Hineini...Being Truly Present....A Rosh HaShanah Message

A proud young mother sees her son off to school on the first day.
“Be a good boy, my boobaleh! Be careful and think of mommy, tateleh! Come right home on the bus, yingele! Mommy loves you very much, zisseleh!

At the end of the day, she’s waiting for the bus and sweeps him into her arms. “And what did my bubbaleh zissele learn on his first day at school?”

“Well, Mommy, I learned that my real name is Steve.” 

How many of you remember being in school and having your teacher call roll?  She would say your name and you probably stopped what you were doing and said “here” or “present.”  Sometimes you were busy doing something other than listening and did not respond.  So your name was repeated a second time, or even a third time, until you confirmed your presence.  

Nowadays, it is possible to be present but not really present.  How many times have you seen couples sitting in a restaurant, each with a phone, texting others? When you go to a movie you are reminded to turn off our ringers, not to text, and not to speak on the phone.  When you sit in a concert a similar message is given before the music begins.  Perhaps you’ve even been in some synagogues where that message is stated before davening begins.

What is it about our era that makes being truly present so difficult?  Why are we afraid to fully engage with those in our midst?  Why are we reluctant to be present when being intentionally present could make a difference to others? I think our lack of being in the present is generated by our obsession with thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Each of these time frames is not in our control! We need only to look at children to realize that they have a monopoly on living in the here and now.  “They know how to focus on the tasks at hand.  They appreciate the great truth that the future will come regardless of our worrying and that the greatest impact is to be had in the present.” (Wolpe) When they walk out in nature they become fully engaged in what they see. Let me give you an example that sticks in my mind.  Six years ago, our extended family was walking through a rainforest in Panama.  Three adults were looking up in the sky hoping to see toucans flying overhead.  We had no such luck and were feeling disappointed.  As our eyes were perusing the sky in anticipation, our granddaughter screeched, “The leaves are walking…the leaves are walking!”  Sure enough she had been looking downward and had discovered leaf cutter ants busy at work. We would never have noticed this miracle in nature without her!

Being present is a topic that is written about in Torah with the use of one word, HINEINI, I am here.  This word is used three times in the second day of Rosh HaShanah Torah reading.

The first time, G-d calls out to Abraham before giving him instructions to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and to offer him there for a burnt-offering.  When G-d says, “Avraham” Abraham responds with “hineini” ..Here I am.  In the second instance, Abraham has taken the wood of the burnt-offering and has laid it upon Isaac.  The knife and the fire are in Abraham’s hand and they are proceeding up the mountain.  Isaac speaks to Abraham saying, “My father,” and Abraham responds, “HINEINI B’NI”…Here I am, my son.  The final time, the angel of the Lord stops Abraham whose hand is stretched forth with the knife to slay Isaac, by saying “Abraham, Abraham,” and Abraham responds, “HINEINI” …Here I am.

Hineini is not just a statement about physical presence. It is also a statement about being spiritually present, about being able to enter into a relationship with the Divine and experience others in our midst fully.  Hineini is about being ready to be responsive to a call and about times when we just need to be present to listen. 

If you think about our Tifereth Israel community, you probably recognize that we have often had the need to support mourners in our midst.  At times it can be difficult to know what to say to someone who has just suffered the death of a spouse, parent, or child.  Judaism tells us that when we pay a shivah call, we do not need to say anything.  Hineini.  We just have to be present and ready to listen when the mourner shares his memories and grief.  

Hineini can also be a response that we make to communal requests and needs, not just to our family members and to friends.  This synagogue has had a rich history of individuals who have said, Hineini, when called upon to serve. Without such a response over the years, we would not have been able to celebrate our 100^th anniversary this year.  Hineini means “I am willing to shoulder some of the responsibility of helping Tifereth Israel move forward.”  Your method of participating may not be the same as your best friend’s way of participating, but what matters is that you find a way that makes your statement of Hineini a meaningful response. There are times in our lives when we all need to call out, where are you…ayekah?  My hope and prayer is that we will still find others who are willing to say, hineini, I am here…and that we will maintain the strength to provide that answer to others as well.

Hineini is not an ancient response.  It is a response of the present.