Rosh Hashana 5785

Holidays don't happen. Without preparations, one is broadsided by the day and must rely on external stimulation. Each holiday has its preparations. Rosh Hashana has the month of Elul, blowing the shofar, special selichot prayers, and learning. The following learning is designed either for personal reflection or for group discussion.

Defending Your Life

Several years ago, Albert Brooks made a film entitled "Defending Your Life." The main character, Daniel Miller, stood before a tribunal of two “judges” to defend his life. The judges reviewed clips (such as Miller unsuccessfully trying to ask for a raise or being bullied on the playground or saying no to a pushy waiter) which were presented by the prosecuting and defense attorneys taken from the defendant's life. The sole criterion of the trial was "Did you overcome your fears?"

Watch a clip from the movie below:

To view the script for this scene, click below. Lawyer: Thank you, Your Honors. Over the following four days, I will attempt to show that Daniel Miller, while he is a quality human being, is still held back by the fears that have plagued him lifetime after lifetime. I believe that I can show without a shadow of a doubt that he must once again be returned to Earth to work on this problem. May we begin in childhood, please? Could we go to 11-4-19? Judge: By the way, this signifies you're 11 years, four months and 19 days old. Is that clear? Daniel: I think so. Judge: In other words, if I said, 9-2-17, you would be nine years, two months and 17 days old. Daniel: I understand. Judge: Realistic, isn't it, Mr. Miller? Bully: Look what I found. Young Daniel: Give me that. Bully: Make me. Why don't you make me? You can't make me because I'll beat the shit out of you. You couldn't. Students: Hit him, Daniel! Come on! Bully: Chicken! Hit me right here. Come on, chicken. Students: Hit him, Daniel! Bully: Stick up for yourself, low-life chicken. That's too bad. Come over to my house later and I'll help you glue it back together.

With others or by yourself, discuss the following questions and fill out the form.
You do not need to answer all of the questions. If you find that your conversation is primarily about one or two questions, you can just write down those answers. Just be sure to click submit at the bottom of the page.

Name(s):

Where do you live?

What do you think about the movie's ultimate question?

If you were to design a heavenly Bet Din (Court of Judgement), how would you design it? What would you ask? Why?

You'll submit all of your answers below.

Now, consider what the rabbis said

Shabbat 31a (Talmud 200 - 500 CE)
Raba said, When man is led in for Judgment he is asked,

Did you deal faithfully in business [i.e., with integrity], did you fix times for learning, did you engage in procreation, did you hope for salvation, did you engage in the dialectics of wisdom, did you understand one thing from another?

Yet even so, if 'the fear of the Lord is his treasure,' it is well: if not, [it is] not [well].

In the same group, discuss and respond to the following questions:

What do you think the rabbis meant by each of these questions?

Why do you think the questions are ordered as they are?

How does the first question apply to non-business people?

The Talmud offers six questions. Which were not asked?

How do these questions differ from yours that you came up with in the previous question? Would you change yours?

Albert Brooks and the rabbis use the image of the trial. What are the benefits of this image? Could you envision an alternative setting?

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