<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s haftarah is a composite: Hosea 14:2-10; Micah<\/p>\n
7:18-20 and Joel 2:15-27. The special name for this<\/p>\n
Shabbat, “Shabbat Shuvah,” is taken from the first<\/p>\n
phrase in the opening section from Hosea:<\/p>\n
“Shuvah Yisrael ad Adonai Elohecha”<\/p>\n
(Return, O Israel, unto Adonai<\/p>\n
your God). It is usually<\/p>\n
assigned to this Shabbat<\/p>\n
during the 10 Days<\/p>\n
of Return<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s Torah portion HaAzinu is an admonishment (first<\/p>\n
part) and comfort (second part) in which the heavens are<\/p>\n
called on as witness for our actions.<\/p>\n
At the\u00a0 end of the admonishment, we read Ch 32, v 35: \u201cMine<\/span><\/p>\n [God\u2019s] is the office of avenger and retribution [Hirsch<\/p>\n translation]\u201d.\u00a0 If retribution belongs to God, what<\/p>\n belongs to us?<\/p>\n The answer is that Tsuvah belongs to us. But in what sense do<\/span><\/p>\n we own Tsuvah?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tsuvah belongs to us in the sense that we can choose to do it<\/p>\n or not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We can choose to conduct our Tefillah as a way of reaching\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n towards an attachment to God with great kavanah. Or we<\/p>\n can choose to conduct our Tefillah in a rote and<\/p>\n automatic fashion or in a distracted<\/p>\n manner.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We can choose to give Tdzedaka as a duty to God and as<\/p>\n justice to those who are in need.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or we can choose to give Tdedaka in a grudging<\/p>\n and obligatory fashion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We can choose to seek to find the essence of goodness in<\/p>\n ourselves and in others \u2013 back to our roots in Godliness<\/p>\n and discovering them as our true character.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or we can seek to interpret the behavior of<\/p>\n others in a mean-spirited way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And once we have made this choice, then what?<\/p>\n Shabbat Shuva comes around EVERY year to remind us<\/p>\n hat even after we have made the choice of Teshuva,<\/p>\n we still need to work ourselves.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is always possible to rise higher and there is always room<\/p>\n for improvement, for an even deeper and more infinite<\/p>\n level of teshuva, as G-d is Infinite and without<\/p>\n limitations.-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These Days of Awe, in which are now in the middle, are about<\/p>\n our ability to choose and our ability to change (on that,<\/p>\n next week).\u00a0 Tsuvah is ours, but only if we choose it<\/p>\n \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 but not once, continuously because Tsuvah<\/p>\n is without end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Drash for Shabbat Shuva 5767 Today\u2019s haftarah is a composite: Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20 and Joel 2:15-27. The special name for this Shabbat, “Shabbat Shuvah,” is taken from the first phrase in the opening section from Hosea: “Shuvah Yisrael ad Adonai Elohecha” (Return, O Israel, unto Adonai your God). It is usually assigned … Continue reading