As a youngster, I looked forward to Rosh Hashanah. I always got a new dress for the High Holy Days and my mother made special honey cakes. The house smelled so delicious when she baked the cakes, which she offered to all our neighbors to wish them a good, sweet year.
We had very little money but my mother never turned anyone in need away. She couldn’t give much, but no one ever went away empty-handed. Giving to the poor was a lesson we learned at a young age and the joy of helping has always stayed with me. The ethics of the Jewish religion offer guidance that strengthen and support through many of life’s difficulties.
But as I grew older, the holiday took on another meaning. It was a period for self-reflection and evaluation. Who are you? What have you done to make the world a better place? Are you the best person you can be?
Sometimes, we are faced with choices and we don’t know what to do. I have a simple rule: when you don’t know what to do, just do the right thing. It may be costly, it may be embarrassing, it may be uncomfortable, but just do the right thing. In the end, you’ll feel better, you’ll even feel a little taller. If you have children, your example will be a lifelong gift to them. During Rosh Hashana, we can make amends and wipe the slate clean. Take this time to apologize; you’ll feel better, I promise.
The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time during where individuals can address past actions, repay debts and change any behavior that may have caused discomfort to others. It’s a time for a reprieve. A time of resolve. A time to say, yes, I will do better, I will grow, I will be the best person I can be.
During this time of year, many Jews toss bread into the water to signify throwing away their sins. If it’s a simple sin, it’s white bread; if it’s a complicated sin, it’s multi-grain bread; and if it’s a sin about sex…French bread.
The High Holiday Days present the perfect opportunity to make that call you’ve been putting off, do a good deed for a neighbor, contribute to a worthwhile cause that helps people less fortunate than you, and make a resolution to have your life become more meaningful.
The books in heaven are open for just a short while. On Yom Kippur, when the shofar blows, the books close firmly and whatever is written will come to be. You want to be marked in your ledger for a good year. There’s still time — it’s a perfect day to do a mitzvah!
Judith Levy resides in Boca Raton. She is the New York Times best-selling author of “Grandmother Remembers,” which has sold four million copies to date. Her newest illustrated book “Great-Grandmother Remembers” is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
