Buying Honors on the High Holidays

Giving/pledging Tzedakah from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur is the most auspicious time as Divine light and sustenance is drawn down for the entire year. The Chofetz Chaim z”l encouraged people to make an effort to get an honor on the High Holidays, as a mitzvah attained through expenditure is of greater value than a mitzvah attained for free.

Segulah

Many honors are associated with specific segulot, blessings, from above. A segulah is a Divine, supernatural cause — a Divine treasure-house — for a manifestly good effect. In addition to the spiritual effects it has for the honoree or to whomever you designate, this Tzedakah helps our organization and the community.

It is a long-standing Jewish custom to associate a donation/pledge with the privilege of being honored in front of the Torah. Many communities hold auctions to “buy” these honors during the High Holidays or Simchat Torah and the “winning bid” becomes a pledge of tzedakah to the synagogue. You can buy this honor for yourself or others, and we ask God that we merit these blessings through our act of tzedakah. Both the sponsor and the one honored share in the blessing in addition to the mitzvah of “loving your fellow Jew,” which is the vessel for the greatest blessings from Above.

Tzedakah

Not only is this Tzedakah tax deductible, but Tzedakah during this time of year is one of the ways that we can actually change the trajectory of our lives - and make a giant impact on the work that Pico Shul can do in the coming year.

Flowers for Yom Kippur