Thinking Torah Blog

Rosh Hashanah occupies a unique place in our calendar. While most biblical holidays fall in the middle of the month under a full moon, with the night sky brightly lit, Rosh Hashanah arrives at the beginning of the month, when the sky is dark and the moon is hidden. This is no accident. Rosh Hashanah, as some might think, is not about the first day of creation; it marks the sixth day of creation, the day humanity was born. In the darkest part of the month, when the world is devoid of light, we are reminded of our purpose: to bring light into the world. That is our mission — to fill the darkness with the light of our deeds, to illuminate the path ahead for ourselves and others.

As we enter these sacred ten days, our greetings shift in meaning, reflecting our profound journey. Tonight, we say to each other, Shanah Tovah Tichateivu V’tichateimu — "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." As Yom Kippur approaches, the greeting will evolve to G’mar Chatimah Tovah — "May you have a good final seal [in the Book of Life]." This change in greeting reveals a powerful truth: no matter what we believe is written in the story of our lives, nothing is set in stone until the book is sealed. Often, we may feel that our future is inevitable, but Judaism teaches us otherwise. Our people’s survival through the ages is a testament to defying the odds, rewriting the narrative, and refusing to accept the “inevitable.”

As we enter a new year—with all the uncertainty it enters with—may the light we bring to this world be our eternal seal.