During the High Holidays, we are like trees.

    During these Yamim Noraim we would like to learn from the Tamar of the judge Deborah, from the Eshel of Abraham Avinu, from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, from the tree of Gopher wood with which Noah built his ark, from the Kikaion of Jonah, from the bush of Moses which burned and did not turn to ashes, and from the Tree of Life.

    This first night of Rosh Hashanah I dedicate to the Tamar of the Judge Deborah.

    The Tamar, the palm tree, was the favorite tree of one of the only judges and prophetesses of the people of Israel.  She used to sit under the Tamar and judge the people of Israel there.  The Tamar is a tall and strong tree that accompanied, covered, and protected the judgments, verdicts, and decisions of Judge Deborah.

    The fruit of the Tamar, the date, is called honey in the Torah.

    The name Deborah means “bee” in English.  It certainly is not a coincidence that the judge is so named.  Just as the bee sometimes stings and sometimes produces honey, so too was the judge Deborah in every one of her judgments.  She had the ability to be firm and upright like a bee’s stinger, and at the same time sweet and sensitive as she listened to each of the participants in the trial.

    We too, on Rosh Hashanah, experience a mixture of both sensations.  On the one hand, we come to the synagogue full of happiness to be celebrating this grand holiday once again.  We prepare ourselves, we meet with family and friends, and we wish each other well for this New Year.

    On the other hand, today is also Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgment.  It’s a day of great importance, a day of awe because we are inscribed and the judgment of our existence begins to unfold. 

    In our ritual, G-d becomes Melech and Shofet, king and judge, as opposed to all the other days of the year when we refer to him as El, G-d.  Today all our acts during the year begin to be evaluated by G-d and by us, because we have the wonderful possibility to repent.  We come here not just to meet with our friends, but also to be able to attain a true Heshbon Hanefesh, a balance of our soul.

    We come to face our weaknesses, our mistakes and misfortunes in the different aspects of our lives.

    On this first day of Rosh Hashanah, I invite you to think about how we have dealt with others in this year gone by.

    The meaning of the name of Judge Deborah can help us to reflect upon human relations.  As you know, the bee, when it stings someone, dies.  Somehow, we too, when we hurt someone, a friend, a loved one, we die a little bit inside.  The hurting of another does not leave our body and our soul unscathed; it also  wounds us in a certain way.

    In taking stock of our souls this year, I invite all of you to try to identify whomever you have hurt or offended this year... whomever you have turned away from or have not extended a helping hand.

    But the bee doesn’t only sting;  it sweetens when it makes honey.  We too sweeten our lives when we give the best of ourselves to others.  Let us also think about whose lives we have sweetened, about those we brought joy and happiness to during moments of anguish.

    Inevitably when we hurt someone, we hurt ourselves a little, but at the same time, when we smile and tender a caress, our soul smiles and overflows with joy.

    One of the prayers we say during these Yamim Noraim, called “Unetaneh Tokef”, says in one of its paragraphs, “Mi Ichie Umi Yamut”, who will live and who will die?”.   Perhaps living or dying not only has to do with a physical condition, but with our attitude towards others, being able to give sweetness and to sweeten our own lives instead of hurting others and hurting ourselves.

    May G-d grant that in this New Year we be more sensitive to the feelings of others, to the feelings of our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, teachers and students, friends and companions in the different areas of our lives.

    May G-d grant that in this New Year we be able to put away our stingers and only use them very sporadically.

    The Tamar, the palm tree that accompanied Judge Deborah in the Book of Psalms is a symbol for a just person, and at the same time, its fruits are called Dvash, honey, in the Torah.  May G-d grant that in this year, like the judge and prophetess Deborah, we be able to judge others, accompanied by, guided and protected by the justice and the sweetness of the Tamar.

    We ask you, our G-d and G-d of our fathers and mothers, that in these Yamim Noraim, these days of awe, that you judge us, but with sweetness and compassion, that you give us the ability to change in this coming year.   

    Shanah Tova Umetukah...  may we all have a good and a sweet year...  like honey.