5785 IS COMING!

Some thoughts about the upcoming Jewish Year of 5785: Tav Shin Pei Hei.

"Hei" by Dani Altman

We're in the "Pei" Decade of the 5700's, and Pei is "mouth". The mouth - what we say and how we say it - has preeminence this decade. This current year of 5784 (an "Annus horribilis" if ever there was one) was the "Dalet" year of this Pei Decade, and one in which we saw our true spiritual poverty.

That poverty is all the more tragic following 5783, the "Gimel" year, during which the spiritual impetus is giving. We failed to give to one another wholeheartedly, we were exposed as poor and needy after being attacked October 7 and losing faith in leadership, government, and institutions, but don't despair, Am Yisrael: here comes the Hei year.

5785 the "Hei" is a “Five” Year

In the 4 letter supernal Name of G*d, "Hei" appears twice. There is the Upper Hei and the Lower Hei: Binah and Malchut .

The "Hei" of this year is the Upper Hei of Binah / Discernment / Teshuva

Five reminds us of David the shepherd king's Five Smooth Stones, but it only took one to slay Goliath. We have Five Books of Torah but it only takes one (Deuteronomy) to give over "Mattan Torah".

Five is a handful: “You open up Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:16) פותח את ידך ומשביע לכל חי רצון

The power of Binah within the Hei of 5785 awakens wisdom and discernment, which generates true Teshuva (because in fact what else could wisdom and discernment possibly do?) and that's the best news we've had in a really long time.

Get a jump start by blowing the shofar every day (except on Shabbat) during the upcoming month of Chodesh Elul, which is the month of Teshuva. If you don't have a shofar, get one! In the US you can buy a really good Ram's horn shofar from Afikomen Judaica for under $50 - here's the link: https://www.afikomen.com/rosh-hashanah

(Pictured: Hei, by Dany Altman)