There are situations in a football game when the officials overturn a call (except in New Orleans…). Usually following that, the head official calls for the game clock to be reset by a few seconds, thereby giving another opportunity to make a play. But the real fresh opportunity to make plays are when the game clock reads Q1 15:00, signaling the start of the game.
Right now our game clock reads Q1 15:00. On Yom Kippur the slate is wiped clean and we have the amazing opportunity to start over fresh and new. The beauty of it is, that the first encounter after Yom Kippur is Sukkot preparations, followed by the holiday of Sukkot, followed by Simchat Torah. We have opportunities to score big time in our Judaism over the next two weeks.
Yom Kippur reveals our connection with Hashem. Sukkot is our chance to act on that, applying our connection in a practical sense. There are so many Mitzvahs coming our way. We can eat in a Sukkah, shake the Lulav and Etrog, rejoice in the festival, celebrate our heritage, share a Sukkot experience with others, and, of course, the regular day to day Mitzvahs.
We must make the most of this wonderful time in the Jewish calendar and the fresh start that has been handed to us. Looking forward to celebrating Sukkot with you. Join us in our Sukkah for a meal. Come by and shake the Lulav and Etrog at Chabad. Attend the Sukkah-Fest celebration on the 17th. Celebrate your Judaism with limitless joy on Simchat Torah at Chabad.
Don’t let the moment slip away without cashing in on the gift that Hashem has given each and every one of us. The game clock is reset. This is your time to shine!!
Wishing you a very joyous Sukkot and Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin