Zoom out for peace.

B”H 

We are all part of eachother 

Imagine your foot the body part that helps you get places was a person 

Now imagine that person was someone who you have a very hard time getting along with 

You cant stand being around them 

For some reason

You might have plenty of excuses as to why 

Or might not know but just 

“Cant stand how they chew”

No imagine 

You hated your foot because one of your toes was a little bit odd, different 

Maybe it wasnt “like the other ones”

Maybe it was a bit funky 

And you 

“Couldnt stand how it chewed”

It really is the same thing 

The same exact thing 

We, 

The Jewish Nation all come from Gd, 

He is our father, 

And all of our nation is like one body- 

If your brain stopped communicating with your foot because of your “odd pinky”

You actually wouldnt be able to get anywhere 

And it would be Shtus, 

B”H 

It would be complete foolishness 

But heres the thing, 

Right now, 

In our day and age, 

We have been sold to look a certain way, 

To be skinny, 

To have perfect (fill in the blank)

And some of us have been sold to think 

Well, if someone doesnt look like that, 

Theyre weird 

And i dont want to interact with them, because theyre not cool

Or (fill in the adjective)

This whole idea came to me in the middle of saying The Slichos Prayers for Wednesday Yom Reviii 

I was thinking, 

To Hashem, if one of us is good, were all good, and so too the opposite, 

If one of us is deserving, were all deserving 

Of Redemption, 

Because were literally one entity, 

You cant be like, 

Oh Hashem, when Moshiach comes, just leave (fill in the name of a person you dislike for WHATEVER reason) out of it- 

It doesnt work like that, 

Hashem is not leaving any of us behind because were all one. 

B”H 

Literally 

Redemption isnt only for your foot, 

Or only for your hand 

Redemption is for your entire being, 

Inside, outside, top to bottom, back to front, on all levels, 

Mind, heart, body and soul

Gd is known to be Merciful, 

Because He chose us, 

We are His.

Period.

He chooses to be merciful because we are His people, 

It was already established, 

And coming up to Rosh Hashana, 

It is the time when we crown Him our King, 

And a King can not exist without a nation.

The Torah is our connector, it is our glue- 

We are here for eachother. 

So too, your foot for the rest of your body- 

I was reminded of this thought when saying Slichos because the first time i said them, 

The first time i was introduced to them was in Eretz Yisroel, 

My family had moved there a couple years before, 

And my sister was going with a friend to a Sephardic Morrocan, French Shul and i hopped in the car. 

B”H 

I had no idea what to expect, and anything i thought of was not that-

I walked up the stairs to the womens section, hearing what sounded like a concert, an explosion of soul and singing and dancing and music, 

It wasnt really anything my life had showed me in the past- 

As i grew up Chabad Ashkenazi -

Aka 

A totally different vibe 

Walking in here was like walking into a different world- 

My other sister had married a Sephardic man a couple years before so i had a taste of the vibe, 

But Rosh Hashana, 

Slichos- 

A time when youre supposed to be “sad”

Introspective?

Deeper, 

More “quiet”

Some would say “somber”

But heres the thing- 

Were supposed to serve Gd with Joy 

And joy comes when we know who were serving-

Yes were serving a King, 

But also were serving a King that comes into the field to speak with us, to come and have a picnic with us, because Hes our Father, 

And Hes our other half, 

B”H 

And he is completely in Love with us totally- 

So when we go into this time understanding that, 

Who were serving is a KING who wants the best for us, and wants to hear us, and wants to celebrate with us, and wants to have a great time together, 

Singing and dancing and playing music and just having a good time,

A King that accepts our human struggles and challenges, and because of them He created the idea of Teshuvah, repentance, coming back to Him- 

Teshuvah is His creation 

BECAUSE HE loves us-

He knows we make mistakes because He created us, 

And He loves us, and chose us, and continues to chose us even through those mistakes, when we can realize that its not supposed to be scary, but a relationship with a being that really truly loves you, 

All of you.

I grew up Chabad Lubavitch with personalized customs to my family, and Ashkenazi, but the thing is, 

Allowing your heart to be open to being inspired by all our Nation is the point of existence- 

I have some specific things i do or dont do that others might do or not, 

But that just brings out the harmony- of different colors 

Were not all supposed to be the same flavor 

But we are supposed to see eachother and see how we can become closer with Hashem by interacting with one another in Holy ways.

Were supposed to accept all body parts, 

In all shapes and sizes- 

All colors, 

Because in the end, 

B”H 

Were actually looking in a mirror together. 

And theres actually a new found idea that came up in the world recently 

Its called 

Self love.

I guess its when a person can stand infront of the mirror and appreciate how they look, without wanting to fix or change anything about themself, 

Its looking in the mirror and seeing the toe that might look different and saying 

I see you. 

And i love you.

And Thank You Gd for giving me a beautiful, unique toe that is fit perfectly for my precise body. 

And Thank You Gd for the eyebrow that goes up or down a bit instead of exactly on the same level as the other one, 

And Thank You Gd for making me this tall 

Or this (fill in the blank) 

Or like this or that. 

The end of exile is really just us 

Accepting ourselves, and accepting others so we can just live in harmony, and serve Hashem with complete Joy! 

This is what gets us to Redemption.

Accepting, respecting and loving. 

It might be a bit challenging in the beginning but if you can zoom out, 

Zoom out of the 3x mirror that might be in your bathroom to tweeze your eyebrows or pick a pimple- 

Zoom out a see the big picture- 

See your body and how it works so perfectly exactly as Hashem needs it to work for you to do what youre here to do. 

See others and accept them for where they are and treat them as though they are doing exactly what Hashem wants from them. 

And share inspiration and love this Rosh Hashana so we can all crown Hashem King in perfect unity 

Lechaim! 

See you in The Beis Hamikdash