In many nations and diverse cultures, it is customary to celebrate the beginning of a new year with celebration, but among the people of Israel, Rosh Hashanah has a unique character that is unparalleled.
In other nations, the day marking the beginning of the New Year is a day of celebrations, sometimes wild. For them, the New Year opens in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, with self-patting and noisy revelry.
In contrast, among the Jewish people, the atmosphere leading up to Rosh Hashanah is completely different. Jews approach Rosh Hashanah with awe, inner purification, and soul-searching.
On Rosh Hashanah itself, they gather in synagogues to pray from the bottom of their hearts, feeling that these are very serious hours.
These days are called in our language 'Terrible Days', in the spirit of the prayer: "Today will bring the world to its knees, today will bring all the creatures of the world to judgment.".
How do you look at life?
This difference reflects the general approach of a Jew to life. A Jew knows that life in this world is a mission, a role. He does not live to satisfy his desires and enjoy the pleasures of the world. He must perform tasks and achieve goals in his one hundred and twenty years of life. He also believes that there is law and there is a judge, and there is someone before whom he must give an account.
It is natural, therefore, that when a year draws to a close, a sense of anxiety pierces the heart of the Jew: An entire year has passed – what have I done, what have I accomplished? Have I made progress in carrying out my mission in the world and fulfilling the purpose of my life on earth? Have I truly taken advantage of the year and done what was incumbent upon me?
Therefore, in the last month of the year, he is surrounded by a serious spirit, and he tries to catch up and complete what was not completed during the year. He devotes more time to prayer and Torah study; he distributes much more of his wealth to charity; he does many good deeds. After all this, he feels that he is still far from the perfection he deserves, and there is no choice but to ask for forgiveness and pardon and to say "selichot.".
Thus the Jew peels away a few more layers of self-satisfaction and complacency, and he clearly feels that in fact he stands before the King of kings as an empty vessel. He does not have the courage to stand up and demand: 'I deserve it.'.
He stands in shamefacedness in 'selichot' and from his mouth bursts the cry: "To you, O Lord, is righteousness, and to us is shame." Like a poor man at the door, he asks for 'righteousness.' He says to God: Even though I don't deserve it, give me a good year on credit, and I promise to 'pay' throughout the year.
It will be a better year.
With trembling and trembling, the Jew stands before the Creator at the beginning of the new year. He has already taken stock of his actions in the past year and has come to the conclusion that much more could have been done. And if it had been possible – he should have. A sense of loss fills his heart and with it a great aspiration arises – that the next year will be better, fuller, better utilized.
After such preparation, a Jew enters Judgment Day with a cleaner soul and with determined resolutions to change, to behave differently in the new year.
This is accompanied by the deep confidence that God, the Almighty, does indeed accept our response with love, and grants each and every one of us a good writing and signature for a good and sweet year, a year of abundance and blessing, a year of redemption and salvation.
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