Chevre, tonight and for the next 2 days it’s Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה). I learned recently why we don’t bless the new month in Elul before Rosh Hashanah. Of course, there are many reasons, but the one I liked the most was that the whole year relies on Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, if we blessed the new month/year in Elul, then the new year would actually rely on the previous month. But that is not the case. The whole year, everything that happens good and bad, all the holidays, everything that happens relies on, rests on, Rosh Hashanah. It is the foundation pillar of the entire year.

We also went to an evening of singing to help get into the spirit of Elul. There was a Sefardi (Edut Mizrach) Selicha that we sang (and was new to my wife and me) where the chorus was talking about leaving this bad year behind. As I look back over the year, there have been many challenges and many accomplishments. I’d like to think we are further ahead than behind, but that is not for me to judge. It was definitely a difficult year for many in Am Yisrael. And so we leave this year behind and look forward to the new year. May it only bring good things to all of Am Yisrael.

I bless you all for a Shanah Tovah. A year of peace and prosperity. A year of quiet and positive growth. And may you all be written in the book of life.