Dear Friends,

Tom and Dave were two construction workers who ate lunch together every day. Each day at the stroke of twelve they sat in the shade of the building project and opened their lunch boxes.

On Monday Tom carefully unwrapped his sandwich. Picking up the top layer of bread, he peeked inside. “Peanut butter again!” he said with a look of disgust. Dave continued to eat without uttering a word.

On Tuesday Tom again examined his sandwich and with even greater annoyance exclaimed, “No, not peanut butter again!” Again Dave refrained from comment as Tom went ahead and ate his lunch.

On Wednesday, when the same routine was repeated, Dave could no longer keep silent. “If you don’t like peanut butter, why don’t you tell your wife?” he said.

“Now, listen,” replied Tom, “you leave my wife out of this. I make my own sandwiches!”

I wonder how many of us are putting up with something that annoys us, thinking that we have no control over it. What kind of “sandwiches” are you making for yourself? - Dr. Dennis Kimbro

Judaism has taught us that we should be happy with our lot in life; but, many times we have created that lot for ourselves. Sure, we complain, but sometimes we forget that we have a choice as well. This High Holiday season we should ask ourselves if there is something we don't like in ourselves or around us that we could change for the better.

We get used to life as it is and forget about life as it could be. We assume that we are powerless to change and yet change is possible, if not commanded. "Repentance" in Hebrew is Teshuvah, a turning or returning of one's ways. This is not external, but internal. God does not do the Teshuvah for us, only we can. Acceptance of "that's the way it is" is not acceptable.

Even our movement, the Conservative movement, struggles with this - Tradition and Change. We must hold onto tradition, but we must also change when necessary. Tradition should improve our relationship with God, but so can change. We must create new traditions as well and, therefore, find more ways to connect to God today.

Prayer is one way to talk to God, but prayer can also be introspection, a looking into oneself, a moment of reflection, a time for personal change. What is on our mind? What is bothering us? And, are we truly powerless?

This High Holiday season we should ask ourselves, Are we making our own peanut butter sandwiches?

LeShana Tova,

Rabbi Alex 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it