Summary: Parshat Ha’azinu is the 10^th in the Book of Deuteronomy made up of the 52 verses of Chapter 32. It’s usually read after Rosh Hashanah but before Sukkot.

Ha’azinu contains the Song of Moshe (referenced these past weeks) calling Heaven & Earth as witnesses. It’s a strikingly poetic chapter warning Bnei Yisrael of the punishment for sinning, while promising they’ll never be entirely abandoned by G-d.

The first 44 verses are written in a special two-column format. In the final verses G-d commands Moshe to ascend Mt Nabo where he will be able to view the land promised to Bnei Yisrael, before experiencing the same death as his brother Aharon.

Interpretive comments on the parasha can be found by clicking here.

POST-KIPPUR:

It’s a long-standing tradition in our family for each of us to mark down after Yom Kippur one resolution for the coming year, and like a time-capsule, to keep a copy in our mahzor. Thankfully, we haven’t been overly ambitious in past years, and so there’s great usefulness and mild satisfaction in being able to trace back a decade of pledges, remembering both where we stood spiritually in previous years and following the arc of change that’s resulted.

RECITING PSALMS
Introduction:

This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website at http://mechon-mamre.org.]

 Chapter 12:

Authorship of the 12^th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. It is a Psalm of lament whose message is about treachery and deceit.

People professing friendship and loyalty to one another are often insincere and traitorous.

שָׁוְא, יְדַבְּרוּ–אִישׁ אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ: שְׂפַת חֲלָקוֹת–בְּלֵב וָלֵב יְדַבֵּרוּ.

They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour; with flattering lips, and with a double heart, do they speak. (Psalms 12:3)

 In a generation that is morally corrupted, only Divine promises can be trusted.

 אַתָּה-ה תִּשְׁמְרֵם; תִּצְּרֶנּוּ, מִן-הַדּוֹר זוּ לְעוֹלָם.

Keep them, O LORD; Preserve us from this generation for ever. (Psalms 12:8)

Coincidentally, this Psalm is read on Shemini Atseret.

A reminder that Rambam Sephardi selihot are at 5:45am at the Elstree Shteible; 7:00am on Sunday. Tuesday Erev Kippur will also be at 5:45am followed by Hatarat Nedarim. For our full list of Kippur 5777 service times, please click here.

Parshat VaYelekh is the 9^th in the Book of Deuteronomy spanning chapter 31:1-30. It is the shortest parasha in verses in the entire Torah.

Summary: Moshe told the Jewish people that at age 120 he wouldn’t be able to join them in the Land of Canaan. Instead, the Almighty would defeat the occupying nations. The time had come for him to pass on the mantle of leadership to Joshua.

G-d would do what was done against the Emorite Kings Sihon & Og. They should pull themselves together and be strong, the Almighty would walk with them and they would inherit the Land. Moshe called Joshua, and before the congregation, charged him to be confident in victory and not to fear, promising G-d would accompany him.

Moshe then wrote a Torah and gave it to the Kohanim to guard. He instructed that at the end of the 7^th year on Sukkot, Bnei Yisrael would gather to read the words of this Torah, to listen and fulfil G-d’s commands. In order for their children to learn to fear G-d all the days they would live in the Land.

G-d commanded Moshe to appear at the Tent of Meeting with Joshua; there Moshe was told that in future Bnei Yisrael would sin by following other gods, flaunting the covenant they’d made with the Almighty. Then G-d’s anger would flare and Bnei Yisrael would be abandoned; terrible things would occur to them until they cried out that G-d had left them.

Moshe was to write a Song of Testimony against a time when G-d would bring them into the land of milk and honey and they ate and were sated, and then they would go after other gods and harm would befall them. This Song would serve as a witness that they were forewarned while still in the desert.

So Moshe wrote the Song and taught it to Bnei Yisrael, directing Joshua to be firm while leading the people into the Land. Moshe then charged the Leviim to guard the copy of his Sefer Torah and keep it next to the Ark of the Covenant.

For Moshe knew that the people acted rebelliously while he was alive, expecting them to do the same after his death. Finally, he told the Leviim to gather the elders, the heads of tribes and officers to hear the content of his Song. And then he spoke the words of Ha’Azinu to the entire congregation.

Comment: For an insight-filled interpretation from Rabbi David Forhman on Moshe’s experiences at the end of his life, reflected through Psalm 90, please click here.

Separately, as Yom Kippur will occur this coming week before our next entry, here are a few thoughts to hopefully enhance your experience. Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Atonement – a time according to the Rambam when many of our sins can be forgiven.

It is a remarkable chance to renew and begin afresh, to shake off bad habits and see the world in its splendor and magnificence. It requires a minimal amount of effort on the day. The first step is to show up to synagogue, and the second is to read or recite the prayers to your best ability.

The formula we repeat 26 times during Kippur is from Leviticus 16:30 ‘For on this day, you will be cleansed, purifying you of all your sins, before the Almighty you shall be purified!’ All else occurs almost on its own.

What many people forget is that Yom Kippur in the Torah was the one day in the year when Aharon the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to create an incense cloud that would merge together with the cloud of G-d’s Glory that was ever-present in the Mishkan.

It is a day to reconnect directly with the Almighty, a day resembling the experience of our ancestors who received the 10 Commandments and were subsumed by their love and awe of the Divine.

May your prayers be heard and may we all merit in the New Year 5777 to be blessed with good health, happiness, prosperity and much spiritual growth.

RECITING PSALMS
Introduction:

This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 11:

Authorship of the 11^th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. Appropriate for the week in which Yom Kippur occurs, the message in Psalm 11 is of a Just G-d who hasn’t abandoned the world to chaos and chance but metes out judgment in careful measure.

 ה, בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ– ה, בַּשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאוֹ:עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ– עַפְעַפָּיו יִבְחֲנוּ, בְּנֵי אָדָם.

The LORD is in the holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven; Eyes beholding, Eyelids trying, the children of men. (Psalms 11:4)

The Almighty allows the righteous to suffer atoning for their sins now, while granting them endless reward for their good deeds in the Hereafter.

ה, צַדִּיק יִבְחָן: וְרָשָׁע, וְאֹהֵב חָמָס–שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ.

The LORD tries the righteous; but the wicked and those that love violence are hated. (Psalms 11:5)

In contrast, the good fortune of the wicked is in order to reward them in this world for any good they may have done, excluding them from having a share in the World to Come.

כִּי-צַדִּיק ה, צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב; יָשָׁר, יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ.

The LORD is righteous and loves righteousness; the upright, shall behold G-d’s face. (Psalms 11:7)

Time – Someone is Looking after that for Me

As a child growing up in the United States, at the end of summer the same series of discomforting dreams always reoccurred, year-in and year-out. Even as an adult living in the UK, especially since becoming a rabbi, a similar set of recurrent dreams seems to replay on certain occasions.

The childhood dream usually began pleasantly, in a school somewhere, playing with friends on the sports field. Then gradually, when the bell rang and it was time to return to class, a growing sense of anxiety spread throughout. Entering the classroom, it gripped me fully – we were being seated for an exam I hadn’t studied for.

The dream pattern since becoming a rabbi involved rushing to the airport arriving late; realising somehow that there were way too many suitcases to check-in. The attendant insisted there wouldn’t be room for that much luggage, something had to be discarded – and while calculating what to jettison, they informed the flight would leave imminently.

Both dreams created anxiety and both contained a subtle message of not enough preparation or foresight – eventually their meaning became obvious – summers spent playing as a child instead of studying AND as an adult, not accomplishing enough in the short amount of time available.

The best-selling travel writer Bill Bryson has an anecdote about a Jewish fellow whose watch was stolen by a Nigerian during their travels together. Later when asked if he knew the time, the defrauded owner replied caustically; ‘Ahh, I’ve got someone in Africa looking after that for me.’

The New Year 5777 has already begun and Kippur is only a few days from now! May our lack of preparation, and penchant for outsourcing, not prevent us from achieving a day of solemnity and renewal.

RECITING PSALMS
Introduction:

This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 10:

The 10^th Chapter of Psalms, like Psalm 9, decries the apparent success of the wicked at the expense of the downtrodden. Provocative to a degree, it resents evildoer’s acting with contempt for G-d. It denounces the injustice experienced by the poor and oppressed. It demands of the Almighty to bring punishment against those ho commit evil. (In the non-Jewish bible, chapters 9 and 10 are often combined.)

קוּמָה ה–אֵל, נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ; אַל-תִּשְׁכַּח עניים (עֲנָוִים).

Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand; forget not the humble. (Psalms 10:12) 

One of the verses appears both in the daily morning and evening (Ashkenaz) prayers.

ה מֶלֶךְ, עוֹלָם וָעֶד; אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם, מֵאַרְצוֹ.

The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations perish from His land. (Psalms 10:16)

Psalm 10 coincides nicely with the days before Rosh Hashana. In some traditions it’s recited during the 10 Days of Repentance, and part of it is found in the repetition of the Rosh Hashana Amidah.

תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ ה; תָּכִין לִבָּם, תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ.

LORD, You heard the desire of the humble: You direct their heart, You cause Your ear to attend. (Psalms 10:17)

Death of the Late President of Israel Shimon Peres

The passing of Israeli statesman and Noble Prize winner Shimon Peres so close to the High Holidays reminds us, no matter how much one achieves in a lifetime, there’s still a point when ‘our innings’ must come to an end.

The former 2-time prime minister, peace-maker and President of Israel, sadly passed away at the age of 93 this week. Though hardline in his early political care, his older years were associated with the movement for peace. World leaders have voiced unanimously that an important champion has been lost. A lengthy obituary by Prof Colin Schindler of SOAS can be found here.

An apocryphal story making the rabbinic social media rounds is that as an 8-year-old, Szymon Perski was taken by a religious uncle against his will to see the sainted Rabbi Yisrael Meir of Radin, the Hafetz Hayim. There, he argued stubbornly the case for labour Zionism, until finally the Rabbi in despair blessed the young Peres with long life, and to become a great leader in Israel.

In 1993, according to this story, while in New York City on the day after Yom Kippur in the presence of Senator Daniel Moynihan and a representative from Aish Hatorah, Peres, who was not a devoutly religious man, recounted the story saying that every Yom Kippur night he remembered that old Rabbi’s words.

Extraordinary Drawers Competition

Touchstone, the inter-faith arm of the Methodist Church, is running a fascinating photography competition called Extraordinary Drawers. The aim is to use the hidden life contained within drawers to share insights into the everyday lives of ordinary people.

The instructions for submission state ‘no need to tidy, just take a picture and upload it via e-mail.  Photos should aim to open up insights on faith, culture and journey. A short description can be submitted with each photo.

Submissions should be sent to faith2faith@touchstone-bradford.org.uk. After preliminary editing, photos will be loaded onto the site, and can be seen here.

This week is the last of the 7 Haftarot of Consolation before Rosh Hashanah. A reminder that Rambam Sephardi selihot are at 5:50am at the Elstree Shteible; 7:00am on Sunday followed by Hatarat Nedarim. For our full list of Rosh Hashanah 5777 service times, please click here.

Parshat Nitsabim is the 8^th in the Book of Deuteronomy spanning chapters 29:9-30:20. It is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah.

Summary: Moshe reminded Bnei Yisrael they ‘stood today before G-d’ as a nation, from the exalted princes to their lowliest class, established as a divinely-chosen people. Their decision to follow G-d’s Will would affect them and successive generations.

Violation of the expected Code of Conduct, in particular, worshipping idolatry, would unleash a torrent of curses, including Exile from their homeland. Even those secretly planning the private worship of idolatry would be separated out for punishment.

Eventually, nations from afar would wonder in dismay at the devastation, asking ‘what caused this great destruction?’ They’d be told, because the people worshipped other gods they were cast out to foreign lands.

‘Hidden things would be known to G-d; while the revealed would remain an everlasting calling upon Bnei Yisrael to fulfil the Torah’. (Deut 29:28)

Chapter 30 describes the process of return in slow stages, once the people reflected on their misfortune and began seeking G-d again. G-d too would ‘return them’; first, they’d be gathered from exile and restored to their land. They’d be able again in their hearts to worship the Almighty; the curses would be levelled against their enemies instead.

When they resumed performing G-d’s commands in the land, they’d be blessed with good harvests and prolific flocks; leading to a return ‘with their whole heart and soul’.

Moshe reminded the people the Torah wasn’t beyond reach in Heaven or distant beyond the Seas, but in their mouths and hearts. They’d been given a choice between Life & Good and Death & Evil. Choosing to worship G-d would result in blessings; choosing to worship false deities would lead to their destruction.

‘Choose life so you and your offspring shall live. To love, cleave and hearken to the Almighty’s voice, this is your life and the length of your days, to dwell in the land that was promised to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ (Deut 30:20)

Comment: Recited together with VaYelekh except during leap years, Nitsabim repeats the challenge to Bnei Yisael to accept their new covenant with G-d, listed in Parshat Ki Tabo. It contains a final warning from Moshe to Bnei Yisrael that their choice would be as grave as choosing between Life & Death.

Rabbi David Fohrman explained exquisitely that the process of Teshuvah described in Chapter 30 is a ‘dance of rejuvenation’ between the Jewish people and G-d. By their own volition, and trapped in a terrible cycle of curses, an exhausted and exiled Jewish people realise they can only survive by returning to the G-d of their forefathers.

But once they begin the first mental and emotional steps to return, their efforts are aided immensely by Divine benevolence. The more we want to return to G-d, the more our path is made easier. It begins with rational thought, is enhanced emotionally by the small successes we experience, and blossoms into a fully active return of ‘heart and soul’.

For those of us too numb to begin recognising how disconnected we are, the first step is in acknowledging the barriers and mentally willing them to be removed. Though it may seem an impossible task, those who have tried to change just one small issue in their lives have found enormous spiritual support awaiting them.

With Rosh Hashanah less than 4 days away, isn’t it worth the effort to spend a small amount of time in reflection? What do we have to lose?

This week is the 6th of the 7 Haftarot of consolation which will soon lead to Rosh Hashana. A reminder that Rambam Sephardi selihot are at 5:50am at the Elstree Shteible. Services this Sunday are at 7:00am.

Parshat Ki Tabo is the 7^th in the Book of Deuteronomy spanning chapters 26:1-29:8. It can be divided broadly into 2 parts; the first section describes the Bikurim (first fruits) ceremony and the Ma’aser (tithing) testimony.

The second section describes the command to set-up plastered stone monuments on the eve of inheriting the Land of Canaan – a new Torah covenant inscribed upon them.

Moshe then sent half the tribes to Mt Ebal and half to Mt Gerizim, where they undertook a 12-pronged oath. The parasha includes blessings Bnei Yisrael would receive for following the Torah and curses for their disloyalty.

Ki Tabo ends with Moshe giving a synopsis of all that transpired since the revelation at Sinai up to the Trans-Jordan conquest, urging Bnei Yisrael to abide by this new covenant.

Comment: In the verses describing the horrifying curses that were to befall Bnei Yisrael for not observing G-d’s commandments, there’s a perplexing pasuk ‘… because you didn’t serve the Almighty from joy and a good heart during your abundance.’ (Deuteronomy 28:47).

It seems incomprehensible for the G-d of Righteousness & Justice to punish an entire people with immense suffering for their lack of ‘a joyous attitude’. And, while from experience we’re resigned to the idea that humans can never understand the ‘mind of G-d’, we recognise many of the problems of humanity stem from failing to recognise the undeserved blessings we constantly receive from the Almighty.

The Bikurim farmer’s testimony before the Kohen at the beginning of Ki Tabo, encapsulating Jewish history all the way back to the life of Abraham, recognises G-d’s benevolence. Ignoring the Divine Will behind Creation can instead lead to an uninhibited life pursuing passions and desires to excess.

Perhaps a message of the curses is that when human beings deny the universal laws of the Almighty, we’re exposed instead to an internecine world of random aggression and violence that makes even the frighteningly-unimaginable possible.

RECITING PSALMS Introduction:

This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quotated verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website at http://mechon-mamre.org.]

Chapter 9:

The 9^th Chapter of Psalms carries the message that the success of evil is temporal while righteousness endures to the end. It opens with a song of Thanksgiving, then takes up the central theme of good overcoming evil. (In the non-Jewish bible, chapters 9 and 10 are often combined.)

גָּעַרְתָּ גוֹיִם, אִבַּדְתָּ רָשָׁע; שְׁמָם מָחִיתָ, לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

You rebuked the nations, destroyed the wicked; You blotted out their name for ever and ever. (Psalms 9:6)

And, it closes with the idea that G-d will punish wickedness and reward good.

וְהוּא, יִשְׁפֹּט-תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק;  יָדִין לְאֻמִּים, בְּמֵישָׁרִים.

And He will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples with equity. (Psalms 9:9)

Another familiar verse also appears at the end of UvaLeTsion.

וְיִבְטְחוּ בְךָ, יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ: כִּי לֹא-עָזַבְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁיךָ ה.

And they that know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, haven’t forsaken those that seek You. (Psalms 9:11)

International Peace Day – Designated by United Nations Resolutions, International Peace Day is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 with a declaration for a day ‘commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples,’ in 2001, the resolution was augmented further so that International Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.

Earlier this week the Rabbi was invited on British Muslim TV’s Ask the Alim (Expert) – a talk show exploring religious discussions, moderated between Sheikh Atabek Shukurov Nasafi from Uzbekistan and his guest. Questions asked included; in your religion what makes for a good marriage? How should parents respond to teenage rebellion? What role does a synagogue play? Is the G-d of Judaism the same as the G-d of Islam? The show ended with a blast from the Shofar.

Afterwards, the Rabbi visited the Touchstone community in Bradford, an inter-faith project, part of the Methodist Church, where for 2-hours he spoke with a small group of church leaders free to ask anything about Judaism that was on their minds.

In Orthodox Judaism there are some who prefer an inward engagement exclusively within the Jewish community. Others find an outward view more appealing. Presenting one’s religion to a sympathetic but under-informed audience brings out nuances and new understandings that make the effort inspiring to all.

This week is the 5th of the 7 Haftarot of consolation which will eventually lead to Rosh Hashana. A reminder that Rambam Sephardi are at 5:50am at the Elstree Shteible. Sunday mornings start at 7:00am.

Parshat Ki Tetsei is the 6^th in the Book of Deuteronomy spanning chapters 21:10-25:19. The parasha contains miscellaneous laws covering one’s public and private life, the famous law of shooing away the mother bird before taking its eggs and concludes with the portion about Amalek read on Purim.

It includes female war captives, inheritance, the wayward son, burying the person given capital punishment, found property, helping someone in distress, rooftop safety, prohibited admixtures, sexual offenses, membership in the congregation, hygiene within the camp, runaway slaves, prostitution, usury, fulfilling vows, gleaning in the field, kidnapping, repossession, prompt payment of wages, court-ordered lashes, treatment of domestic animals, levirate marriage, keeping accurate weights and measures, and remembering to eradicate Amalek.

Comment: Last week’s parasha dealt with the treatment of an enemy during siege and warfare, and ended with the unusual law of the unsolved murder (Eglah Arufah). This week Ki Tetsei begins with the female war captive (Ye’fat To’ar).

Me’am Loez suggests there are 2 reasons for this seeming interruption between laws related to war. The first is that bloodshed is foreign to the Jewish people and thus all efforts must be made to atone for the shedding of innocent blood. The second reason is to suggest that the Jewish people’s success in battle is dependent on their just, moral and ethical behaviour, not on strength of numbers or technology.

It would seem odd then that the Torah permits a soldier to take a female war captive. To this, Rashi comments that G-d understands and grants concessions to human weakness.

Left unregulated, as documentary evidence from this and the last century well proves, the battlefield is a place absent of compassion or morality. The Torah’s laws of the Ye’fat To’ar provide a higher degree of protection than any society offers.

But is that sufficient? Is it enough to claim that Jewish behaviour is the ‘least evil’ of all other nations or should we aspire to a more positive, exemplary standard – resisting battlefield temptation altogether?

This applies to other areas of behaviour as well. Too often we’re happy to live within the confines of the law while what we should be aspiring to is a much higher standard.

RECITING PSALMS
Introduction:

This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website at http://mechon-mamre.org.]

Chapter 8:

The 8^th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. The opening instruction for the conductor is to use the Gittit instrument.

There are 2 main messages within this Psalm; the first is that when we contemplate the magnificent world of creation and the majesty of G-d’s handiwork, it should help us feel awe and love of the Divine along with a realisation of our own relative insignificance.

מָה–אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי–תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ; וּבֶן–אָדָם, כִּי תִפְקְדֶנּוּ.

What is man, that You remember him? The son of man, that You count him? (Psalms 8:5)

The second is that all our skills and characteristics are a gift from the Almighty and therefore we should use them in serving G-d and humanity.

תַּמְשִׁילֵהוּ, בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ; כֹּל, שַׁתָּה תַחַת–רַגְלָיו.

You made him to have dominion over Your handiwork; You put all things under his feet! (Psalms 8:7)

Some verses appear in other parts of our prayer liturgy. For example; verse 10 appears at the end of Uva LeTsion in Shaharit. (We find this quite frequently throughout the siddur, a single verse taken from a Psalm tagged onto a prayer.)

ה אֲדֹנֵינוּ— מָה–אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ, בְּכָל–הָאָרֶץ.

O LORD, our G-d, how glorious is Your name in all the earth! (Psalms 8:10)

The Problem of Abundance

Toward the end of the book Scarcity, the New Science of Having Less and How it Defines Our Life, authors Sundhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir, offer a strategy to overcome life’s difficulties. They focus on scarcity of time, money, food and occasionally loneliness (a kind of scarcity of social interaction).

The cyclical nature of Indian sugarcane farming is an example. Farmers work all year to produce a crop that when harvested and sold leads to a windfall payment that must last a full year.

As one can imagine, the initial post-harvest months are comfortable but by the end of the year before the next harvest season, many farmers run out of funds. In countries that offer social payments a similar thing occurs, money or food coupons received at the beginning of the month often runs out before the next expected inflow.

One way to resolve this is to even-out the cycle creating ‘longer periods of moderation rather than spurts of abundance followed by heightened periods of scarcity.’ In the case of the farmers, researchers persuaded them to set aside and spread out part of their annual payment for later in the year.

Another serious issue people face is the ‘Vigilance vs. Neglect paradox’. Often while focused on life’s immediate demands, we neglect future decisions that are equally if not more important but less pressing – saving for retirement, making a will or even getting a medical check-up.

By contrast, some behaviour must be avoided because it defeats our best intentions. A dieter who struggles all week counting calories but binges on the weekend, is an example of the struggle for vigilance.

The authors discovered that converting vigilant behaviour into one-time actions improved results immensely. Filling the larder with healthy snacks prevents binging on unhealthy calories, setting-up an automatic savings plan at work allows money to accumulate for retirement; these are one-time decisions that free us from being constantly vigilant.

Rosh Hashana is just more than 2 weeks away. Perhaps some of these insightful strategies can be applied to this introspective time of year. Like the Indian Farmer, we focus our attention on Teshuvah for about 10 days and then neglect it for the remainder of the year.

By the end of Kippur, we have an unobstructed view of the kind of lives we’d like to live. But, we run out of inspiration long before the next Rosh Hashana cycle begins. We also struggle with the problem of neglecting our spiritual search and on occasion failing to remain vigilant with one form of behaviour or another.

There are many things we’d like to do better in our lives but for various reasons are unable. It may be due to poor planning, neglect, a lack of vigilance or incorrect prioritising.

Just as the authors of Scarcity discovered that a windfall of abundance needed to be spread more evenly throughout the year and that one-time actions can replace the need for perennial vigilance, we may want to ask ourselves if we are living the kind of life we aspire to.

Are we binging once-a-year on religious attendance and neglecting our souls the rest of the time in favour of material comforts? What one new action can we take that might improve our vigilance and reduce the need for constant struggle?