Once, a pilgrim set out on a long journey in search of peace, joy and love. The pilgrim
walked for many weary miles and time passed. Gradually, his young, lively steps
became slower and more labored. The pilgrim’s journey passed through landscapes
that were not always happy ones.

Through war. Through sickness. Through quarrels and rejections.
A land where, it seemed that the more people possessed, the more warlike they
became, the more they had to defend, the more they needed to attack each
other. Longing for peace, they prepared for war. Longing for love, they
surrounded themselves with walls of distrust and barriers of fear.
Longing for life, they were walking deeper into death.
But one morning, the pilgrim came to a small cottage at the wayside.
Something about the cottage attracted him. It was though it was lit up
from within.
Full of curiosity, the pilgrim went inside. And inside the cottage was a
little shop and behind the counter stood a shopkeeper. It was hard to judge
the age – hard even to say whether it was a man or a woman. There was an air of
timelessness about the place.
‘What would you like?’ asked the shopkeeper in a kindly voice.
‘What do you stock here?’ asked the pilgrim.
‘Oh, we have all things here that you most long for,’ replied the shopkeeper. ‘Just tell
me what you desire.’
The pilgrim hardly knew where to begin. So many desires came rushing to mind at
once.
‘I want peace – in my own family, in my native land and in the world. I want to make
something good of my life. I want those who are sick to be well again and those who
are lonely to have friends. I want every child born on this planet to have a chance to be
educated. I want everyone on earth to live in freedom. I want this world to be a
kingdom of love’
There was a pause while the pilgrim reviewed this shopping list.
Gently, the shopkeeper broke in: ‘I’m sorry,’ came the quiet reply. ‘I should have
explained. We don’t supply the fruits here. We only supply the seeds.’
Do you understand the story?
We are the pilgrim. We can help make the pilgrim’s wishes come true.
So think about the year coming up. Use the High Holidays as the seeds for what you’re
going to do in the coming year to help your loved ones, your community, and the world
around us.
May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a wonderful year.
Rabbi Scolnic