Each year in the fall season, the Jewish people celebrate Rosh HaShanah, the Birthday of the World and Restart of the Year, followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Forgiveness. Here is a delightful collaborative "labor of love" song put together by Jewish communities across the world.
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May This Be the Year
Each year in the fall season, the Jewish people celebrate Rosh HaShanah, the Birthday of the World and Restart of the Year, followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Forgiveness. We are called to teshuvah – to return from the illusions, cravings, egotism, arrogance, pain, and darkness in which we’ve become entangled – to the pure, radiant essence of who we really are.
The great 16th century Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, also known as the Ari, the Holy Lion, taught that in order to create the world God had to overcome a primal paradox. On the one hand the Ain Sof – the Infinite Light, the endless God-Presence – fills all time and space. On the other hand creation, and every creature, needs space of it’s own to exist.
So God, out of love for creation and all the creatures, made room for the universe by first creating vessels, and withdrawing the Ain Sof into these vessels. But because the Ain Sof is infinite, it can’t be contained in any vessels. So the vessels shattered – the original big bang!
The Infinite Light, originally whole, was blown apart into countless Sparks that scattered throughout Creation. And because the Light was no longer whole and visible in Creation, there was darkness, and evil, that entered the world.
Our teacher, the great Hassidic master Rabbi Nachman, taught: the brightest Sparks are the ones that are hidden in the darkest places. The deeper the darkness, the brighter are the Sparks that are hidden there, waiting to be rescued.
When God created Adam and Eve, God said to them, I’ve given you, and your children after you, and your children’s children for as long as Creation exists, a purpose. Your purpose in this world is to go find the Sparks wherever they are hidden. And especially in the darkest places, where healing is needed. Your job is to rescue the Sparks and bring them Home.
The holy Ari taught that we can follow God through the three stages of Creation. This translates to the actions needed at this time of year.
Tzimtzum – Withdrawal. We withdraw our ego – and our agendas – to make room for others. We redirect our attention from our needs to the needs of those around us.
Shevira – Brokenness. Our teacher the holy Baal Shem Tov taught that the only vessel big enough to contain the Ain Sof, the Infinite Light, is a broken heart. We open our hearts and cry out to God in sorrow for the brokenness in ourselves and in the world.
Tikun – Healing. We commit ourselves to healing in the coming year. To healing ourselves and healing the world. To reaching out to others with love and kindness. To caring for those in need. To making peace with our adversaries. To doing what we can to usher this world to a time of love and peace.
May this year be a time of love and kindness. May this be a year where God’s children everywhere, reaching out to each other in love, bring healing to the world.
As shared by Aryae Coopersmith, a fellow pilgrim and founder of One World Lights (OWL), a community of global citizens with the shared vision of people everywhere supporting a course change for humanity by supporting each other.
A New Year (Lyrics)
May this be the year of love and kindness
May strangers come to be friends
May truth and compassion always guide us
May this be the year of hope and healing
For all of those in need
May all of our deeds be a blessing
A new year, a good year, a chance to start all over
A new year, a sweet year, a chance to bring us closer
May this be a year of selfless giving
May this be a year of peace
And may we forgive and be forgiven
A new year, a good year, a chance to start all over
A new year, a sweet year, a chance to bring us closer
Closer to the ones we love
A world that we can be proud of
