GOOD MORNING! Rosh Hashana begins Friday evening, September 18th! Many Jews all over the world are rushing to make sure that they have places reserved in their synagogues. I am reminded of the story of the person who had to deliver a very important message to a man in a synagogue on Rosh Hashana. The usher wouldn't let him in because he didn't have a ticket. "Please, I just need a moment to tell him the message!" "No way!" says the usher, "No ticket, no entrance!" "Please," begs the man, "I promise ... I won't pray!" If you need a place to pray and don't belong to a synagogue, go to: NoMembershipRequired.com!

Q & A: WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF ROSH HASHANA
AND HOW DO WE OBSERVE IT?

Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year. Unlike the secular New Year which is celebrated in many parts of the "civilized" world by partying, drinking to excess and watching a little ball descend a tower in Time Square, the Jewish New Year is celebrated by reflecting upon the past, correcting one's mistakes, planning for the future, praying for a healthy and sweet year and celebrating with holiday meals.

Rabbi Nachum Braverman writes, "On Rosh Hashana we make an accounting of our year and we pray repeatedly for life. How do we justify another year of life? What did we do with the last year? Has it been a time of growth, of insight and of caring for others? Did we make use of our time, or did we squander it? Has it truly been a year of life, or merely one of mindless activity? This is the time for evaluation and rededication. The Jewish process is called 'teshuva,' coming home - recognizing our mistakes between ourselves and God as well as between ourselves and our fellow man and then correcting them."

On Rosh Hashana we pray that we are inscribed in the Book of Life for life, for health, for sustenance. It is the Day of Judgment. Yet, we celebrate with festive meals with family and friends. How can we celebrate when our very lives hang in balance? Ultimately, we trust in the kindness and mercy of the Almighty ... that He knows our heart and our intentions and with love and knowledge of what is best for us, will accordingly grant us a good decree for the new year.

It would seem to make more sense to have the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) before the Day of Judgment (Rosh Hashana). However, until we recognize our Creator and internalize the magnitude and consequences of our actions, we cannot truly seek to change ourselves or to seek atonement. That is why the three essential themes of Rosh Hashana are: Malchuyot (Kingship), Zichronot (Providence) and Shofrot (Revelation). The musaf (additional) prayer service is structured around these three themes.

The Book of Our Heritage clarifies:

In the Kingship section we acknowledge God's creation of all existence, His active supervision of the entire universe, and our acceptance of His eternal rule. It is our job on Rosh Hashana to make God our King.

In the Providence section we proclaim our understanding that: (1) the Creator has a one on one relationship with every human being, (2) God cares about what we do with our lives and sees and remembers everything, and (3) there are Divine consequences for our actions.

In the Revelation section we accept the Torah as if it were given once again with thunder and lightning and mighty shofar blasts. We also await the final redemption which is to be heralded by the "shofar of the mashiach (messiah)."

At the festive meal both nights of Rosh Hashana it is customary to dip the challah, specially braided bread, as well as an apple, into honey symbolizing our hopes for a sweet year. There is a custom to eat various Symbolic Foods - primarily fruits and vegetables - each one preceded by a request. For instance, before eating a pomegranate, "May it be Your will... that our merits increase like (the seeds of) a pomegranate." Many of the requests are based on "plays on words" between the name of the food and the request. Since these "plays on words" are lost on many who don't know Hebrew, there are those who have added their own requests. My favorite: before eating a raisin on a celery stick, "May it be Your will ... that I receive a raise in salary."

Another custom is Tashlich, a symbolic casting off of transgressions. It is done after the Mincha, the afternoon prayers, on the first day of Rosh Hashana - or on the second day when the first day of Rosh Hashana falls out on Shabbat. Remember - these symbolic acts help you relate to what you need to do in life, to awaken your emotions and passions; they are not an end in themselves. It is worthwhile to get a copy of the Rosh Hashana Yom Kippur Survival Kit to get a better understanding of the holiday, the prayers, the prayer services and the opportunity that is afforded to you to grow in spirituality, to come closer to the Almighty, to perfect yourself and to perfect the world! It is available at your local Jewish bookstore, at judaicaenterprises.com or by calling toll-free 877-758-3242.

For more insights into personal growth on Rosh Hashana, see aish.com/h/hh/. Don't miss the Aish One Minute Rosh Hashanah Movie: blinkofeye.asp!

Q & A: ROSH HASHANAH IS THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
WHY DOES GOD JUDGE US?

Life is serious business. Every action has its consequence. If God didn't judge us then there would be no justice in the world. From our perspective, if we feel that we are being judged, we are more likely to treat life seriously. We will then hopefully correct our mistakes in dealing with other people, ourselves and with the Almighty.

Judgment implies caring. If you don't care, you don't judge. We look at God's judging us as the ultimate expression of His love and caring about how we live our lives.

For more on "Rosh Hashana" go to ShabbatShalomAudio.com!

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TORAH PORTION

Because the first day of Rosh Hashana occurs on Shabbat, the special Torah reading supersedes the usual weekly portion (which is thus pushed forward to next Shabbat). On the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis 21 regarding the Almighty remembering Sarah and Sarah giving birth to Isaac. (The Almighty remembered Sarah on Rosh Hashana.) The second day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis 22 regarding "Aikedas Yitzchak," the test of Avraham to prepare his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice; this, too, took place on Rosh Hashana.

I would like to leave you with a story about an elderly sage named Reb Zusia who lay on his deathbed surrounded by his students and disciples. He was crying and no one could comfort him.

One student asked his Rebbe, "Why do you cry? You were almost as wise as Moses and as kind as Abraham." Reb Zusia answered, "When I pass from this world and appear before the Heavenly Tribunal, they won't ask me, 'Zusia, why weren't you as wise as Moses or as kind as Abraham,' rather, they will ask me, 'Zusia, why weren't you Zusia?' Why didn't I fulfill my potential, why didn't I follow the path that could have been mine?"

On Rosh Hashana we confront our potential as human beings, but even more so, as Jews. Let each of us use the opportunity to reevaluate our lives, our potentials, and our commitment to our God, our Torah, our People and ourselves. A sweet year to you and yours!

My special thanks to all who have helped support the Shabbat Shalom Weekly this past year and to all who have and are responding to the Friends of the Fax appeal! You may donate at AishDonate.com or send your contribution to: Aish Friends of Shabbat Shalom, 3150 Sheridan Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Kalman Packouz