Community Magazine July 2012

E very year, somewhere toward the middle of the summer, I get an early reminder that the High Holidays are not too far away. This reminder comes in the form of the opening section of Parashat Matot, which deals with the topic of nedarim – vows and pledges: “A person who takes a vow to Gd…shall not violate his word.” The subject of keeping vows, intriguingly, features prominently in the Yamim Nora’im (High Holiday) traditions. We perform hatarat nedarim , the formal annulment of vows, and the Yom Kippur prayer service begins with the solemn Kal Nidreh prayer, the communal annulment of outstanding vows and pledges. It appears that there is a vital theme underlying the rules of nedarim , a fundamental concept that is worthy of prominent mention during the holiest time of the year. This suspicion, that the laws of nedarim involve more than meets the eye, is confirmed by a brief, perplexing Midrashic passage. Commenting on the aforementioned verse which speaks of the obligation to fulfill pledges, the Midrash writes, “This is what is meant when it says (Kohelet 9:12), ‘For a person knows not his time.’” Without elaborating, the Midrash associates the concept of vows with King Shelomo’s timeless exhortation to constantly remember that “a person knows not his time,” that we never know how much more time we will be given in this world. Somehow, the notion of nedarim conveys this message that our days here on earth are numbered, that we must treat each day as though it could be our last. As the Midrash so often does, it leaves it to the sages of the generation to decipher its words and unearth the depths of meaning and profundity, and the practical lesson that it seeks to convey. Ups and Downs Just as athletes go through slumps and hot streaks, lehavdil , in religion we similarly go through different phases. We all have our “ups” and “downs.” Believe it or not, even the saintliest sadikim go through their “slumps,” periods when they fall short Dedicated inmemory of Mr.&Mrs. Jacques&Rachel Gindi  RaBBi Eli J. maNSoUR Seize the Moment 12 Community magazine