Yom Kippur 5782 - A time for planting, a time for uprooting the planted
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September 16, 2021
This year, in this congregation, many of us are moving, retiring, or starting a new career path. For some of us, we know it is time to plant our roots, to build up what we have right here. And for some of us, we know it is time to go, to uproot what we have planted and to disassemble what we have built in this place.
Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) teaches: Eit la’ta’at v’eit la’akor natua. There is a time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted. Eit lifrotz v’eit livnot - A time for tearing down, and a time for building up (Ecclesiastes 3:2-3).
Taking the step to uproot or tear down what has been built can be challenging, even terrifying. After all, the Rabbis of Genesis Rabba teach why God gives Avram three blessings, when God tells him, Lekh L’kha, “Go yourself” (Genesis 12:2):
Traveling is the cause of three things[, the Rabbis say]: it breaks up being fruitful and multiplying, reduces one’s wealth, and lessens one’s renown. [Avram] therefore needs these three blessings: that God should promise him children, wealth, and a great name.
Traveling, in Avram’s case, means leaving the town in which he was born, in which he married Sarai, and in which he first found God. Even today, thousands of years later, moving somewhere different or taking on a new job brings challenges to family priorities, brings a great deal of expense, and brings a whole slew of people we do not yet trust. Roles around the house might change with new schedules or with a change in living space. Tuition, rent, mortgage, and new vehicle registration can be costly. And of course, it is no easy task to find new friends, let alone a new hairdresser, petsitter, and doctor. Sometimes, it may seem that changing location or career path is too risky a choice to make, and yet, we must realize that staying in place is just as much of a risk.
This is the time of year we reflect on who we were, who we are, and who we wish to be. With our Vidui - that confessional we repeat five times in 25 hours - we lay out all of the ways we may have erred in the past year. Perhaps we have misstepped through empty confession, through denial and deceit, through selfishness, or through stubbornness. In the coming year, if we choose to stay in this job, this home, and this lifestyle, we risk making the same mistakes we did last year. At the same time, if we choose to run, we risk leaving behind the good we have accomplished alongside the ugly. In our choice of whether to stay or go, we must ask ourselves whether the settings in which we plan on living, working, and learning will support all the growth to which we have committed throughout today’s prayer.
For those who are planning on moving or shifting this year, we ask ourselves today, “What parts of my previous life have sustained me up until this point, and can I bring those to wherever I am going? How can I make sure that I do not lose my intention towards Godliness in the hustle and bustle of change?” For those who are planning on staying put, we ask ourselves today, “How can I use the resources in this location or job towards becoming my holiest self? What in this place serves me, and what prevents me from choosing the good?” At the end of the day, some of us may have to ask the questions, “Can I stay in this place and still avoid last year’s wrongdoings? Is it really possible for me to be my best self here?” We cannot live or work in a place or culture in which we find ourselves continually blaming career, peers, or setting for our own misdeeds. On this holiday in which we sing of our existence as dust, withering grass, a vanishing dream, impermanent, we cannot stay in a place deleterious to ourselves or our loved ones one moment longer than what is necessary in our short, fragile lives. This Yom Kippur, amidst hours of reflection on active repentance, we have plenty of time to name our wrongdoings, to decide how we will overcome them in the future, and to figure out how, where, and with whom we can best keep ourselves accountable.
This may be the last Yom Kippur we at Agudath Achim see some of you (including some who are watching from home). Some of our most devoted community members are choosing to leave because you know the mitzvot you can accomplish in a new setting. You are leaving in order to honor parents or children, to pursue a career where you know you will have more of an impact, or because you know that you have done enough planting and building in Shreveport for a lifetime; it’s time to reignite passion elsewhere. Thank you for everything you have contributed to Agudath Achim. Thank you for teaching us, for letting us celebrate with you, for raising your voice in meetings, and for supporting us as individuals and as an organization. Please know that retiring, leaving the city, or pursuing something new does not mean that you will get rid of us so easily. You are welcome back to this sanctuary whenever you choose, and your input is welcome when you read our bulletin and have opinions to share. We will miss your presence, and I hope you don’t mind if we check in now and again to see how you are doing.
Even without all who are leaving, I expect that I will see most of the people in this room next Yom Kippur and many times before then. Together, we will sing, laugh, cry, and brainstorm what this place can become. As a community, we hold the responsibility to make this synagogue and this city places that encourage the kind of growth and self-confidence towards which we strive on this Day of Atonement. We host Shabbat and holiday meals in our homes, find ways to get more kosher food to Shreveport, welcome kids and families, and keep reevaluating ourselves in this synagogue space, so that we can become that Jewish community that people seek, that people move to. We think back to the reasons so many of the people in this room have stayed in Shreveport for so long, and we work to expand those reasons. I know we have people in this room who are active in local government and nonprofits, and I thank you for sharing your projects with our Agudath Achim community. On Yom Kippur, we must look at our past year’s communal deeds in the same way we look at our personal deeds, as we aspire to become a city that is more confident in the good of who we are and how we run.
Regardless of whether we are physically staying or leaving in the coming year, we will not be staying entirely in place. If we have learned anything from today’s prayer and fasting, we will be embarking on multiple journeys of active teshuvah, and soon. It is up to us to decide the best location for us to turn our downfalls into opportunities for mitzvot. For wherever we choose to go, whether it is to a different state, country, career, or mindset, I offer a traditional Traveler’s Prayer:
May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, to lead us to peace, direct our steps to peace, guide us to peace, and bring us to our desired destination in life, joy, and peace. Rescue us from any enemy or ambush on the way, and from all the afflictions that trouble the world. Send blessing to the work of our hands, and let us find grace, kindness, and compassion from You and from all who see us. Hear our pleas, for You are a God who hears prayer and pleas...May Adonai guard your going out and your return, from now and for all time. G’mar hatimah tovah!
Tue, October 8 2024
6 Tishrei 5785
Rabbi's Sermons
Bereshit - Genesis
- Parshat Bereshit: Oct. 26, 2019, October 1, 2021, October 2, 2021
- Parshat Noah: Nov. 2, 2019, October 8, 2021, Oct. 29, 2022
- Parshat Lekh-L'kha: Nov. 9, 2019, Oct. 31, 2020, Oct. 31, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 15, 2021
- Parshat Vayeira: Nov. 16, 2019, Nov. 7, 2020, Nov. 7, 2020 - Part 2, Oct. 22, 2021, Oct. 23, 2021
- Parshat Hayei Sara: Nov. 14, 2020, Oct. 30, 2021
- Parshat Toldot: Nov. 30, 2019, Nov. 21, 2020, Nov. 6, 2021
- Parshat Vayeitzei: Nov. 28, 2020, Nov. 13, 2021
- Parshat Vayishlah: Dec. 14, 2019 , Dec. 5, 2020, November 20, 2021
- Parshat Vayeisheiv: Dec. 12, 2020, Nov. 27, 2021
- Parshat Miketz: Dec. 4, 2021
- Parshat Vayigash: Jan. 4, 2020, Dec. 26, 2020, Dec. 11, 2021
- Parshat Vay'hi: Jan. 11, 2020, Jan. 2, 2021
Shemot-Exodus
- Parshat Sh'mot: Jan. 18, 2020, Jan. 18, 2020 - Part 2, Jan. 9, 2021
- Parshat Va'eira: Jan. 25, 2021
- Parshat Bo: Feb. 1, 2020, Jan. 23, 2021
- Parshat B'shalah: Jan. 30, 2021, Jan. 15, 2022, Feb. 3, 2023, Feb.4, 2023
- Parshat Yitro: Feb. 15, 2020, Feb. 6, 2021, Feb. 6, 2021, Feb. 21, 2022, Feb. 22, 2022
- Parshat Mishpatim: Feb. 22, 2020, Feb. 18, 2023
- Parshat T'rumah: Feb. 29, 2020, Feb. 29, 2020 - Part 2, Feb. 20, 2021, Feb. 4, 2022, Feb. 5, 2022, Feb. 25, 2023
- Parshat T'tzaveh: March 7, 2020, Feb. 27, 2021, Feb. 12, 2022, Feb. 11, 2022
- Parshat Ki Tisa: March 14, 2020, March 6, 2021, February 19, 2022
- Parshot Vayak'heil-P'kudei: March 21, 2020, March 13, 2021, February 26, 2022, March 18, 2023
Vayikra-Leviticus
- Parshat Vayikra: March 20, 2021, March 11, 2022, March 24, 2023, March 25, 2023
- Parshat Tzav: April 4, 2020, March 27, 2021, March 19, 2022
- Parshat Sh'mini: April 18, 2020
- Parshot Tazria-Metzora: April 25, 2020, April 17, 2021, April 2, 2022, April 20, 2024
- Parshot Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: May 2, 2020, April 24, 2021, May 7, 2022, May 3, 2024, May 10, 2024
- Emor: May 9, 2020, May 1, 2021, May 13, 2022, May 14, 2022, May 6, 2023
- Parshot B'har-B'hukotai: May 8, 2019, May 16, 2020, May 7, 2021, May 21, 2022, May 28, 2022, May 24, 2024, May 31, 2024
Bamidbar-Numbers
- Parshat Bamidbar: May 15, 2021, May 20, 2023, June 7, 2024
- Parshat Nasso: June 6, 2020, June 6, 2020 - Part 2, May 22, 2021, June 10, 2022, June 2, 2023, June 14, 2024
- Parshat B'ha'alotcha: June 13, 2020, June 13, 2020 - Part 2, June 9, 2023, June 10, 2023, June 21, 2024
- Parshat Sh'lach: June 20, 2020, June 20, 2020 - Part 2, June 5, 2021, June 28, 2024
- Parshat Korah: June 27, 2020, July 18, 2020, July 24, 2023, July 5, 2024
- Parshot Chukat-Balak: June 26, 2021, July 12, 2024, July 19, 2024
- Parshat Pinchas: July 11, 2020, July 11, 2020 - Part 2, July 2, 2021, July 3, 2021, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2022, July 26, 2024
- Parshot Matot-Masei: July 18, 2020, July 18, 2020 - Part 2, July 10, 2021, July 30, 2022, August 2, 2024
D'varim-Deuteronomy
- Parshat D'varim: July 25, 2020, July 25, 2020 - Part 2, July 17, 2021, August 6, 2022, August 9, 2024
- Parshat Va'et'hanan: Aug. 1, 2020, July 24, 2021, August 12, 2022, August 13, 2022, Aug. 16, 2024
- Parshat Eikev: Aug. 8, 2020, July 31, 2021, August 19, 2022, August 20, 2022
- Parshat Re'eh: August 7, 2021, August 30, 2024
- Parshat Shoftim: September 7, 2019, Aug. 22, 2020, August 14, 2021, August 14, 2021 - Part 2, September 3, 2022, September 6, 2024
- Parshat Ki Teitzei: Aug. 29, 2020, August 20, 2021, September 13, 2024
- Parshat Ki Tavo: Sept. 5, 2020, Sept. 5, 2020 - Part 2, August 28, 2021, Sept. 17, 2022, Sept. 20, 2024
- Parshot Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Sept. 11, 2021, September 24, 2022, Sept. 27,2024
- Parshat Ha'Azinu: Sept. 26, 2020, October 4, 2024
- Parshat Haberakhah
Rosh HaShanah: Sept. 19, 2020, Sept. 19, 2020 - Part 2, Sept. 19, 2020 - Part 3, Sept. 20, 2020, Sept. 7, 2021, Sept. 8, 2021, Sept. 9, 2021, Sept. 26, 2022
Yom Kippur: Sept. 28, 2020, Sept. 16, 2021, October 5, 2022
Sukkot: Oct. 3, 2020 , Sept. 20, 2021
Passover: April 3, 2021, April 23, 2022, April 7, 2023, April 12, 2023 April 27, 2024
Rosh Hodesh: April 22, 2023
Friday Night
Kol Nidre Service : 6:20pm |
Candle Lighting : 6:28pm |
: 7:30pm |
Shabbat Day
Yom Kippur : 9:00am |
: 1:30pm |
Evening Service : 5:00pm |
Havdalah : 7:35pm |
Upcoming Programs & Events
Oct 11 Kol Nidre Service Friday, Oct 11 6:20pm |
Oct 12 Yom Kippur Shabbat, Oct 12 9:00am |
Oct 12 Evening Service Shabbat, Oct 12 5:00pm |
Oct 13 Sukkot Preperation-setup. Decorating starts at 11 Sunday, Oct 13 10:00am |
Oct 16 Erev Sukkot Service Wednesday, Oct 16 7:00pm |
Candle Lighting
Friday, Oct 11, 6:28pm |
Havdalah
Motzei Shabbat, Oct 12, 7:35pm |
Erev Yom Kippur
Friday, Oct 11 |