The Missed Kick

Missing a kick
at the icebox door
It closed anyway.
“Missing a Kick” from Book of Haikus by Jack Kerouac

There is an unspoken thought on many minds as we approach Rosh Hashanah; “will the door close even if my kick is off mark?” How much will my efforts impact the Rosh Hashanah judgment? Do I really have the ability to shape my future? Will I have a better year if I pray well? Will my year be ruined if I do not pray well? If my mind wanders during just one of the prayers, will my year be that much less good? Will my year be worse because of a single missed kick?

We want to know that we can influence our future. We do not want to know that a single missed prayer can limit that future. We want the power, but not necessarily the responsibility.

I do not have proof, but I believe that the very first judgment of Rosh Hashanah is that our ability to impact the judgment is determined by our choice of degree of power and responsibility. If I approach God in the initial moments of Rosh Hashanah as a person who chooses to accept that his prayers will influence the judgment to the extent that a single missed prayer will weaken his year, will be granted extraordinary power and responsibility.

A person who wants to influence his judgment, but without the responsibility of the “Missed Kick,” will be granted influence but not the power to shape.

The person who fears or denies even the ability to influence his judgment will be judged without any input. No responsibility. No power.

We have an important choice in the very first moments of Rosh Hashanah; do we accept responsibility for the “Missed Kick,” or, do we prefer that the icebox door will close anyway?

Author Info:
Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.