On Rosh Hashanah, we read verses of sovereignty, memory and music – the shofar blast. Each is a pastiche of biblical verses that teaches lessons of psychology and soul.
Sovereignty is not only about God but about us. By emphasizing God’s majesty it reminds us that each human being is frail and foolish, but still loved and unique. And it recalls us to the reality that there are powerful ethical expectations for people in this world. We will fall short of course, but we are obligated to keep trying.
The verses of memory speak to the fear of being forgotten. God is called “Zochair Kol Hanishkachot” the One who remembers all things forgotten – including all of us. It reinforces the majesty verses – we are ephemeral but also eternal.
Finally the verses of the shofar remind us of the rhythms of our lives. This is the punctuation at the end and beginning of the year, recalling everything that has happened and all we dream of for the year to come. The shofar stirs us like military music, to straighten our spine and set us on the path to a better life in the new year.
