Hope, Belief and Good Intentions

On Rosh Hashanah we pray that the Almighty will inscribe us in the Book of Life and we greet each other with the blessing: "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." This echoes our confidence that we can look forward with confidence and hope that הכל יהיה בסדר  - everything will be well. This attitude of hope has been a key element which has enabled us to overcome whatever challenges we have had to face, whether as individuals or as part of the Jewish People. This has included the Holocaust and lately the wars that Israel has had to face since October 7th and the increase in antisemitism around the world. This attitude, which is enshrined in Israel’s national anthem, the Hatikva, has enabled us to witness the State of Israel developing into a modern nation overcoming the problems associated with the absorption of millions of Jews from Eastern Europe, Ethiopia and many other parts of the world. And hope has enabled Israel to become one of the most advanced nations in the world.  

Nevertheless, as important as hope is, we cannot be optimistic about the future without two further elements. The first is the belief that "The Lord thy God is a merciful God. He will not fail you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them." Even though we should approach the Day of Judgement with fear and trepidation, we may be confident that the Almighty will inscribe us in the Book of Life, because all God wants of us is to "return to the Lord your God, and listen unto His voice." 

This brings us to third element. We should merit God's compassion upon us. This can be achieved in two ways. Firstly, we should merit God’s compassion because of own actions, especially positive actions with others, whether they be close and dear to us. Or even those who are distant from us. And if we have been failing in our actions, we must determine to improve ourselves in the coming year.

We often approach Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with these three elements of hope, belief and good intentions to do better. However, all too often the third element is soon forgotten as soon as we leave Synagogue after Neila on Yom Kippur. The reason for this is possibly - while we are in Shul, void of any outside pressures, it is easy to promise ourselves that we will try. But it can become more difficult as soon as we re-enter the real world. The Torah was given to us to keep in this world with all its imperfections. A Midrash teaches us that when the angels sought to keep the Torah in Heaven, Moses challenged them, "What good is the Torah to you? Do you engage in worldly matters?" Similarly, it may be easier to have hope and belief when we are not faced with misfortune or crises. Optimism and faith may be harder to achieve in the face of calamities. Yet the resolve and determination of the Jewish people is strong, precisely because we have been able to overcome hardships throughout our history, and consequently we have always looked to the future with confidence.

I pray that we can all look to Rosh Hashanah and the New Year with renewed hope, faith and resolve to improve ourselves in all our actions. And in this way may we all have confidence that we will be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life with peace for all of us, for all the Jewish People, the State of Israel and for all of the World.