A Rosh Hashanah reflection (2008)

Rosh Hashanah Day 1
September 30, 2008 / 1 Tishrei 5769


A story is told of an old man who, on his 104th birthday, raised a glass of wine to the sky and proclaimed:
“Up there, they have forgotten about me!”

This old man’s toast reflects the view -- perhaps of many -- that when God remembers us, we are called from this life, but when God forgets us, we remain, neglected, here on earth.

In Judaism, where God is the Author of Life, we see it differently than this old man. To be alive is to be remembered by God. To be in peril or pain is to wonder, as did the Psalmist, “How long, O God? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1)
This is why we say to each other: “May you be remembered for a good year.”

The power of remembering is so great that it can even conquer death. When we speak of a loved one we have lost, we say zichrono/a liv'racha, may his/her memory be for a blessing. When we remember, something of that person -- their presence -- lives on in our lives.

On this Rosh Hashanah day, also known as Zichron Teruah (the Remembrance of the Shofar Blast) and Yom HaZikaron (The Day of Rememberance), we pray for many kinds of memory:

• We pray that God remembers us for a year of blessing.
• We pray that we may remember those no longer with us so that the light of their lives continues to shine onto our own, illuminating our path to blessing.
• And, looking ahead through the Days of Awe to Yom Kippur, also known as Yom HaDin (The Day of Judgment), we bring memory and judgment together and ask ourselves: how do we want to be remembered after we’re gone?

As we meditate during these highest of holy days on teshuvah -- returning to God and our best selves -- let us remember to remember... so that our past may teach our present how to turn the future into a blessing.