Cramming

At this point, we are cramming.

Beginning Monday night, G-d opens the book of our life, and on Yom Kippur, it will be signed and sealed….and everything that will unfold in the coming year will be decided.

Don’t walk into Rosh Hashana unprepared!

You need to do two things– not simple things, but they must be taken care of asap:

1. Clear Up your mistakes. None of us were perfect this past year. It is time to ask for forgiveness and to forgive– others and ourselves. This is called teshuva, which means “to return.” We got off track during the year and are committed to returning to our best selves. Maimonides sets out the four steps of teshuva (“SRVP”):

Stop– no matter how long you have been making a mistake, you can begin again now.

Regret– feel the pain of your mistake, or you may come to do it again.

Verbalize– if you wronged another, even if they do not know about it, you must make good and ask their forgiveness. Then you ask G-d’s forgiveness. If it’s just between you and G-d and no other, then you just say it out to G-d.

Plan– how am I going to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

2. Make a One-Year Life Plan— We let G-d know where we want to be at this time next year in the most important aspects of our lives. G-d can’t get you there unless you know where you want to go. Take an hour before Monday night and use this as your guide.

My husband and I will be speaking at the PGA in West Palm Beach, Florida, over Rosh Hashana, and you will be in our prayers for a Shana Tova, a sweet, happy, healthy, meaningful new year for you and your loved ones.

Let’s make it the best year ever!