On Rosh Hashanah, as rabbis tell us, HaShem completed the making of the world and rested on this day. This is why on this day we are called to remember Him as our King. Catholics do this on Christ the King (instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI) which comes the week before Advent begins. Rosh Hashanah also begins the New Year (the spiritual New Year) where as Christ the King ends it. But there is one great difference, although Catholics could adopt this into their own feast. This is not too far fetched considering that Pope Pius created the Feast of Christ the King because he was concerned with all the sin and evil he saw forming in our world. He had hoped the feast might turn us back to where we should be and away from our cardinale sins. So what makes Rosh Hashanah different?
On Rosh Hashanah, we are told, HaShem opens the Book of Life and reviews to see whose names are written, to be written, or removed from it. Actually, the sages tell us there are three books: The Book of Life, The Book of the Wicked, and the Book of Those In Between. If our name is in the Book of Life, we will be saved. If it’s in the Book of the Wicked, we will be damned and if it’s in the Book of In Between, we have until Yom Kippur (ten days away) to repent. If we do not set our hearts right with HaShem and receive forgiveness by then, the Book of Life closes and will not be opened again until Rosh Hashanah next year. If you die during the year, the sages warn us, and your name is not written in the Book of Life, then you will not see eternal life. In many ways this is a dress rehearsal for the final judgment(s) we keep each year.
But we are sanctified by the blood of the Lamb, why do we need to atone our sins?
In HaMoshiach, it is true that one can not have mortal sins, but we are still called by our Church to rid ourselves of venial sins. A Priest once gave the following parable:
There was a rich woman who during her life believed in the L-rd, would pray the rosary and give to the charities, however she never really did grow in her faith. When she died, she came before Saint Peter at the gate and he welcomed her. He said we have prepared a place for you, so please follow me.” The two walk along a road flanked on both sides by beautiful palaces, each one more spectacular than the one before. Each time as they approached one the woman’s heart would beat with excitement as she anticipated which one would be hers. Yet each one they came to they passed by until they had gone pass them all. Further down the road, they came to building which was similar to a shack. Peter said, “this is your house.” The woman just stared for a moment and then stammered, “There must be a mistake! With all those beautiful homes, why I am getting this?” Peter responded, “This is the correct place. It was the best we could do with all the supplies you sent.”
You see, by faith we are guaranteed eternal life, but HaShem made His Mitzvoth, both those in Torah and those inspired by Peter, for us and not for Him. Yeshua told us we were to be perfect, that we were to become as the teacher. We may never be able to keep Mitzvoth perfectly, but HaShem blesses and sends His grace to strengthen those that seek perfection even if it slips though their fingers time and time again. He created the Days of Awe- Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so we could, once a year, take a good hard look at our lives, our witness, and our communication with Him, and see where we failed through weakness or ignorance. It also gives us the opportunity to see how we can improve to abide as we should so we may continue onward in perfecting ourselves so that we might become a greater blessing to others. After all, Saint Paul called this walk by faith ‘a race’ and not a spectator’s sport.
But judgment carries another side that should not be ignored. Not only will we be given duties based on what we did with what we are given (this is what the above parables are truly talking about), it’s also true from the kingdom parables that many who think they are among His Talmudine are going to get a rude awaking on judgment day. How can we be sure of our salvation and that we are not in denial as so many will be?
Here the Mitzvoth (commandment) for these Holidays gives us some insight:
“And the L-rd said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blasts of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work; and you present an offering by fire to the L-rd.” Lev.23.23-25The great feast of Rosh Hashanah that we are to celebrate represents the New Year and HaShem’s creation, yet these two aspects are not even mentioned here in the Torah. What is mentioned is coming together before Him (a holy convocation), the sounding of the shofar, and that this day be a “solemn” rest. The Shofar was sounded by the watchman to call the nation to arms or by the priesthood to call them to repent. Because this is a solemn feast we see repentance here, not war. But why? Perhaps Yom Kippur can give more insight:
“And the L-rd said to Moses, “On the tenth day of the seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation and you shall afflict yourself and present an offering by fire to the L-rd. And you shall do no work on this same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the L-rd G-d. For whoever is not afflicted on this same day shall be cut off from his people. And whoever does any work on this same day, that person will be destroyed from among his people. You shall do no work; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling. It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall inflict yourselves; on the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening you keep your Sabbath” Lev.23.6-32.
Yom Kippur differs from Rosh Hashanah in only one requirement, that we must afflict ourselves. Therefore, these two days are actually very much alike. True, the first day is a day we remember HaShem’s Creation, but this day is not removed from Judgment day. True Judgment day occurs (as we are told) on Yom Kippur, but we are first looked at on Rosh Hashanah. The Book of Life opens on Rosh Hashanah but it closes ten days later at Yom Kippur. One day the rapture will signal to the world HaShem’s pending judgment. This is what it means that the Book of Life opens. But after a period of prayer and quite, the L-rd will afflict all those not taken with His wrath. In other words, if we don’t afflict ourselves, He will do it for us!
This is why HaShem gave us the great gift. Once a year, we go through a dress rehearsal for the big day. Old habits are hard to break, but new habits are much easier. In fact, we should be living Yom Kippur every day of our lives and if we do, these Holy Days of Awe will not be so troubling.
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