Rabbi Shmuly Rubin of Union College Chabad shared this High Holiday parable from the Baal Shem Tov:
The animals were thinking of a way to approach the lion, king of the jungle. They felt intimidated and didn’t feel ready for the encounter. Then the fox spoke: “I have 300 clever jokes that will put the lion in a great mood. Don’t worry, just come along with me.” The other animals felt good about this and eagerly went along. A third the way there, the fox stopped and said, “Gee, I just forgot 100 of the jokes.” The animals weren’t too worried, after all, 200 jokes should be enough to work with. They traveled some more toward the lion’s lair, and the fox spoke up again, “I only remember 100 jokes now, I forgot the other 100.” There was some worry among the animals, but they decided to continue on, after all, 100 jokes are still enough jokes.
And then, all of a sudden, they came around the bend, and they were already in the Lions Lair! They looked at the fox, who stood there silent. “I forgot all my jokes.” he said, “My job was to get you to overcome your fear of the King, and not feel intimidated. But now you are here! Each of you must address the King directly from his/her own heart. Discover your own voice!”
So, too it is with the High Holiday services. Cantors and Rabbis act as the fox. They help guide us along, they might inspire, but they do not speak for us. Only we can speak to G-d for ourselves. And once we overcome the initial barriers – we can!