Rosh Hashana Greetings from
Rabbi & Mrs. Solomon Maimon

It is such a great honor to have the opportunity to send a greeting to all of the great families of Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation on the holiest ten days of the Jewish year.

The ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are called, in Jewish tradition, Yamim Noraim, Days of Awe. Awe has a few elements of fear and I am really convinced that hardly anyone has any fear on Rosh Hashana, the days in between, and Yom Kippur.

Allow me to illustrate to you what the ideal feeling should be during these ten days. I hope no one needs the following illustration - I wish everyone great health for many years to come. Suppose someone goes to his doctor for a yearly checkup. The doctor finds something and takes a biopsy to study. The person has to wait until it is tested in the lab. A few days of skipped heartbeats do occur while the wait is on. He anticipates a clean bill of health but still that person fears the outcome.

The ten days of awe are when all of us, including the very religious, not so religious or not religious at all - all of us - have a private audience with the greatest doctor of all. Our G-d, our Creator. We go in for a check-up, the report ideally would be life, yes - health, yes - prosperity, yes - peace at home and in the world, yes, etc., etc. Great. The report isn't in yet. It is in the lab. With a regular doctor facts are facts and he can’t change them. With our compassionate G-d, he can change a minus (-) to a plus (+) by adding one line.

Let's see if you're worthy. You are if you make up your mind to improve in one, better, two, ways. If the improvement is sincere and G-d does put the extra line in the report of life, health, wealth, great happy children and grandchildren, peace at home and abroad, the ten days of awe (fear) turn to ten days of Teshuva. G-d allows a u-turn. The days of awe turn into a very meaningful and inspiring New Year.

That's what Yom Kippur is all about - the report is in. It is being studied by the doctor. We pray five prayers during that 24 hour day. That is our main focus. We mean what we pray for and G-d gives us a great passing mark - one more year full of joy and happiness.

Rabbi Soloveitchik, my rabbi at Yeshiva University, put it this great way. He said, On Rosh Hashana - the prayers consist of coronation, King of the Universe, King is Ruler, which means justice. But He intermingles mercy in the formula. Even when the sentence is guilty, he gives us a suspended sentence. On Yom Kippur, Hashem changes clothing and becomes our Father. Father is full of tender loving care - so he makes us come out totally cleansed of the sentence. It's not there, it is positive mercy. That's why all of us feel so good at Neila time. I hope that feeling lasts for the whole year.

May we all enjoy this Simha together for many years.
Tizku Leshanim Rabot.

Rabbi and Mrs. Solomon Maimon