Dear Friends,

As I write, it is erev Tish’a B’Av, the 25-hour day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of the first and second Temples and the sacking of Jerusalem. The High Holy Day season has a connection to this day of mourning and keening and weeping, and not simply because we also fast for 25 hours on Yom Kippur.

The talmud says the destruction of both Temples was because of something they called sin’at chinam, usually translated as “baseless hatred”.  In a very small nutshell, the rabbis in the Talmud tell a story of a disastrous incident between two enemies, which lead directly to the destruction. A destruction that could have been avoided if not for sin’at chinam.

The antidote to sin’at chinam is of course ahavat chinam, “baseless love”.

Chinam comes from the word chen. Chen has a connotation of making allowances for others and assuming best intentions--giving people the benefit of the doubt. I believe that rather than “baseless hatred”, sin’at chinam can be translated as “hatred of chen”, and therefore ahavat chinam is “love of chen”.

When we do our best to approach a situation assuming best intentions, even if there has been conflict in the past, we show that we love chen. 

Central to the season of the High Holy Days is performing cheshbon hanefesh, an accounting of our soul. An accounting to whom? To ourselves and to The Ultimate Wellspring and Force of Compassion. 

The time from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah to the end of Yom Kippur is called the Ten Days of Teshuvah, repentance. Teshuvah comes from the Hebrew root for turning or returning. When we do teshuvah, we turn from a path we no longer wish to follow. 

We turn and return toward our Creator, toward each other, toward our community, and toward our best selves. Repairing as well as strengthening relationships with our Rock and Redeemer, with our fellow humans, and with our own selves is the gift of this season. 

Chen is a pathway to repairing our relationships with G!d, with others, and with ourselves as well. 

In every morning service we implore G!d for chen vachesed verachamim. Chesed is lovingkindness and loyalty, and rachamim is mercy and compassion.

Do we pray for chen from the Holy One? Do we seek chen from anyone whom we have wronged--our family, friends, fellow Jews, fellow citizens, fellow humans? 

Are we prepared to show chen in return to those who have wronged us?

Can we grant chen to ourselves?

Repairing relationships and soul searching can happen anywhere at any time, so what are prayer services for? you may ask.

To be honest with oneself and therefore with the Holy Source of Mercy, taking a chance to ask forgiveness, is no easy undertaking. 

Praying, learning, and just being together, we can walk with each other and hold each other’s hand, supporting each other in this most sacred endeavor. 

Tradition says one who prays alone is to be praised, but a community worshiping together summons Shechinah, the Immanent Presence of G!d to rest on all of us.

On the High Holy Days, we come together as one. Jews all over the world are at shul reading the same prayers and blessings, eating apples or challah and honey, blowing the shofar, singing Kol Nidre--mostly to the same, ancient tune, beating our chests in repentance, begging for forgiveness from The Holy One who is full of chen, chesed, and rachamim, from the people in our lives, and from ourselves. 

This High Holy Days, I intend to meditate on the themes of oneness and togetherness, both of which depend on showing each other and ourselves chen vachesed verachamim. I invite you to join me.

Dave, Zev, and I wish you all a good, sweet, happy, healthy year, filled with blessing, growth, peace, chen vachesed verachamim.

Shanah Tovah uMetukah Tikaveivu veTechateimu, 

May we all be written and sealed for Good and Sweet Year,

Cantor Waghalter