The season is changing. Everyone talks about the weather and I’ve heard people complain that they will miss the heat while others look forward to cooler weather.
We tend to change our wardrobe and certain habits with the season and, although El Paso is the “Sun City,” I expect to see less sunglasses around as we get more clouds and wind.
This week, while listening to the Rebbe’s pre Rosh Hashanah address from 1980, I discovered a fascinating correlation between removing sunglasses and Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah commemorates the sixth day of creation when Adam, the first human being, was created 5,779 years ago. While the beginning of creation (five days earlier) is a worthy milestone to observe, the big deal revolves around Adam. Why?
Creator and Creation are opposites. The Creator is infinite and omnipresent, and Creation is finite and confined. In order for G-d to create our measured and perfect universe as we know it, it was necessary to shield creation from G-d’s brilliant infinity.
Here is an analogy we can easily relate to. The benefits we derive from the sun are obvious. Light and warmth are only the beginning of its impact on our lives. Yet, looking directly at the sun is dangerous and destructive. To get a better look at it we need to wear sunglasses to filter the brilliant sunlight so that our delicate eyeballs remain functional.
The same is true with creation. G-d desired a world where everything has a defined space and time. Only the finite hand of the human body can wear Tefillin and only the wool of a physical sheep can be used for the mitzvah of tzitzit. Therefore, the divine filter called “nature” shields the world from expiring into the infinite divine brilliance.
Here is the catch. Because we are born into this filtered universe and live with it all the time, it is easy to forget the truth behind the filter. It is possible to imagine that worldly matters can be a real impediment to serving G-d. Making a living may not jive with Shabbos observance, daily Torah study or giving Tzedaka generously and keeping Kosher may interfere with the ever important social scene.
Such a mindset is comparable to the guy with shades convincing himself that the sun is not so powerful after all and really has a dark tinge to it. Naive!
This is why Rosh Hashanah is observed on the day Adam was created. On that day, coming to his senses, he immediately perceived the truth and called upon every element of creation to crown G-d as King of the Universe. He saw past the ever present proverbial “sunglasses” and shared his knowledge with the world.
Next week, we, his descendents, are called upon to do the same. As we remove our sunglasses in anticipation for fall, let us commit this coming year to perceiving the truth of reality. Observe an extra Mitzvah, invest more time in Torah study, give more generously to Tzedakah and share the truth with everyone.