As we stand on the threshold of Yom Kippur, I am reminded of an old saying: If Augustus were to rise from the grave today and call out in Old Latin, he would be met with silence, for there is no one around to understand. But if Moses were to appear and exclaim “Shalom Aleichem!” a chorus of voices would respond with the traditional “Aleichem Shalom!”
The Jewish people, in spite of all natural indications and in defiance of the laws of statistics, have outlived the once-mighty empires that set out to destroy them. And not only have they survived, they have flourished, achieving the impossible.
So what’s that got to do with the High Holidays?
Everything. The history of the Jewish people teaches us that we can achieve the unachievable. There is no such thing as probability, possibility, or chance. No laws of nature that bind us; you can do anything.
It is for this reason that we read about the birth of our forefather Isaac on Rosh Hashana. Barren for years, Sarah miraculously gave birth to a child at the age of 90. Reading this story at the start of the New Year, we are reminded that anything can be accomplished with a bit of willpower, determination, and Divine assistance.
So when you ask yourself, “will I truly be able to honor all of my resolutions for this New Year?” that’s like asking: should the Jews be around today? Should Isaac have been born?
Indeed, nothing should have been possible. But it was. And you can.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendy
