Imagine you are a scientist, and you have an exceptional opportunity: a wealthy investor trusts your abilities and has decided to invest one million dollars per year in you, believing that you will find a cure for a deadly disease. But the contract he offers you is not unlimited: it renews annually. Each new year, you must go to his office and present a report of your accomplishments. He will decide whether to extend your contract for another year or cancel it. In that annual meeting, you must excel. Your job—your future—is at stake. The investor is on your side. He won’t demand that you have achieved the final result yet. He understands that this type of work takes time and dedication. But to continue funding you, he will want to be sure that you haven’t wasted his money or time and that you are doing everything possible to make progress and reach your goal. It is crucial that when you have your annual meeting with the investor, you are completely honest with him, especially about what didn’t go well in the past year. Even though admitting your failures may be uncomfortable, the investor wants to hear you talk about them. He has a lot of experience and knows that there is no better way to prevent you from repeating those mistakes in the future than by verbalizing your errors and admitting them in front of him. If you cannot admit your mistakes or verbalize your failures, you may likely repeat those mistakes and waste another valuable year. In that case, you would become a “high-risk investment.” If that happens, the investor may consider withdrawing his funding… Therefore, it is essential to be honest about your mistakes to secure his support and renew your contract for another year.
We are just a few hours away from Rosh HaShanah, the day that commemorates the creation of humanity. Our sages explained that on this day, the anniversary of the creation of man, the Creator examines each human being. One by one. And decides whether we deserve to be “inscribed in the book of life,” meaning whether He will grant us another year of life. This is the fundamental idea of Rosh HaShanah. The court is in session when we hear the Shofar. Our first mission is to acknowledge the Judge (or King, which in ancient Israel was the same entity) accept His authority over us, and realize that our life depends entirely on Him. When we hear the Shofar, we should not ask for our lives or needs. It is a moment of awe and great solemnity. As Maimonides explains, the Shofar should “awaken us” from our lethargy and remind us that at this moment, it is God who is asking something of us: that we take responsibility for what we have done in the past and will do in the future. When the Shofar sounds, it is not the time to ask for forgiveness. The time to ask for forgiveness is during the seven days following Rosh HaShanah, especially on Yom Kippur, which is why it is known as “the day of atonement.” On that day, we will present our strongest arguments to appeal any negative verdict that may have been issued on Rosh HaShanah and convince the Investor/Creator that we are a profitable investment. And that if we weren’t last year, we will be in the coming year.
