Books of Moses), time has been sanctified in the Jewish tradition. In most ancient Near East creation sto- ries, after the gods created the world, their next step was to build a palace for themselves. If you follow the creation story in Genesis (which I do not read literally), you discover that after God created the Universe, He also built a _ Palace. But this time the palace was not of space, but of time, and not for God, but for peo- - ple to enjoy. Shabbat (the Sabbath), the € pinnacle of cre- ation, is a “Palace in Time,” as . Rabbi Abraham Joshua . Heschel wrote. This joyous and liberating day happily occurs once a week. However, - I'd like to invite you on the ~. spiritual journey: chat began one month ago and ascends ‘one of its peaks this Friday night, Sept. 29. . cs The Shofar, the ram’s sho, is blown every day of the month (preceding Rosh Hashanah), except Shabbat. The ancient bellowing sounds act as wake-up calls for our soul, calling each of us to urgently ask the tough ques- tions: Have I been generous enough to the poor and the hungry? Have I asked forgive- ness from those whom | have hurt? Have I tried to get closer to our glorious tradition and the Joving and compassionate God we believe in? Have we looked at the addictions in our lives (money, prestige, sex, drugs, greed, alcohol, ciga- rettes, inflated ego, etc.)? The New Year is a time to return to our best selves. One way we do this is byt trying to observe the “five Rs Recognize what we did wrong, Regret the behaviour, the situation, Resolve not to do it again, and don’t t the errors when we . find ourselves back in the same place about to err again. This is a simple and practical way of understanding Teshuva. - Inaddition to intense soul searching, Rosh Has! brings with it wonderfil meals with family and friends. We also spend many hours in the * , Synagogue togeti:er reciting -and singing ‘powerful prayers. Jewish ii The prayers and the music are tools meant to move us along on our individual and commu- nity’s holy spiritual journeys. At particular points in the ser- vice, the Shofar is blasted. At those times, [ like to close my eyes and imagine the sound burrowing and penetrating deeper and deeper into my mind, heart, and soul, working its way inside me to help me become a better father, hus- band, son, brother, friend, and rabbi, that is to say an ever- better person made in the image of God. By the tenth of the new month of Tishrei (Tish-RAY), we enter into the Holy of Holies, Yom Kippur, the Day of At-one-ment. We fast from a little before sundown for 25 hours: no food or drink for healthy adults, We leave the physical behind to work on our souls, This immense, ° intense, deeply joyous (and exhausting) day concludes with the final blast of the Shofar and we return to our. “regular” lives once again. Five days later, we enter the Holy Days of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) during which we eat in the Sukkah (the tempo- rary little huts we build) and in services march around with a palm branch and citron fruit as prescribed by the Torah. One of the very sweet reasons for the Sukkah is that even five days after Yom Kippur, we find ourselves falling back into our habitual ways. God, knowing human nature only too well, gave us Sukkot to “get us out of our house/habits/comfort” for joyous times in the Sukkah lest we back slide su soon after Yom Kippur. The entire season ends, 23 days after Rosh Hashanah began, with Simchat Torah, at which time we conclude our annual reading of the Torah and immediately begin again, symbolizing the never-ending quality to our tradition and to our communal and spiritual growth. Joyously, we march around the Synagogue with our Torah scrolls. We must strive to remember to live fully and joyously, always sharing the gifts that we have received. From my people to yours, may this Jewish New Year, 5761, be one of spreading peace and goodwill throughout the North Shore and the rest of the world. Thank you for join- ing me on our little journey ~ together. Shalom. — Rabbi Shusuel Birnham is the new Spiritual Leader of Congregation Har El in West Vancouver. pO he ne Tae a De Le ae ents Healing Meetings The Word of God declares that Jesus Christ Himself... ¢ Took our infirmities; ° Bere our sicknesses;: and ° By His stripes we are healed: Come expecting great things and see God confirm His Word with signs following. Dates: Location: Parking: Sundays at 6:30pm No meetings: November 12, December 24 & December 31 The Lonsdale Rec Centre Memorial Building (Capilano Room). “ 23rd & St. Georges, North Vancouver: Across the streetin the .~ Recreation Centre parking lot. Rev. George Tanner. Assistent Pastor, Faith Bible Church. . Abbotsford, B.c. Free will offerings will be received © For further information please call 980-75. tema Plena MA ena Bel RED Cat ner RD of se paneer me ’, [HILLSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH 870 Lynn Valley Road, North Van 10:30am - Sunday Moming Wonhip Nursery & Childzen's Programs to Pastoral Team: Juhn Hardy; Jobri «Ken Best and Kim Pierrac “Sunday, September 24/00 Sunday Celebration Services - 9:00 & 11: 0am Speaker - Rev. Lorne Pritchard: (Full children’s program offered in both eervices) © lynn Wale Full Gos gare g0 E Eo 28th St, 2700p: BSL Gosses : Vancouten Bie 7 F . Faetoral Staff: Oman Seote Glen nd, "ecole Kurtz, me Mélole Sanderson Call church office for details, : Valley Church ts megan of ordinary people zor Fast 23ed Str Morth Vancouver whoos tives have been touched by the person of Jesus Chriet . 985-1122 =f Youth Wednesday Kita we 21 THURS 5:45emn Men's Proyer tig Sunday Worship & Stshday School during service! |.” : Cepraine Daiid and Lyon Griceeg ns earl | Capilano “Christian - Community : Church? Way Religious? Ne Nor >Soft-rock worship. ¥Starbucks or Beans Teaching & talking in a ‘makes sense’ kind of.way: Leaders ‘are: a. psychologist, a * Lucas Contre marriage counsellor and an artist / musician “2152 Hamiton’ |