Among the most popular are Rosh Hashanah cards is the hope that the recipient is enrolled in the Book of Life. This idea comes from the tradition that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, marks the creation of the world. As such, it is a time of judgment when all men shall stand before the Almighty and to deal with the consideration of their actions since last year.
Therefore, it is common to find Rosh Hashanah cards with an image of the Lord, sitting in judgment on his throne, with two books open before him. Is the Book of Life and the Book of the Dead. Those who were totally righteous are immediately inscribed in the Book of Life. Evil and bad, on the contrary, are immediately written in the Book of the Dead.
Most of us, however, fall somewhere in between. We are neither perfectly good nor very bad.
In an act of mercy, the Creator gives us a grace period of ten days, "we take care". These ten days which fall between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are considered the Ten Days of Repentance.
If we use this time wisely, to reflect on our past actions, sincerely regretting our mistakes and promise never to repeat them, we will be forgiven and sealed in the book of life. This is the accepted tradition.
There is, however, a radically different interpretation of history. The source is Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Polnoye, commonly known by the name of his most famous book, the Toldot Yaakov Yosef.
The Toldot Yaakov Yosef lived in the mid-1700s. He was one of the main disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement. His version of this tradition is the following.
When each of us stands before the heavenly court of the Lord to give us a pen.
Speaking to us, the Creator says: "What you have done in the past does not worry me what are important are their actions in the future.".
"Take this pen and decide for yourself. Enter your name in any book you want. You be the judge and you are the one who will determine their future."
This interpretation captures the heart of Hasidic philosophy. The responsibility for our actions and our future depends on the man, not God. We are the ones that ultimately determine our destiny.
Therefore, Rosh Hashanah is a day full of wonder, solemnity and joy. If we put our name in the book of life, the Lord willing.
But that commitment requires us to be responsible for ourselves and the heavenly court.
Rosh Hashanah cards and their motives may seem trivial and simple, but hidden in the rich traditions and deep meanings.
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