Happy New Year!
When you read this did you question my sanity for a brief second? Or did you do the happy dance only to remember, "Wait... it's only September?"
If 2020 were to be rated from 1 to 10, 10 being the best, most people would give it a big fat zero!
Tonight begins a New Year for Jewish people around the globe. However, it is celebrated very differently than New Year's Eve. This holiday is a time for reflection, repentance, and recommitment. There will be no wild parties, no dancing, or loud wild music.
Albeit very different, it is a wonderful way to start the new year.
After reading this, even if you are not Jewish, you may want to incorporate a practice or two.
It is said that on Rosh HaShana (rosh - head, hashana - (of) the year) G-d opens three books, The Book of Life, The Book of Death, and the Book of the "Undecided".
Over the next ten days, the "Days of Awe" Jewish people around the globe will wish each other a Happy New Year and say, "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life".
Time for Self Reflection.
This holiday is a time for us to go inward and reflect. . Did I hurt anyone, was I unkind, and did I ask for forgiveness? For the next ten days, you get to look in the proverbial mirror and have a hard honest talk with yourself.
Was I unkind?
Did I hurt someone's feelings?
Did I physically hurt someone?
Did I steal or short change or over charge someone?
Did I cheat someone out of something?
Did I gossip?
Time to repent.
Next is making teshuva - repentance. Teshuva literally means returning - returning to the path of righteousness.
So how does one change their fate and move their name from the third book to the Book of Life? By DOING teshuva.
What?
Ask for forgiveness - apologize (it must be genuine and heartfelt). It's not enough to ask your higher power for forgiveness, you need to ask the person you hurt.
If the other person does not accept your apology for whatever reason, you need to ask again (at least three times). Maybe the first one wasn't heartfelt enough and you were just going through the motions. Perhaps they weren't ready to forgive you or wanted to make you grovel. Put your ego in check., and keep asking.
When you do teshuva the idea is to learn from your mistakes whether done consciously or not so you don't do them again. You have to work for forgiveness, to get back on the path of righteousness.
So here's where I ask. If I have offended you, hurt you, or did something that upset you, please let me know so I can apologize and make amends.
Recommit
After we reflect, and repent, we recommit.
Recently, I participated in a class my aunt taught about the effect music has on prayer. We were discussing a particular prayer that is said on Yom Kippur; it is said that the Book of Life is sealed on Yom Kippur.
My aunt ended the class with a song from Hamilton. Finale (Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story).
Click here to and listen to the first 2 minutes, 19 seconds.
The chorus:
Who lives
Who dies
Who tells your story?
Eliza
And I’m still not through
I ask myself, “What would you do if you had more—”
Eliza
And when my time is up, have I done enough?
Eliza
Will they tell our story?
Oh. Can I show you what I’m proudest of?
This was profound.
After you reflect, and repent, recommit to your purpose.
What is your legacy?
What do you want to leave the world?
How do you want to leave the world a better place?
Once you reflect and repent, you have a clean slate. A chance to start anew.
So what's it going to be?
Whether you celebrate or not, I wish you a sweet year filled with love, joy, and an abundance of GRATITUDE W.I.N.S.
As my people say, "L'shana Tova'- "To (a) Happy year".
