Life’s blessings

 Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

Is it High Holiday season already?  Time seems to march along whether we are ready or not.  The days grow shorter.  The heat will subside.  And we will gather together to mark another year.

So many questions run through my mind, and perhaps yours:  Have I?  Should I?  Could I? So much to think about and I am so grateful that there is a period set aside to concentrate on life with all of its ramifications.

Yes, I am grateful for this chance to make sense of all that has occurred this past year and imagine how it will impact the year ahead.  Have I learned anything from the experiences of the last 24 hours, or the last week, or the last month?  Have I had an impact on our Jewish existence?

More questions.  And yet, this is exactly what our ancestors had in mind when they conceived of this idea, as Divine guidance and inspiration enabled them to understand it. 

You and I do not receive the blessings of life because we will it but rather because we make it happen.  With determination and faith all things are possible.  You and I should be proactive in our pursuit of happiness because each day, each week, each month is a blessing which should be enjoyed to the fullest.

Life is a story of struggle and courage and perseverance.  Life is what we make of it understanding that there are good times as well as bad.  To be Jewish is to live life, to love life, to share life with those we love.

So while there are so many questions, and just as many answers.  You and I have an obligation to keep asking and searching for the answers.  And this High Holiday season gives us the opportunity to do just that.

These are not the last years of our lives – these are the best years of our lives.  Ask all the questions  - seek all the answers – but LIVE!