Warning! You are about to be ‘Shul’d out’

“Rabbi, I am ‘Shul’d out'”!

Last year, I was making phone calls to ask people to join us for Simchat Torah, and one person told me he was “Shul’d out.” What he was telling me was that he had come to Shul too many times in the past few weeks.

This year, I have news for all of you:

If you look at the calendar, you’ll notice something special this year: we have three sets of Yom Tov leading into Shabbat. Rosh Hashanah flows right into Shabbat, Sukkot does the same, and we wrap up with Simchat Torah flowing straight into Shabbat too.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is the deal: we are about to be “Shul’d out,” but in a good way!

Let me explain:

Adding ‘out’ to a word usually means you’re totally exhausted—like ‘worn out.’ But it can also mean you’ve become fully immersed, like when someone ‘chills out.’ When I say we’ll be ‘Shul’d out,’ I mean we will be be transformed by the Shul experience!

This year, with many holidays and Shabbat right next to each other, we will not be overwhelmed and exhausted by Shul (hopefully!) but we will BECOME like a Shul.

This same calendar setup happened back in 1990, and the Rebbe spoke about how special it was.

He often referred to the concept of Chazakah from the Talmud. What’s Chazakah, you ask? It’s the idea that when something happens three times, it creates a sense of permanency.

For example, if someone lives in a house for three years without anyone questioning it, it’s assumed they own it.

Having three sets of these three-day holidays isn’t just a coincidence. It’s a sign that all the holiness and energy of these days is here to stay in our lives!

When the holy days of Rosh Hashanah are only two days followed by a weekday, we might be on a high spiritual level, but then the spiritual high is over.

But this year, our spiritual high is not being diminished but reinforced. Now, we are cementing the holiness and all the blessings that comes with it, into our lives.

So prepare to be Shul’d out: get ready for a year filled with closeness to G-d even more than a typical year.

Oh, and let’s take ‘Shul-out’ literally: come to Shul, bring your friends and family, and let’s celebrate together. Your presence will make this year’s holidays even more special and meaningful.