As we approach this very special Shabbat, Shabbat Teshuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I want to share a teaching that always moves me deeply.
The Sfas Emes, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger, was the second Rebbe of the Gerer Chassidim in Poland and one of the great Chassidic masters of the nineteenth century. His writings are filled with deep insights into Torah, faith, and the Jewish soul. He once pointed out that there are ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and one of the key reasons is to ensure that there will always be a Shabbat between these two holy days.
Shabbat is the ultimate time of closeness to Hashem. It is the day when we step back from the distractions of life and reflect on who we are, where we are going, and how we can return to Him in truth.
This is the essence of this season. During these Ten Days of Teshuvah, we are charged with asking ourselves how we can repent, repair, and renew. To be a Jew is to live in a constant state of choice, faced daily with multiple paths and striving always to choose the right one.
Check out this new 6-part mini-series with Rabbi Daniel Rowe and Shai Davidai about the holiday season:
I want to share a story that embodies this spirit, a story that has touched me and our entire Aish family. This past Tisha B’Av, we released a powerful documentary film telling the stories of hostages, bereaved families, and heroes who gave everything for the Jewish people. One of those stories was about Rabbi Avi Goldberg zt”l, who was killed while serving in miluim, reserve duty. He left behind a large family, and in our video, his son spoke with heartbreaking sincerity about his father’s sacrifice.
After the video aired, we spoke with Avi’s widow, Rachel Goldberg. She is an extraordinary woman of strength and vision. During the week of Shiva, she had an unusual request. She asked that every member of Knesset who came to visit bring along someone from the opposing political camp. Her goal was clear: to bring Jews together even in grief. She is a woman of achdut, of unity.
In our conversation, Rachel shared that Avi had one dream that remained unfulfilled. He had longed to build a shul in his community. That was his vision, his legacy. After hearing this, I said to her that we are so grateful that she shared her story to help support Aish, but we also have the opportunity to use our movement to help make Avi’s dream a reality.
I am proud to share that we sent a video crew to Rachel’s home, where she spoke with incredible courage about her husband and his vision. We now have the opportunity together to honor Avi’s memory in the most powerful way, by building the shul he dreamed of.
During these Ten Days of Repentance, we are taught that we have three pathways. One is Teshuvah, repentance. One is Tefillah, prayer. One is Tzedakah, charity. We have been praying fervently in our shuls, pouring out our hearts to Heaven. We have been reflecting on our lives and striving to return to Hashem. Now I ask you to take up the third path, Tzedakah.
Please, in the merit of this holy season, donate to help build Rabbi Avi Goldberg’s shul. This was the dream of a man who gave everything for the Jewish people. He could have claimed exemption from miluim (reserve duty). As a rabbi and as a father of many children, he had every reason to stay home. When called, he went. He defended our people and made the ultimate sacrifice. The least we can do is to help his vision become a reality and continue his legacy.
Click here to donate and help build the shul in Rabbi Avi Goldberg’s memory.
At Aish, I often remind you that we are not just an organization. We are a movement, a movement rooted in Jewish wisdom, animated by Jewish love, and defined by Jewish responsibility. Avi’s shul encompasses all three of these values. With your help, it will be a place of wisdom, of love, of responsibility to community and to G-d.
As we approach Yom Kippur, we know that the souls of our departed rise before the Heavenly Throne and plead on behalf of the Jewish people. This past year, we have lost so many, including over a thousand soldiers, men and women who put aside their personal safety to defend the nation of Israel. Their sacrifice places an eternal obligation upon us. We cannot allow their dreams to vanish with them. We must take up their causes and carry their legacies forward. This is what makes us unique as a people. We do not only think of ourselves. We think of Am Yisrael.
Many of you feel the weight of the world pressing down upon us. We are facing daunting challenges. A bitter and divisive election in New York City. Mounting global pressure on Israel. Efforts to reward terror under the guise of statehood. An environment that often seems hostile to Jews who stand proudly in their faith and their nation. It is easy to feel discouraged.
I want to remind you that even when the odds are stacked against us, the Almighty is on our side. History has proven it time and again. The world does not know how to react when Jews stand strong, when we defend ourselves in the spirit of Joshua, of King David, of the Maccabees. That is who we are. That is who we must be.
The heroism of Rabbi Avi Goldberg, and of every soldier who has fallen defending our people, is not separate from our Torah. It is the living continuation of Torah. Our Torah is not a book of the past. It is the guide for our present and the foundation of our future. From Avraham Avinu, who answered the call of Hashem, to Moshe Rabbeinu, who led us out of Egypt, to the Maccabees, who fought for our faith, the Torah has always called on Jews to rise with courage and responsibility. Rabbi Avi Goldberg stood in that same tradition. His courage was Torah courage. His dream of a shul was a Torah dream. His sacrifice was sanctified by the Torah’s eternal call to defend and preserve the Jewish people.
As we enter this Shabbat, I bless you to reflect on how we can rise higher. How can we live the values of Aish, spreading wisdom, showing love, and taking responsibility? How can we turn our prayers into action and our faith into deeds? As we move into Yom Kippur, may we stand together, fasting, praying, and lifting up our hearts to Hashem, as we commit ourselves once again to making the world a better place.
May Hashem bless you and your families with peace, health, and joy in the year ahead. May He bless the Goldberg family as we honor Avi’s memory and fulfill his holy dream.
