For those who have followed my screeds over the past few months, you will have hopefully gained some insight into how to successfully plan your financial future. Professionally, I am in the business of providing investment advice and I generally stay in that lane on these pages. But like many of you, I ponder the messages of Rosh Hashanah, which I believe are integral components of the Orthodox Jewish gestalt. I would like to share some words about successful planning for personal growth in 5781.
We are metaphorically in the midst of a storm in the wake of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a most tumultuous and confusing year comes to a close. Similar to the shock following the tragic events of 9/11, life after this pandemic will be forever changed. For those of us who have friends or loved ones who contracted the virus, life will never be the same. But even for those of us who were not directly impacted, the uncertainty about life post-COVID is palpable. Will life as we knew it ever be the same? Will a vaccine arrive soon? Will it be 100% effective? Will we ever be able to have large weddings and bar/bat Mitzvah celebrations? Will the lights of Broadway return? Will air travel be safe enough to allow us to enjoy our freedom of mobility?
As with investing, planning for one’s health and well-being requires not only thoughtfulness, but also the assumption of risk. As much as we acutely feel that sense of uncertainty, and perhaps despair, we have learned so much more about ourselves. We learned how we can respond in the face of life-altering events. We have learned that we can live with less. We have learned that we can experience joy and contentment by spending time with friends and family in smaller numbers. We have learned that we can effectively work remotely, both in our professional lives as well as in our communal activities. We have learned that we can find new meaning in our davening outside of shul. We have learned that Torah study can be successful even outside the beit midrash. We have learned that we are incredibly resilient, especially in the face of adversity.
Personally, I have spent more time reading, learning and writing to my grandchildren, who are growing up from a distance. I have taken pleasure in spending more time gardening and landscaping. I enjoy being close to nature and find the results quite satisfying. Moreover, it helps me recognize that nature is a manifestation of the many gifts that Hashem has bestowed on mankind.
Several years ago, when my eldest grandson Akiva visited us from Chicago, I asked him if he would like to help his zayde (that’s me!) plant a tree. He dutifully and lovingly said that he would love to and we proceeded to plant a crepe myrtle tree. When we planted the tree, it was no taller than my then 6-year-old grandson. Four years later, the crepe myrtle is flourishing, with multiple bursts of bright red flowers blooming through the summer.
The pasuk in Devarim 20:19, “כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה,” is the verse that I ponder when I see that tree. It is loosely translated as “For man is like the tree of the field.” It reminds me that similar to man, a tree starts out as a mere sapling. If nurtured properly, the sapling has the ability to have multiple growth spurts. It can flourish with the help of God and the necessary nourishment. So too, man is comparable to the tree of the field. Human beings have the wherewithal to become much more than the little sapling from whence they came.
Much of our ability to survive and thrive through the challenges of life is the knowledge that we can achieve great heights with the proper mindset and with the effective use of our God-given skills and talents. We must always dream bigger and then execute our growth plans in order to achieve our potential.
I am privileged to be one of the ba’alei tokeah at my shul, Congregation Ahavas Achim, in Highland Park, New Jersey. While I am filled with terror at times when I contemplate the enormous responsibility of helping the tzibbur fulfill a most critical mitzvah of the holiday, I do enjoy the experience of closing my eyes and listening with excitement to the first tekiah as it magically emanates from the shofar. But I will confess that I derive a heightened level of spirituality when chanting the prayers prior to and following the first 30 blasts.
The first chant after completing the 30 blasts is from Tehillim 89:15: אַשְׁרֵ֣י הָ֭עָם יוֹדְעֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה ה’ בְּֽאוֹר־פָּנֶ֥יךָ יְהַלֵּכֽוּן which translates as “Happy are the people who know the “teruah”; God, they walk in the light of Your presence.
Much ink has been spilled regarding the deeper meaning behind the sounds of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Many Rabbis reference the shofar sounds, and more specifically the sound of the teruah, as a representation of the primordial outcry to Hashem that can prove difficult to express through our prayers. In this context, the verse cited does not make complete sense—“Happy are the people who know the sound of the primordial outcry?!”
I would like to suggest what I believe is a more apt explanation of the verse. As we leave behind a year full of so many personal challenges and hardships, the blowing of the shofar can serve as a reminder of how much we can accomplish in the face of adversity. Indeed, Rosh Hashanah is a time for a healthy dose of trepidation and concern about the challenges in the coming year. It is a time when we contemplate the fragility of life and the ephemeral nature of our journey in this world.
But the themes of Rosh Hashanah, and more particularly the sounds of the shofar, can serve as reminders to each of us of how incredibly powerful personal ambitions can be. Yes, a tree can be felled by a simple act of nature at any given moment. But a tree can grow taller and stronger, bear fruits and reach great heights, even though it was once just a fledgling sapling. We have the God-given abilities to make better choices, mend broken familial ties and friendships, expand our religious observance and become increasingly better human beings. If only we hear the calling that beckons inside of each of us. Thus, let me suggest a variant translation of the aforementioned verse from Tehillim:
אַשְׁרֵ֣י הָ֭עָם יוֹדְעֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה ה’ בְּֽאוֹר־פָּנֶ֥יךָ יְהַלֵּכֽוּן
“Happy are the people who understand the power of their ambitions through the blast of the shofar; God, they walk in the light of Your presence.”
May the clarion call of the shofar be an inspiration for us all. May the new year 5781 be a year of our increased commitment and resolve to realize the greatness within each of us. In this zechut, may we be inscribed for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
Jonathan D. Caplan, a former Wall Street executive, is president and founder of wealth management firm, Caplan Capital Management, Inc. with offices in Highland Park and Hackensack. He holds a BA from Yeshiva University and an MBA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. You can find other recent investment articles by Jonathan at www.caplancapital.com/blog.
