Finding oneself
Rosh HaShanah appeals to countless people who find their way back from the Jewish periphery, even if only for a few days.
It’s characteristic of Jewish history to have estrangement and rediscovery. It is part of the drama of the covenant between God and Israel, with times of closeness and times of distance.
In Shir HaShirim, read six months ago on Pesach as well as regularly on Friday nights in some communities, the story is played out in miniature. Its two main characters, the boy and the girl, constantly seek one another, sometimes coming close, sometimes separated, never ceasing to dream of being together for good.
In Biblical language, Israel says to God, Hashivenu HaShem Elecha, “Bring us back to You”, and God replies, “Return to Me, and I will return to You”.
