Days of Awe

by Patti Breitman

A period of reflection and repentance, the Days of Awe begin on Rosh Hashanah and end ten days later on Yom Kippur. The Days of Awe are a time to make amends with anyone we have wronged during the past year. The Talmud explains that on Yom Kippur we can atone for sins against G‑d, but for sins against other people, we need to ask those people for forgiveness and do our best to right the wrongs we may have committed against them.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, and it is said that on this day G‑d opens a book in which G‑d writes the names of those who will live and those who will die, those who will suffer and those who will prosper in the coming year. During the Days of Awe, we can repent, pray, and do good deeds to influence G‑d's decree. In fact, it is believed that תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvàh (repentance), תּפִלָּה tefilàh (prayer), and צְדָקָה tzedàkàh (good deeds, most often charity) do influence G‑d's inscriptions in the book of life. On Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the book is said to be sealed.

This is why the greeting on Rosh Hashanah is לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִּכָּתֵב וְתֵחָתֵם Leshànàh tovàh tikatév vetékhatém— May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. The shorter version, לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה Leshànàh Tovàh (For a good year), is more frequently heard.

To learn more, I recommend the website www.jewfaq.org. May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.

—from our September-October 2005 Newsletter

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