The Year Of Mercy

Everyone knows the situation we are living in. Such difficult times. We went through a lot this past year. It was not a simple year. Many people that were with us last for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur together in the Shul among our communities unfortunately were not with us this year. So many people who had confidence and security in their source of living – making a living nicely and respectfully – nowadays, have entirely lost or seen their sources of income dwindle.

So many people are suffering from anxieties and fear and there is so much confusion amongst the Jewish communities about what is going to happen. Will the shuls and yeshivot stay open? Some have since reopened and many have subsequently already gotten shot down by authorities. We are very concerned as nobody knows what is going to be the future.

Today, during these days of Sukkot, are the days when Hashem finalizes the decisions on what this upcoming year will ultimately hold. Questions like:

 “Will I have a strong parnassah (livelihood)?”

 “Will we have a better life?”

“Are we going to live with fear?”

Now is not the time to sit back and relax and just read through the pages of our siddurim and finishes the pages with haste from A-Z and finish the holy pages 1-500 in the shortest time. Now is the time to scream, beg, and cry to Hashem to cancel the bad decrees.  Hashem is listening and accepting the prayers of the Jewish nation. When we stand in a minyan and call out to Hashem, he is answering our prayers, especially during the Yamim Noraim. Even an individual person, who is stuck at home in quarantine – Hashem is listening to their words of prayer, as now is a unique time when our Creator is especially close to us and making Himself available for us. It is during this time of the year that Hashem’s hand is outstretched to us and it is now our turn to return with our own hand back to the Almighty so He can lift us up to His lofty heights.

During this time of the year, it is not the time to simply read the prayers, rather one should scream out and cry to Hashem to cancel the bad decrees placed on the Jewish nation. According to the words of the holy Chasam Sofer, this year which in the Hebrew calendar is Taf Shin Peh Alef, 5781, it is the time when the poor man will be raised up from the depths of the garbage heaps. This infers that 5780 will be a very difficult year, as it very much was, and the year ahead, when you add the alef to the year’s Hebrew name, will be filled with mercy for the Jewish people.

 By Harav Yitzchak Yisraeli,
Chief  Bukharian Rabbi