We stand here on the verge of a new year, 5781. We each have dreams, desires, and aspirations that we hope to see fulfilled in the months ahead. It is in these final days of one year and the initial days of the new one that we look back and take stock of all that has occurred over the last year. I would venture to say that for most of us, the months before this past March are a blur, a distant memory. For after Purim, our world and our lives changed in such a dramatic way, making us forget all that came before. Our days and nights are filled with talk of coronavirus and its impact on our lives. Work, school, and really all aspects of life have been affected. Many of us have been distanced from family and the social relationships which we took for granted. "Social distance" is a term understood by everyone, and a mask has become an accessory which accompanies us wherever we go. For some of us, these last few months have made us stronger. The need to retreat within has created a greater self-awareness, stronger relationships with nuclear family, and even a rekindled spark of holiness. We have seen incredible acts of chessed and selfless dedication to the needs of the other – albeit at a distance. Yet, for others, the last few months have brought the sadness of loss, loss of loved ones, loss of connection, loss of joy. It is incredible to see how one microscopic particle can create opportunity for some and devastation for others. On a personal level, in March, as I watched our world change, I was sure I would change as well. As everything I had known for the last four decades began to evolve, I was sure I would too. But now, 7 months later, I do not feel I have experienced the positive change I thought I would. In fact, some days I feel that I have regressed. I find myself more impatient and agitated, and I am not sure why. Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Crisis presents us with the opportunity to rethink and reshape the way we live and who we are. I find myself fearful that this will pass (which IYH it will, and in just a little while it will be like a distant memory), and I will not have experienced the profound, metamorphic change that I had hoped to tap into.
But now it is Rosh Hashana, and we must reflect on how we lived this past year and make a plan for the year to come. We have two days where our core obligation is to think and ponder. What mistakes have I made, and how can I avoid repeating them? What strengths have I discovered, and how can I build on them? If the world changed as a result of this pandemic, how can I change as well?
Allow me to share with you some thoughts and reflections.
#1 The Importance of the Mask
