As Rosh HaShanah is upon us to celebrate the creation of all human beings-not just us-I cannot help but look at the world with different eyes. I see beyond the chaos to the beauty of Your creation. It is not often that I stand still to feel gratitude, let alone express my gratitude to You, HaShem.
When the Shofar fills the air to call us, to awaken us, it reaches far beyond my physical hearing and touches a sense of ultimate truth. This day is not about me, or my people, and not even about human beings as a whole. This day is about You. I stand before You with absolute gratitude, thanking You for the greatest gift You have given us: life.
Created for a higher Purpose
Thank You for creating us with the purpose to get to know You, to love You, and to bring Your light into the world. When I look around at the world, I see Your loving-kindness in every creation. Thank You for all You have done for us throughout the year, through the months, and through every single day.
When the High Holidays arrive, it is easy to fall into a routine. We dress up beautifully in white, preparing ourselves for Teshuvah, bracing ourselves for a long 25-hour fast, and dwelling on all our flaws. But I believe, HaShem, that Yom Kippur is not a day to only focus on our transgressions. By doing so, I would miss the entire point of Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur-just like Rosh HaShanah-is about truly experiencing the day with gratitude. Before I look inward at what I did wrong, I must look upward at You, HaShem. I must look at all that You did right. The foundation of this Holy Day isn't our mistakes; it is about returning to You in a pure state.
When I look back at the past year, I do not only see the chaos and the social breakdown. I see the miracles that are all around us, the blessings You give us, and the tiny details of every day. HaShem, You sustain us, You return our breath of life every morning, and You pick us up even when we don't notice we were falling.
When I recognize everything You have done for us, I don't fast and feel miserable. I fast out of awe for You, and out of gratitude that You let me return to You with a pure soul.
Not Better, but Bigger
The meaning of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is not about self-improvement. It is not about becoming a better version of myself. I want to be bigger than myself, because I know that my life has no true meaning unless I am serving Someone higher than myself. You are the King, and I am Your servant.
Thank You for Teshuvah. Thank You for Yom Kippur—the ultimate, intimate roadmap for our souls to return to You. To return to You, HaShem, I lay everything bare:
I acknowledge my wrongdoings without excuse.
I actively leave them behind.
I resolve, with all my strength, never to commit them again.