Image care of Jameel @ The Muqat
As time goes on, are modern Jews starting to forget what the purpose of the High Holidays was meant to be? This special block of time, set aside from the grind of the everyday world is meant to bring us closer to God, ourselves and our ancestors, experiencing the chagim the same way that they did thousands of years ago.
In 2008, during the first financial meltdown my (Reform) rabbi asked her congregants during Rosh Hashanah services to either: turn off their Blackberries, use them in the lobby, or go back to work. During shofar, the unmistakable sound of a Nokia phone rang through the room. Even within more observant communities, however, the modern world is starting to creep into our observance of the Days of Awe.
For those too busy and/or lazy to make their own eruv tavshilin, Kosher supermarkets are now selling ready made packages filled with a hardboiled egg and a roll. The purpose of the eruv tavshilin is to state that you have already begun to prepare for Shabbat before the chag started. If someone else is creating the eruv tavshilin, does it even count?
Another modern invention meant to adapt to our observance comes in the form of a suppository (yes, you read that right). For those who are addicted to caffeine, there is now a suppository that is meant to make fasting easier. My question is: Isn’t fasting supposed to be difficult? Are there not ways to prepare for this 25-hour fast that don’t involve medical intervention for the perfectly healthy? Or do these suppositories help Jews focus not on their aching desire for a cup of coffee, instead allowing them to focus on prayer?
Tell us in the comments: Do you think the advent of these modern day aids help or hurt Jews in their pursuit of meaningful Judaism?
