Rosh Hashanah Message
Rosh Hashanah Message from Rabbi Schusterman
The Opposite of Addiction is Connection, so says Johann Hari on his Ted Talk. Johann is suggesting that instead of focusing on the addiction as the problem to focus on the lack of connection as the problem. If we focus on creating more connection for children and in society in general, we create a sense of ease that eliminates the dis-ease of addiction.
As a New Year is upon us, I’d like to suggest that the opposite of repentance is return. It’s no wonder that synagogue attendance is way down, even on the High Holidays. Why would anyone in their right mind willingly sign up for an event that has no food, has endless speeches or at least one endless speech and focuses on our shortcomings and our need to repent? For some they do it begrudgingly to hold up tradition. For their children it’s a non-starter.
Let’s move away from repentance to something more wholesome and exciting; return.
What does return mean? Do you know what I see when I look at myself in the mirror when no one is around? I see a tall 6 foot, handsome fellow...
Seriously though, I see the person I know I can be, the person I want to be. That is why I’m so forgiving of myself for not showing up as I could have this past year. I know I’ve fallen prey to the cravings and behaviors that have hidden my truest self. And I know there is more to me than that, that I’m bigger and better than that.
That is return. Returning to my truest self.
I learned this from my friends in recovery. Masks in recovery is a death sentence. Dishonesty with others and any self-delusion is a short step back into full blown addiction and certain physical death for many and for the others emotional and spiritual disconnect.
The 12 Step program, the gold standard in recovery, is by all accounts a spiritual recovery program for a spiritual malady. At its core it identified the discontent that the addict experiences as a discomfort with reconciling the spiritual and physical that is inherent in each of us.
For the non-addict, we put on enough masks to navigate this without too much harm. We live in the tension and accept ourselves and forgive ourselves along the way. But we too live in the unresolved tension.
The addict can’t manage and she he/she turns to the substance to help them manage until even that becomes unmanageable. Then they turn to spirituality and a Higher Power to keep them anchored in and resolve this inner dis-ease.
As a New Year approaches, we rake an example from these heroes of recovery and learn to return to our deepest selves. Our Neshama, our soul, our potential, the reservoir of love we have inside of us, the connection to Hashem, our ability to live fully, our recognition of the unique role we are empowered to play in our ever changing, ever complex world.
This is 5782 calling you and me home.
Shana Tova!