Living Jewishly is intense (in the best sense of the word).  The Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance, are upon us.

The penultimate parsha, Ha’azinu could not be more poignant. Almost the entire parsha consists of Deuteronomy chapter 32, Moses’ final poem or teaching (some call it a song) to the Israelite people with his death impending.  Moses implores the people to “listen” to his last words to listen closely and “give their ears” to what he is about to say.  The repetition of asking the people both to “listen” and to “give their ears,” is the most impressive similes in the Torah, reminding us to truly listen and pay attention to one another in order to understand and learn together.

Moses then paints a picture of hope for our people as we are about to head into the Promised Land.  Despite the exhaustion of the last 40 years of wandering (wandering may be a misnomer as they were encamped for all but a couple of years), there is a great hope for our potential.

This hope is exactly how we should feel during the profound 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Our Haftarah this Shabbat re-echoes that sentiment.

The first section of our Haftarah, popularly known as Shir David, the Song of David contains a universal message.  In a loving call to repentance, the prophet declares that although Israel has sinned grievously, its essence remains good and pure. It is not hopelessly evil; it has merely stumbled into sin. The potential for repentance always remains, and God is always ready to accept it and forgive.

As we head into this Shabbat Ha’azinu, our Day of Atonement Yom Kippur, and then into our festive holiday of Sukkot, we all should remain optimistic for the coming year and our future in general. There is always the potential to “learn” from our mistakes and grow stronger together.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham serves Congregation B’nai Amoona and is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the d’var Torah for the Jewish Light.