I t seems strange this daily davening following Succos and the Yamim Noraim. Gone are the daily selichos the ashamnu- bagadnu. No more haMelech hakadosh no more zachrenu lechayim no more yaale veyavo no l’eila l’eila in the Kaddish no Psalm 27 l’Dovid Hashem Ori no Avinu Malkeinu. All the additions and insertions of the Tishrei period have disappeared. No more do we stop look and listen at every corner: Is there an insertion here an addition there?
Be conscious be aware: that is the message of Tishrei. With Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur and Succos coming hard on the heels of one another there could hardly be any rote service of G-d during this period.
But there is more to Tishrei than Divine awareness; it is also the hopeful harbinger of living during the new year. Be alert do not allow davening to become the template for mumbling words unintelligibly without thought or concentration. This applies not only to davening but to all mitzvah observance which can sometimes lead to what the prophet calls mitzvas anashim melumadah (Yesh. 29:13) in which Divine service becomes thoughtless routine a result of habit rather than reflection. Can one recite Aleinu three times a day and not fall into a numbing routine? Very easily. Can one repeat Ashrei three times a day and still maintain its freshness? Not without effort.
Tishrei also prompts us to find newness and freshness in everything around us. That blade of grass: look at it closely. That flower: admire its delicate texture. That fresh crisp early morning air: inhale it deeply. Those fascinating clouds in the sky above us and the different shades of blue gray and pink behind them: Have we looked at them lately? Those good friends: cherish them treasure them. As in good prayer so too every single day awareness alertness and focus are the keys to a meaningful life while thoughtlessness and habit are its mortal enemies.
