message from rabbi

Holy of Holies

Rabbi Suri Krieger

Kerhonkson Synagogue

Tiferet Yehuda V'Yisrael

Some of us struggle with certain fundamental premises found in our liturgy… praying, for example, for the swift rebuilding of the Temple, the re-establishment of the priesthood, and the accompanying sacrifices. During the High Holiday season in particular, the Machzor, our High Holiday prayer book, abounds with these references. It is sometimes challenging to daven whole heartedly with the implication of certain religious sentiments that worked well in antiquity, but no longer resonate for many of us in today's world. And so I have been relying increasingly on metaphoric reinterpretations of antiquated concepts. Recently I came across a midrash that really helped me approach the liturgy with a renewed sense of authentic holiness, summarized as follows:*

God's world is great and holy.

Among the holy lands in the world is the holy land of Israel.

In the land of Israel the holiest city is Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem the holiest place was the Temple,

And in the Temple, the holiest spot was the holy of Holies.

There are seventy peoples in the world. Among these holy peoples is the people of Israel.

The holiest of the people of Israel is the tribe of Levi.

In the tribe of Levi the holiest are the priests.

Among the priests, the holiest was the high priest.

There are 345 days in the year. Among these the holidays are holy.

Higher than these is the holiness of Shabbat.

Among the Shabbatot, the holiest is the Day of Atonement, Shabbat Shabbatot.

There are seventy languages in the world.

Among these holy languages is the Hebrew language.

And of all the holy words in that language are the Names of the Holy One.

And once during the year, these four supreme sanctities of the world would converge with one another. That was on the Day f Atonement, when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and utter the name of God.

Today we no longer have a physical Temple in Jerusalem.

But every place we hold sacred, physical or meta-physical, is our own personal Temple.

And every spot where we raise our eyes to heaven is potentially a Holy of Holies.

Every person, having been created in God's own image, is a High Priest.

Every day of one's life is potentially a Day of Atonement.

And every word that one speaks with sincerity is an expression of divinity.

May we approach this High Holiday season knowing that we each hold the keys to our own personal sanctuary. It is within each and every one of us to communicate with the Divine Presence. We are all blessed with the Source of Being.

Rabbi Suri Krieger

*Referenced from the Jewish Catalog, Strassfeld & Strassfeld