Advice on High Holidays • Torah.org

The days pass very quickly and Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner. Like in the old days, it makes people nervous. But unlike in the old days, when people got nervous because they knew that Judgement Day was approaching, people today are nervous mainly because of all the hours they will spend praying and all the meals they will have to prepare for family and guests, this year for three days.

This may sound a little cynical, but that is what people have told me. The reality of many hours in School is real, as are all the preparations for the chagBut the verdict is less realistic when you consider how people seem to get through each year, regardless of how well they DoveIt almost feels like God overlooks our sins, but family and guests do not overlook poor preparation.

Of course, this way of thinking is not only stupid, but also dangerous. Parasha reminds us of this, and the past year too. We have many Rosh Hashanah unscathed in the past, only to see all hell break loose in a particular year. It is dangerous to confuse God's patience with lack of care, or to assume that if you escape judgment one year, you will not become more guilty in the years to come. Sins can pile up from year to year if we do not work hard to eradicate them in the current year.

How does a “deal” all those many hours of prayer, or if you just want to School?

The answer to that depends on who you are, what you are capable of and what you are willing to do. One person I know went home and made Chazons Repetition of the Shemonah Esrai from Mussaf. Very risky. Another person I know takes something to read with him to avoid drifting off from boredom.

And then there are the people who actually always like to Schooland enjoy the DovecoteOn the contrary, hours of prayer at Rosh Hashanah for them, it's something to look forward to all year. The rest of the year, prayer is so short and rushed, and it's hard to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with God. Rosh Hashanah And Yom Kippur, no one goes anywhere for at least six hours, which allows them to isolate themselves from the rest of the world, at least for their own days. Shemonah Esrai.

This is, of course, the ideal way to spend the three days. The question is how one gets to this point. Is it due to the nature of the soul? Due to upbringing? Due to education? Due to all of these things?

Yes, yes, yes and yes. But it's actually one thing, and it's the basis of everything above and the topic this week. Parasha, which is exclusively about divine judgment.

The Torah begins this week Parasha with the Mitzvah from BikurimThis is when someone brings his first fruits to the Temple and a special video (confession) of all the good that God has done for them and the Jewish people. In other words, it is a Mitzvah from Hakares Hatov– recognize God’s blessing and thank him for it.

Hakare's Hat is extremely important for many reasons. The Parasha will later say that all the terrible curses mentioned will come about because we did not appreciate the good that God gave us when we had it. Hakare's Hat may not seem like a big deal… until it happens. And then it's already too late to do anything about it.

The problem is that it's hard to stay grateful for something that keeps receding into the past. It's also hard to maintain the kind of attitude that allows us to be emotionally grateful for what we keep getting. Life happens and distracts us, making us take things for granted or focus more on what we don't have than what we do have. This is even more true when we live in a world that constantly bombards us with new products that we “have to have” to feel complete.

But that is the Subscribe. We have to work on this. We have to become aware brocha we can look at it as the gift that it truly is. It doesn't matter how much you don't have or how much more someone else has. All that matters is how much you have at any given moment and being grateful for it.

What people don't realize is how such a mentality shift affects their overall happiness. People who expect little and are grateful for everything they have, even if it is much less than what others have, are happier than those who have a lot but expect more and don't appreciate what they have. Life is about being happy, not about being materially rich.

This is the key to enjoying all School and prayer. This feeling of gratitude to God for His blessings in life is the secret to feeling intense love for Him. We like to spend as much time as possible with the people we love and we get great joy from connecting with them. Just ask anyone who does.