During the Holocaust, the Rabbi of the city of Chust in Hungary found an empty barracks in the concentration camp in which he was interred. He invited anyone who wanted to join him for Kol Nidrei services. There were no Siddurim (prayer books) or Taleitim (prayer shawls). The Rabbi knew the service by heart and everyone else would listen. Before he began he shared a thought with them.

“The Talmud states that from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur the Books of Life and the Books of Death are opened before the Almighty. Why does it say “books” in plural form? Isn’t there one book for those who will live and one for those that will not? The answer is that there is no one way to live and no one way to die. You can can live in freedom and prosperity or you can live in a camp where life is beatings, torture, and forced work. You can die of old age or you can die in a gas chamber. You can be buried in a Jewish cemetery or you can be burnt in the crematorium. Let us say Kol Nidrei,” said the Rabbi, “and pray that we not only merit life but that we merit a life outside this camp. And if we must die that we merit a dignified death with a proper Jewish burial.”

Thank G-d we don’t have to face those possibilities. But we, too, have to pray for the kind of life we will receive. Will it be a life of prosperity or a life of disappointments? Will it be a life of joyous occasions or one of misfortunes?

Which of the books of life we will be inscribed in will be greatly influenced by the following. Which book of life do we inscribe ourselves into. Is it the book of life of appreciating what Hashem has blessed us with or is it the book of life of never having enough? Is it the book of life of seeing the positive in everything or is it the book of life of complaining about how life treats us? Is it the book of life of giving or is it the book of life of taking?

We find this concept in the Talmud (Shabbat 151b): כל המרחם על הבריות מרחמין עליו מן השמים – Whoever has mercy on others the Almighty will have mercy on them. In many sources we find that the way we approach life can make the difference on how life approaches us.

It is with this in mind that during the High Holidays season we increase our giving of Tzedakah (charity).

And it’s for this reason that we make our annual appeal for The Rabbi’s Pulpit fund, the Tzedakah arm of Congregation Beth Israel.

Baruch Hashem, we distributed last year more than $28,000 in funds from the High Holidays appeal and other contributions that came throughout the year. Our goal is to raise $20,000 from this appeal alone. Please open your hearts and help us reach our goal by donating below.

May we inscribe ourselves into the Book of Life of mercy and giving.In merit of that may the Almighty inscribe us into the Book of Life of spiritual growth, prosperity, health, and happiness. Wishing you a new year full of blessings! Ketiva v’chatima tova!

Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak

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