As people age, they tend to feel that the years fly by faster and faster. I often wondered why this is so, and I believe I recently discovered the answer. It is definitely not our fault that we feel this way.
Having not yet quite recovered from a month of yomim tovim, I am only just now realizing that we once again have a five-day work week. The cycle of erev yom tov, erev Shabbos, erev yom tov, erev Shabbos, etc., is over for now. As always, it was a bit of a challenge because most of the time during the month of Tishrei I didn’t know what day it was. But we enjoyed the chagim, davened with fervor, and did our best. On Yom Kippur we klopped al cheit in remorse for our misdeeds. We gently beat ourselves on the chest for each transgression listed in the Machzor. It serves as a symbolic punishment for our hearts, which are ultimately responsible for leading us to sins of greed, lust, and anger. Some people believe that the fasting is not to serve as a punishment but to cleanse the body and spirit. Regardless of what one believes, it is not an easy day.
Just five days after Yom Kippur we celebrated the weeklong holiday of Sukkot. This commemorates the 40 years that the Jews, after escaping slavery in Egypt, spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land. It is about faith and persistence, the strength not to be defeated by tragedy, and the courage to begin again after loss. The sukkah is a reminder that only G-d creates a real sense of security and protection. In addition to the sukkah, the lulav and etrog are also symbols of the joyful holiday, and we shake them in all directions because that’s “where G-d can be found.”
Due to space constraints, my synopsis of the holidays is limited. But we finished celebrating the yomim tovim, and now our days should be more relaxing, with no thought of future holiday celebrations. But it doesn’t work that way.
Less than one week after Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, out came the ads for Pesach. Talk about pressure and rushing forward! We are not doing it to ourselves; it is being done to us. The one thing we would like to do after a month of holiday celebrations is to relax and have a little downtime, but it just doesn’t work that way. The last thing we want to think about is Pesach preparation!
No wonder we feel that the years are flying by faster and faster. It’s enough to make one’s head spin. That’s just the way it is. n
Hannah Berman lives in Woodmere and can be reached at Savtahannah@aol.com or 516-295-4435. Read more of Hannah Berman’s articles on 5TJT.com.
