CNY Inspirations: The head of the year

This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. The Jewish New Year begins on Friday evening of this week. The holiday period begins with Rosh HaShanah - the Head of the Year - and ends ten days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. On Rosh HaShanah, the Book of Life is opened, and our deeds of the past year are read and assessed. On Yom Kippur, our fate for the next year is written. So we have 10 days to try to repair all the injuries we've caused. Oh, what a challenge! Since that's beyond the ability of any of us, we try our best to repair the most serious ones, and fervently pray for forgiveness for everything. Even that seems beyond our abilities, so what are we to do? One of my favorite lessons comes from a story about a broken-hearted person who did not know the formal prayers of repentance, and so he sat by the side of the road, weeping. Between his tears, he recited the alphabet: Aleph, Bet, Gimel, Daled... over and over, his heart breaking even more with each round. One person came by, saw him weeping, and crossed to the other side of the street. Another person came by and heard his story, and thought, 'I can help him.' So they sat down beside him and began teaching him the prayers. But then the great sage, the Ba'al Shem Tov, walked by and saw what was happening. He pulled the helper aside and gently chastised him: 'This man's prayers are perfect: they have opened the gates of heaven wider than you can imagine! Just sit down beside him and listen. And maybe your own heart will break open too.' May we all be able to listen to each other with an open heart, not answers. Jim Brulé is a Maggid - a Jewish spiritual storyteller - who travels the world sharing stories of healing and spiritual growth. He is also a death doula and a volunteer chaplain at Upstate University Hospital.