Rosh Hashana marks the start of the Jewish New Year, but it’s only the beginning of the beginning. The first seeds.
The holiday celebrates the creation of the world and it reminds us that things begin not in the light with everything organized and put in place, but in the darkness and chaos of disorder.
Rosh Hashana arrives with the new moon, a time when the moon is invisible, when the night is dark, and when we are called inward to reflect and empty ourselves.
We are called to judgement before God, but more importantly, before ourselves.
This is the beginning of a 10-day period of self-reflection and introspection that rivals any personal development seminar.
It asks us to examine the 3 most pressing questions of living a meaningful life:
(1) Who am I?
From the moment we are born, we are saddled with expectations for who and what we might become.
Our culture pulls us into a vortex of beliefs that we are our roles, our achievements, our outward appearances.
Rosh Hashana, we are invited to dig beneath the surface to answer the question:
Who am I underneath the layers of expectations and beliefs that I’ve inherited about myself?
The most prominent voices in our head often reflect the expectations and beliefs of those who had the greatest influence over us in our formative years.
In the wake of the blasts from the shofar there is a silence — a clearing — in which we might begin to hear the “still, small voice” within that is the voice of our truth.
Learning how to listen for this voice is a skill we cultivate over time.
And then comes the hard part:
Developing the courage to listen to this voice.
(2) Why am I here?
What is the purpose for which I am here?
Each of us has a unique task only we can do, a contribution only we can make to this world.
Nobody else can play the part you are here to play, and you cannot play anyone else’s part.
In the stillness of the moment, we might begin to get clear on our unique talents and the purpose for which we were brought into this world.
(3) How am I using my life?
We are asked to offer an accounting of our life over the last year.
How have I been living?
Am I living a life oriented to my values, or around someone else’s values?
Am I practicing what I believe, or do my actions reflect the beliefs of others?
Am I living a life consistent with my purpose, in service to the world?
Or am I merely living in service to myself?
If granted another year, what will I change? What will I do differently to come more in alignment with myself, my values, and my purpose?
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