When All Else Fails: Scream

ROSH HASHANA When All Else Fails: Shout There is a known Yiddish adage, which in English goes roughly something like this: “When it hurts, one screams”. Whether that merely stating an observable fact or suggesting a plan of action is perhaps a matter of interpretation. As we close in on Rosh Hashana, we want to focus on precisely this phenomenon. That last resort, when one is fresh out of ideas or solutions to battle his inner enemies. What should a person do who has already tried everything and failed? They may feel the ‘Elul energy’ viscerally but the emotional turmoil doesn't seem to ignite their inner strength to break free from the prison of habit and the race of life. We want to focus on one word: outcry. The importance of crying out against our spiritual state. When a person feels trapped in their own personal dungeon and can't find a way out of the maze, they must rebel against being there. They must not merely examine themselves on a practical level, saying, I tried everything and failed, but rather, tear the inner connection to sin. The outcry moves mountains, reaches up to the Throne of Glory, and ultimately shatters apathy.