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On Rosh Hashana, it’s all about the three questions

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More than any other Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashana has a host of symbols and images bound up with its very identity. But of all these iconic images, Jewish tradition has identified one in particular as central to the day’s very essence.

On Rosh Hashana, all of humanity passes before God like “Bnei Maron.” This image, originating in the Talmud, is familiar to many of us because of its central role in the dramatic prayer Unetaneh Tokef, the climactic moment of the Rosh Hashana service. Clearly, this image is important.

Less clear, however, is what the phrase “Bnei Maron” means.

The Talmud offers three different explanations, each of which highlights an important theme of the Jewish New Year.

1) Like the steep mountain road leading to Meiron (a city in the Galilee), which had to be traversed single file. According to this explanation, every human being passes before God’s watchful eye like a solitary traveler on a mountain pass. The key question is this: which way are we headed? Have we embraced the challenging path up the mountain, or do we find ourselves on the way down, opting for the far easier path of descent.

2) Like a flock of sheep. Here, all of humanity passes before God, not as solitary individuals, but rather as members of a community. Here the question is a different one: do we see ourselves as part of something bigger than our own personal journey? Are we part of a family or a circle of friends? Do we feel a bond with fellow Jews regardless of affiliation, fellow Americans regardless of politics, and fellow human beings regardless of ethnicity? If so, in what meaningful ways have we put the needs of the ‘flock’ before our own?

3) Like a battalion of soldiers. In this last explanation, each of us is a soldier in uniform passing before our Commander-in-Chief. And as we do, God poses one final question for our consideration, namely: what are we fighting for? Have we joined the war against terrorism or the struggle to eliminate racism? Are we fighting to bequeath our values to our children? To save a marriage or another strained family relationship?

The image of “All of humanity passing before God like Bnei Maron,” then, poses three fundamental questions that capture the essence of Rosh Hashana. First, we are asked to assess the direction of our individual journeys; are we on the path of spiritual ascent, or in a downward spiral? Next, we are challenged to think beyond ourselves as individuals and to consider our role as a member of “the flock.”

And finally, in contemplating the image of humanity passing before God like soldiers on parade, I am reminded of the powerful words of South African anti-apartheid activist and author, Alan Paton, in one of his lesser-known novels, “Ah, But Your Land is Beautiful.”

Late in the book, the courageous headmaster of an all-white prep school who takes his athletic teams to compete against black schools is visited by a leader of the black community who extols his courage while, at the same time, warning him that he is likely to get hurt. “I don’t worry about the wounds,” replied the headmaster, “When I get up to Heaven, which is my intention, the Big Judge will say to me, ‘Where are your wounds?’ and if I say, ‘I haven’t any,’ he will say, ‘Was there nothing worth fighting for?’

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and sweet new year.

Rabbi Perl is the spiritual leader of the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach.