Reverse Tashlich - Blessed Tomorrow

2 Groups of People in front of the Ocean with bags of trash they picked up. — Photos are of Repair the Sea, Lawrence Family JCC Jacobs Campus, San Diego, CA

A man was on his way to a concert in New York City. Being from out of town and somewhat disorientated, he stopped another person on the street and asked: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The other person looked him in the eyes, and with a wry smile said: “Practice.”

Elul, the month preceding Rosh HaShanah and the New Year, a month of preparation, is upon us. In many synagogues, the Shofar is sounded every day throughout the entire month to help us prepare for Rosh HaShanah. The custom of sounding the Shofar is based on the famous words of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 1135-1204):

עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם וְנִרְדָּמִים הָקִיצוּ מִתַּרְדֵּמַתְכֶם וְחַפְּשׂוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם וְחִזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְזִכְרוּ בּוֹרַאֲכֶם

Wake up, sleepers, from your sleep! And slumberers, arise from your slumber! Search your ways and return in repentance, and remember your Creator!

Mishna Torah: Laws of Repentance 3:4

The intention is to motivate individuals to examine their behavior and their ways, take account of their lives and prepare for true “repentance.” In this context, repentance means to change our negative behavior. What does it mean to prepare for something? A musician can practice for years, but if they do not audition, they’ll never make it to Carnegie Hall. Similarly, we can hear the Shofar every day throughout Elul, but if we don’t actually change our negative behavior, then the preparation was for nothing.

Plastics, overfishing, and PFAFs (forever chemicals) are damaging the Ocean. But, having this information without action is like practicing a musical instrument without taking the audition. You are invited to take action through Reverse Tashlich.

In the traditional ritual of Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah, we go to a body of water and symbolically cast our “sins” into it, beginning the New Year with a clean heart. Reverse Tashlich transforms that symbolism into action by removing human “sin” from the water.

It is an opportunity to come together in a hands-on effort to clean beaches, rivers, lakes, and shorelines — removing plastic, trash, and other debris that threaten marine ecosystems and the health of our planet.

Just like a traditional Tashlich; you can throw as many pebbles as you like into the water to cast off the negativity from the previous year, but if you don’t make an effort to actually change your behavior, you’ll just be making splashes.

So, consider this your Shofar for Elul. Maimonides said “Wake up! Search your ways and return in repentance, and remember your Creator.”

Take Action!