By Rabbi Daniel Cohen
The Jewish High Holy Days are quickly approaching with Rosh Hashanah the first of several important days. It begins at sunset on Sunday, September 25 and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, September 27.
The New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is a time for reflection and renewal for all of humanity, reaffirming every person’s capacity to bring light. The world is full of anxiety and fear, but there is a renewed possibility for each of us to bring in the light. This is a time for all faiths to come together to bring more light into the world.
Who couldn’t use a little hope right now, particularly considering what we’ve been through over the past couple of years? This is a time of personal reflection, being aware of past mistakes, inner renewal, transformation, and setting good intentions for the year to come. it’s a time for creating a better version of yourself and what that would entail.
Here are some tips anyone of any faith can use to embrace our current world situation and find ways to inspire yourself and others:
Understand, appreciate, and actively partake in Rosh Hashanah. The holidays are not meant to be only a celebration but an opportunity for reflection and growth. Rosh Hashanah signifies the creation of humanity and God’s renewal of his belief that each of us can be an ambassador for spreading light and goodness in the world. Rather than wait for a crisis or illness to deeply evaluate the purpose of our lives, we are given a gift, like George Bailey, in It’s a Wonderful Life, to imagine a world without us and a renewed opportunity to reinvest our lives with even greater meaning and impact.
Grief and loss are a part of life. Whether it is a family member or the head of commonwealth such as Queen Elizabeth II, loss and grief will come. One of the most important ideas in the holiday season is investing in the future and living for eternity. We reflect on our mortality but also take comfort in knowing that when we lead lives of generosity, courage, and kindness, we instill our values across generations and inspire our children and grandchildren to be bearers of hope and light. We mourn the loss this past year of great people, but we can also focus on not lamenting the darkness but increasing the light. Rosh Hashanah challenges us to harness moments of grief to infuse greater goodness in the world.
The importance of pausing for reflection by reverse engineering your day, your week, and your life. The high holiday season is a unique moment in the year to turn off the outside noise and life’s distractions and deeply reflect on the questions that truly matter. Take time this season to take a walk, alone and answer the big questions of life.
We seem to get a steady diet of bad news on a daily basis. It’s time for something a little different and more uplifting. Take some time for reflection, renewal, and regeneration during the High Holy Days, and then share that light with others.
About Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Popular motivator, mentor, and inspirational speaker, Rabbi Daniel Cohen’s unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom, and insight helps anyone better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Rabbi Cohen has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years and is the author of What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy.
