On Communication

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

The days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are days of communication. “Seek Hashem when He is close,” refers to this special time. It is an opportunity to reflect, to reassess, and to take action.

Our generation is a generation of communication. From texting to internet we feel empowered. We feel that we have communication under control. LOL, HAGD, TTYL, give us the sense that everything deep has been successfully quantified with scientific precision. (For the uninitiated: Laugh Out Loud, Have A Good Day, Talk To You Later.) But some people will actually notice that nowadays it is harder to get people to sit down to have a DMC (Deep Meaningful Conversation).

The point was brought home to me when my cell phone had to be replaced. The vendor promised me that he would be able to transfer my contacts from my old phone to the new one. But after a few minutes of trying he came back and told me, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we successfully transferred a thousand of your contacts. The bad news is that you have thousands of contacts, and the phone you chose simply cannot do that many.”

Believe me, I have no illusions that I have thousands of BFs (Best Friends). But sometimes technology is so I&E (Invigorating and Exciting) that we lose sight of the human component, and the importance of BtGC (Bonding through Genuine Communication).

The tefilos of Rosh Hashana were clearly designed to repair and restore a relationship that may have fallen on hard times. First “Validation” (Malchiyos) affirmed the role that Hashem has in our lives. We described His creation, and the role He plays in our lives. Then “Memories” (Zichronos) we recalled the vast number of memorable experiences which we had together. From the Great Flood, when a select group of humanity was saved, to the generation saved from Mitzrayim to receive the Torah at Har Sinai, we realize that our relationship with Hashem runs long and deep. Once we established Validation and Memories, we discussed the Shofar, which is a call to action, a theme of implementation that will continue until the last moments of Yom Kippur when the final Shofar blast of the season will be sounded.

The goal of the High Holidays is to move our relationship with Hashem from TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) or the TDP (Three Daily Prayers) sometimes recited by rote, and elevate that relationship to something that we think about, relate to, and find value in.

Interestingly, a full third of the focus of the Yom Kippur confession is on misusing the gift of speech. We recognize that much of the power of the human being is in meaningful expression. Through communication we develop our innermost feelings. Through positive speech we can lift up, bond with, and give life to those around us.

So if the prayers on the High Holidays seem a bit lengthy compared to the four second sound byte that our digitally focused society allows, consider the possibility that we are just GRing (Getting Reacquainted) with our heavenly BF (Best Friend). There are certainly times when we can wish each other a GSh! (Good Shabbos) in shorthand. But sometimes it is appropriate to settle in and have a real DMC .

Wishing you and yours a WH and a SNY (Wonderful Holiday and a Splendid New Year).

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