154 - Rosh Hashana

"HaShem, I am so privileged that You created me and You saw me worthy to be able to have this tremendously important place on the main stage. Why You specifically gifted me with the privilege to be a Jew and the many things that come with that, I do not know and cannot know, but I am so grateful and just want to say thank You so much, HaShem, for the gift to be able to perform Your mitzvahs, so many of them. 

Im Yirtzeh HaShem, in only a little while, we have the incredible opportunity to hear the sound of the shofar, and as we are taught, when the shofar is sounded, the spiritual realms in the heavens are completely pierced and we experience some of the holiest moments possible. HaShem, sometimes I might feel inspired when the shofar is blown, but at other times I feel nothing, and You and I know that the reason for that is just because I am limited by my human limitations. If I was able to see what was actually going on when the shofar was sounded, I would be so inspired and run towards You with all my heart. 

But You have also taught me that this is actually the reason that I exist in this world. This is my mission statement, to internalize the emunah, specifically when I don't feel, but to rather just believe what You have taught me. Please HaShem, help me to connect to You throughout this Rosh Hashanah in the most potent way and to make my maximum effort to fulfill all of Your mitzvahs in the best way. Please can You also help me to commit to more time of speaking to You on a daily basis and to make even more effort to grow in my emunah, because ultimately when I grow in my emunah and bring Your light more into the world, that is proclaiming Your kingship.

Master of the Universe, please help me to devote more time to teaching others about emunah, because I know that it would give You such delight if not only I was growing in my emunah, bringing You into my world, declaring You as the King, but also sharing that light with those around me."

We are taught that throughout Rosh Hashanah our main focus should be on proclaiming HaShem as the King, rather than focusing on our own efforts to repent our wrongdoings. And perhaps that might seem counterintuitive, because Rosh Hashanah is not only the time that we proclaim HaShem as the King, but also the time that we are judged. We might have thought that when it's time to be judged, we should repent, but again, we follow HaShem's guidelines, whether we understand or not. 

An idea that sheds some light on this issue is that specifically on Rosh Hashanah, the time we are being judged, is the time we focus on proclaiming HaShem as the King, and bezrat HaShem in that merit, that be the catalyst to bring us a good judgment. 

"Master of the universe, thank You for all the incredible gifts that You've blessed me with throughout this whole entire year. Thank You for providing me with all the food that I have eaten every single day. Thank You HaShem for the incredible health. Sometimes when I experience even a minor ailment, or a slight stomach ache, it causes me so much discomfort. How many days this year did I not experience that discomfort? And thank You also for those times that You did send me some discomfort, so I could now have something to compare to, and appreciate all the times that You didn't send me those challenges. 

Thank You HaShem for all the incredible Torah that I've learned this year. Thank You HaShem for the gift of Emunah, and the privilege to be able to have access to this information, and be able to grow in my relationship with You. Thank You HaShem for the opportunity to be able to talk to You every single day, at every single moment, whenever I desire. HaShem, You've given me everything, and I request from You, please HaShem help me to be able to give back to You, to my maximum capacity." 

We wish everybody an incredible and inspiring Rosh Hashanah, and beezrat HaShem may all the Brachos from this year continue into the new year with even more light, and any challenges be completely sweetened for the new year. Wishing everyone a Kesiva V'chasimah Tovah.