19 Sep Elul – Rosh Hashanah – Tshuva – Taking a Bite of the Big Apple

Tshuvah ; Taking a Bite of the Big Apple

New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s fight on crime began with abundant police presence on the streets amongst the citizens addressing such issues as cleaning up graffiti on subways and streets, dealing with the problem of ‘street people’,  issuing citations for minor infractions such as parking tickets, jay walking, etc-.  His plan was to establish an awareness of the presence of law and order at the most basic levels. Having established an awareness that also created a consciousness of watchfulness, the other more invasive crimes were tempered. A city with one of the highest murder and violent crime rates in the USA became one of the lowest in the country. A presence of order created  an environment of  watchfulness (mindfulness) and change.

The trait of watchfulness is one that can continuously be refined. The idea that a ‘reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah’ , can be seen as being on the continuum of perfection; as we continually change and return to G-d in rectified or purified state increase, we are rewarded with greater clarity. Who we are changes, and our perspective on the world, the mitzvoth, and our service and connection to G-d changes.

We can then see how being watchful, heightening our awareness of the world around us, and doing Tshuva on the so called smaller things, brings about great change.

Like the sounding of the many blasts of the Shofar, it is wise when doing Tshuva to break things down into smaller bite size pieces. Tshuva can be done by working on the smaller things first…the big things will follow.

We learn from the Torah, from the teachings of the City or Refuge (Miklat), that a person is like a City.  Like the City of New York’s success of change, it’s important for individuals to also have a plan of change to return to a rectified state.

May all your Tshuva be elevated.

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax