The eyes of G‑d, your L-rd, are upon it [the land] from the beginning of the year until the end of the year… Deut. 11:12
On Rosh Hashanah we are all judged based on our behavior over the last year. God decides everything that will happen in the year to come, including who will live and who will die. Our Sages teach that on this day three ledgers are opened in the Heavenly Court. One for those who are completely wicked, one for those who are completely good, and one for those in the middle. The wicked are inscribed in the book and sealed (sentenced) to die in the coming year. The good are inscribed and sealed to live. And for those in the middle – most of us – our deeds are balanced between good and wicked and our fate hangs in the balance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These are the Ten Days of Repentance, also known as the Days of Awe, when our every deed takes on supreme importance.
Our Sages said: On Rosh Hashanah all of mankind pass before Him like sheep -they pass by Him one by one, one after the other, yet He scrutinizes them all with a single glance. Thus, the verse (Psalms 33:15) states: “He created all of their hearts together and understands all of their actions”
What can we do to improve our character and our prospects for the year to come? The answer can be found in the Rosh HaShanah liturgy, which defines service to God during this time as teshuva, tefillah, and tzedakah.
TESHUVA
Often translated as repentance, teshuva is more accurately described as “return.” When we commit to improve our character and our deeds, we are actually returning to our essential self. We were created in the image of God and the Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches that we are no less than “a part of God above.” When a Jew does teshuva, the Rebbe says, we are “reforging the essential union between the soul and its source, a union which was temporarily in abeyance through sin. In other words, a Jew, through teshuvah, reveals his true self and reasserts the soul’s mastery over the body.”
TEFILLA
Tefillah is prayer, but not as prayer is commonly understood. We’re not simply asking God to give us what we want, but rather speaking to our Creator to achieve a closer connection with Him. “Tefillah” means union. The Lubavitcher Rebbe says, “Every Jew possesses a soul connected to and having its source in G‑d. But a soul in heaven is very different from a soul in a body on this world. The physical concerns of the body — eating, drinking, etc. — affect and weaken the soul’s bond with G‑d. The times of tefillah are the means by which this bond is reforged and reinforced. They are times of complete communion with G‑d.”
TZEDAKAH
Literally “justice,” tzedakah, commonly translated as “charity,” is a core Jewish commandment. We give charity not just to be a good person, but to achieve justice. Everything we have comes from God, so the money we have in the bank has been entrusted to us but it’s not truly ours. We are commanded to give at least 10% of our income to charity, and in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah we should give significantly more. Just as God gives to us, we should give to others. Even those poor enough to receive charity are expected to give charity, even if it’s only a small amount.
On Rosh Hashanah we return to our true self by doing teshuva, we achieve union with God through heartfelt tefilla, and we act justly by giving to those in need. The Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1838-1933) teaches that we should make an extra effort to judge others favorably at this time. When we see the best in others – even when it’s difficult – God will see the best in us.
In the merit of our genuine repentance, may we all be inscribed for a good and sweet new year!
Image: “Jews performing tashlich on Rosh Hashanah” by Aleksander Gierymski, 1884.
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