From Darkness to Light: Rosh Hashanah 5785

Sandy Greenberg grew up in Buffalo in the 1950s barely above the poverty line. His father died at a young age but through the support of his mother, the mentorship of his new stepfather and his perseverance, he thrived in high school, gained acceptance to Columbia and started to see a new world open up to him. He had plans for Harvard Law, politics and a bright future. 

Suddenly, his fortunes changed. He began to lose his eyesight. His world began closing in around him. While in a hospital in Detroit  in 1961, a world renowned doctor told him he had misdiagnosed glaucoma and said, “Son, tomorrow you will be fully blind.” 

Sandy faced a new reality, one defined by a cane or companion dog, menial work, and a cautious path through life. 

In the depth of his new darkness, Sandy faced a choice—play it “safe” by staying in his native Buffalo or return to Columbia University to pursue his dreams. 

He credits his friend, Arthur with invigorating his spirits. He visited Sandy in Buffalo and told him, “You must come back. I will read to you.”  

With trepidation and courage, Sandy returned. In a defining moment, when Arthur and Sandy were in midtown. Arthur informed Sandy that he had a meeting and Sandy would have to make his way back to the university on his own. Despite his blindness and thanks to the kindness of strangers, Sandy heroically returned to Columbia. As he exited the subway at 116th street in Manhattan, he bumped into someone. It was Arthur, his roommate. Arthur told him, “I knew you could do it but I wanted to be sure you knew you could do it. I was right behind you the whole time.” Arthur had been shadowing Sandy all along and gave him the strength to transcend his limitations, fortify his faith. 

Sandy learned how to live through his struggles, to tap into a renewed spirit and perspective on life while forging a life of exceptional achievement.

Arthur, otherwise known as Art Garunkel, was Sandy’s bridge over troubled water and their friendship was the inspiration for the verse “Hello darkness my old friend” in the legendary song by Simon and Garfunkel, The Sounds of Silence. 

This story serves as a metaphor for us. We are Sandy and we are Art. 

Like Sandy, faced with darkness, we need to renew our strength and resolve. Like Art, we must fuel small gestures of friendship to fortify each other’s faith and infuse the world with light. 

We will never forget the suddenness and sheer horror of the news on Simchat Torah, October 7th. We were awakened to a new reality of evil that shook us to the core. Like Sandy, as a nation, we were blindsided. The enveloping darkness clouded our faith in redemption. 

The ensuing weeks and months in Israel, the rise in antisemitism in our country and particularly on college campuses left us deeply unnerved, filled with anxiety and even despair. 

First and foremost, we cannot and must not lose faith that we can experience redemption in an instant.

Rather than read the papers, we must read the prophets. 

My father, he should live and be well, often reminds me of the words of Psalm 121,  “the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps”. Miracles come in many forms. In the era of redemption, God opens up the gates of wisdom to mankind. The Iron Dome, David’s Arrow and Sling are modern day versions of the Biblical clouds of glory that protected the Jewish people from the onslaught of the Egyptians. 

The highly-targeted beeper and walkie-talkie operation exclusively and successfully targeting Hezbollah terrorists was a breathtaking testament to human ingenuity with the help of God. It was one of the greatest covert operations in human history since the Trojan horse and is more than worthy of thanksgiving and a testament to unexpected Divine providence. 

Believe it or not, we recite a blessing every day affirming our belief in miracles. Most of us do not realize the power of this declaration recited for thousands of years every morning by Jews worldwide. It was brought to life through a story shared by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, of blessed memory, a survivor of Bergen Belson who became known as the Jewish Billy Graham. 

She revealed the secret of her faith and deep sense of personal mission. While in the concentration camp, her father told her to always remember to recite the first morning blessing. “Blessed are You Lord our God who gives the rooster, the sechvi, the power to discern between day and night”. It is a blessing recited by Jews all over the world. 

On the surface it seems like an odd blessing. Most morning blessings express gratitude for our gifts such as eyesight, a straight spine or the miracle of waking up every day. Why would we speak about a rooster? She asked her father why it was so important. Her father explained that the rooster is the first of God’s creations to recognize the upcoming morning in the midst of the night. When the rooster crows it is pitch black. It is a moment when nobody can see the break of dawn. Yet, the rooster intuitively senses that morning is about to break and light will pierce the darkness. No matter how dark it is right now, we can never forget the redemption is at hand and light is around the corner. 

The blessing fortified her spirit never to lose faith. 

There is a postscript. In May 2008, the Rebbetzin was invited by then President Geroge W Bush to accompany him on Air Force One to Jerusalem for the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel. It was quite an honor. On the return flight she fell asleep on the plane. In the middle of the flight, President Bush tried to awaken the Rebbetzin. Startled, she turned to him and asked why the wake up call. The President responded, “Right now we are flying over Germany. Could you ever have imagined over 60 years ago when you were in Bergen Belsen that one day you would be flying to Jerualem on Air Force One with the President of the United States?” Without blinking an eye, the Rebbetzin countered and told the President about the blessing of the rooster that she recited every morning. “I could have imagined and I never lost faith.” 

Take a moment, if you have not yet said the blessing today. Baruch Ata Hashem, Eloeku Melech Haolam, Hanosein Lesechvi Veinah LeHavchim Ben Yom Uven Laya. Say it not only now but every morning. There will be light in the midst of the darkness. 

God’s redemption can happen in an instant. We saw such a miracle just last week. 

We all know Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, was killed by Israel along with numerous other terror leaders. 83 tons of bunker buster bombs were dropped on Hezbollah headquarters - a bunker four stories below ground in Beirut - by Israeli Air Force jets.  But here is the best part of the story: Why were they all gathered together there? 

They gathered to watch Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations! 

The last thing these Israeli hating mass murderers experienced on Earth was Netanyahu speaking about how Israel is going to defeat its enemies. The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. 

Faith is only the first step. When we believe in the presence and power of God we become conduits for his supernatural work in and through us. 

Every breath we take as symbolized by the shofar is God's investment in us. A great Hasidic master once shared - I have no doubt that my community believes in God but I do wonder if they know that God believes in them. On Rosh Hashanah God renews his faith in us. 

The midrash explains that before this world came into existence, God created worlds and destroyed worlds until this one was born. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik explains that God is modeling the sacred task for humanity of creating order out of chaos and finding light in the midst of darkness.  

We must rebuild after destruction. In a post October 7th world, this mission is more important than ever. 

I witnessed this spirit first hand this summer on the first ever FIDF rabbinic mission to Israel. 

The heroism and unwavering dedication of the IDF to the state of Israel is awe inspiring. 

We visited wounded Israeli soldiers. One of them was Ari Shpitz, 21, a combat soldier in the Givati Brigade who was severely wounded and in a coma for 41 days. Ari was injured from an explosion in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, and soldiers around him were certain he was dead. The battalion’s combat medic examined him and noticed he had a weak pulse. From that moment the soldiers fought to save his life before he was ultimately delivered to Soroka Medical Center via helicopter. Thank God, he awoke and lived but not without losing both of legs and one of his arms. 

Soon after he awoke, Rabbi Yosef Rimon visited him in the hospital and Ari asked Rav Rimon two questions. First, how would he put on tefillin with only one arm and how would he fulfill the mitzvah of ritually washing his hands every morning. 

Ari faced his own darkness. What would he choose? He had every excuse to give up. To Ari’s eternal credit, he chose life. 

Rav Rimon wrote an official response to Ari’s questions but what was most meaningful were the words he shared with Ari. He told Ari - your name means a lion. You have lost two legs and an arm, but you have not lost your spirit nor your mission. You are the embodiment of the words of the Code of Jewish Law - the first directive very morning - Strengthen yourself like a lion to serve the Creator. 

When I met Ari this summer as he sat in his wheelchair, I was truly overwhelmed by his resolve, courage and sense of mission. He had a smile on his face. He redoubled his faith and seeks to rebuild his life. He said that he would do it all over again even if he knew this was the result. 

He had every reason in the world to give up. He did not. How can we? He chose life and so must we. 

It starts with micro mitzvot. We cannot lose sight that even in the smallest of ways, we can make a difference. In fact, one mitzvah can be the ignition to light up the entire world. The Rambam states explicitly, see the world as if it is in spiritual balance of good and evil. One act, one mitzvah, can tilt the entire world to good. 

Sometimes it is just being present and listening. On our mission to Israel, we visited Har Herzl, where the IDF soldiers are buried. We walked to the graves of many who died on and since October 7th. We spotted a young man sitting at a grave. I asked him about his relationship to the IDF soldier, Ari Zenilman, and he told us it was his brother. We then listened to him, as if at a shiva visit, as he shared about his brother’s life, loves and legacy. In that moment, simply our presence, visiting Israel, forged a bond as family, gave him comfort, elevated the soul of his brother. One moment, one mitzvah. 

In America, at a time of heightened criticism of Israel and antisemitism, we cannot underestimate even the smallest gestures to sanctify God’s name and add some light into the world. I have gotten into the habit when I see tourists taking a selfie to offer to take a picture for them. Recently at Grand Central station, I did it and the European tourists were overjoyed. Who knows? When they go home, they may say NYC is a nice place because of my kindness. I become the representative for over 10 million New Yorkers and as a Jew for the Jewish people. 

Our hopes for the year ahead are many. Jews have never welcomed the dawning of a brighter day by forgetting the darkness of the ongoing past. There are still 101 hostages being held in conditions too horrific to imagine. Widows, orphans and amputees are part of the new soul of Israel. The trauma remains. 

But I think about the message of Hadas Lowenstern, whose husband Elisha, father of six children, was killed on the seventh day of Chanukah. She possesses a heroic spirit. She accepts her husband’s death but rather than speak about it she remarks that he only died once but he lived every day. She shared, “The question is not how you die but how you live in this world. When my husband went up to heaven I know all the angels stood up and clapped and said, Kol Hakavod, look what you did.”

This coming year, beginning today, we can reaffirm our faith in God. Every morning, recite the blessing of the rooster, proclaiming that redemption can happen in an instant. Even more importantly, how will God’s light shine through you? Our deeds will God willing ignite a new light on Zion and a time as the prophet Isaian predicts when the sun shall no longer set, God  will be an everlasting light, and the days of our mourning shall be completed.

Wishing you and your families a happy, healthy and sweet new year!