As we know, there are a few things we need to be aware of as Rosh Hashanah approaches. The word Rosh means "head," and Shanah means "year." This leads to the first question: Is this really the first day of the year?

The commentaries from the Zohar and the Talmud tell us that, according to the Jewish calendar, the year actually begins in the month of Nissan. This month is associated with Passover and the zodiac sign of Aries. So why do we celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the first day of the seventh month, Tishrei, which corresponds to the sign of Libra?

There are several answers to this. The first is that on the first day of Tishrei, G-d and the angels decided to create the human soul and body—a unique creation that combines two opposing forces: the most selfish force, represented by the physical body, and the most loving and giving force, represented by the soul. This is why we celebrate the birthday of Adam and Eve, as we are extensions and continuations of them.

The second reason is tied to the significance of the number 7 in Judaism. The number 7 holds deep meaning: the seventh day is Shabbat, the seven days of sitting Shiva after a loved one passes, etc. The number 7 is considered to be a magical, transformative number. But why do we celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the seventh month? According to the Kabbalists and the sages, the number 7 represents all types of manifestation—it is the culmination of everything you have been working towards. By focusing on the first day of this manifestation, we have the opportunity, through meditation, consciousness, and prayer, to manifest the outcomes we desire for the year ahead.

In the story of Creation, when G-d created Adam and Eve, the verse says that G-d created them together, but then said, “It is not good for Adam to be alone.” This raises an interesting question: Were they created together or separately? All the commentaries explain that Adam and Eve were created together, but then G-d separated them. There is a teaching that G-d took a rib from Adam to create Eve, and the word for rib in Hebrew is Tzela, which also means "side." So, Adam and Eve were essentially back to back, unable to see one another. The gift G-d gave them was to separate them so that they could see each other face to face. This process of separation takes 10 days, which is the period known as the Ten Days of Repentance—the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The idea of Rosh Hashanah is to come to an understanding of what’s written in the phrase “Ben Kese L’Asor”—literally, “when it’s covered until the tenth.” The "ten" refers to Yom Kippur (the 10th of Tishrei, Libra), and Kese means “covered”—meaning when we are back to back with something, unable to connect to it.

Rosh Hashanah is considered a day of judgment, while Yom Kippur is a day of atonement or mercy. Why judgment? Because Rosh Hashanah represents a new destiny for us, a chance to manifest our desires for the coming year. When Adam and Eve were back to back, so too, we begin this process of reconnection with ourselves. The food we eat, the prayers we say, and the shofar we blow on Rosh Hashanah are all there to help us move from being “back to back” with our potential to face to face with it.

We use eight symbolic foods during the meal on Rosh Hashanah, each serving as a tool to tap into things that may be disturbing us in the spiritual realm. When we dip apples in honey, we are symbolically connecting to the sweetness we desire for the year ahead. The question is, why do we need these physical tools? These are not just about the taste of the apple or honey; they are means to connect to the sweetness that exists in the spiritual realm, a sweetness that we seek to manifest in our lives. When we say, "May we have a good and sweet year," we are reminding ourselves that even if life is good, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be sweet. Sweetness is the emotional flavor that connects us to the Creator and to the love that surrounds us.

This year, we are particularly blessed because the shofar will be blown only on Sunday, not on Shabbat (since the shofar cannot be blown on Shabbat). In the Holy Temple, Rosh Hashanah was celebrated for one day because it was believed that in 24 hours, one could rectify the coming year. Today, without the Temple, we celebrate for two days. The first day of Rosh Hashanah represents harsh judgment, meaning the acknowledgment of our selfish behaviors that block us from feeling the love of the Creator. This love can manifest in many forms: minerals, plants, animals, or humans. But to feel that love, we must remove the iron curtains we’ve built between ourselves and it. Who created these iron curtains? We did. Why? Because we were seduced by our darker side—our Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), which persuades us toward selfishness.

When we blow the shofar and pray to G-d, we are essentially asking for another year—a year of health, happiness, and prosperity. But asking does not guarantee receiving. Some people may ask for money but not receive love; others may receive love but not health, and so on. Not all requests will be answered in the way we expect.

The shofar, along with the prayers and the special meals on Rosh Hashanah, serves as a spiritual technology. These tools were set by the sages after the destruction of the Temple to help us remove selfish behaviors and reconnect to the Creator. Our negative behaviors stem from the belief that “there is not enough for me,” or “I deserve more,” or “I should punish those who hurt me.” These thoughts distract us from the bigger picture and from the love that surrounds us.

The other foods we eat—leeks, beets, dates, pumpkins, carrots, and the head of a lamb or fish—are not merely for physical taste. They serve as symbolic reminders of our internal struggles. When we talk about enemies, we are not referring to external enemies, but to the internal forces that drive us to act in ways that are destructive to our own spiritual growth. For example, jealousy gets us nowhere, and neither does anger. These internal enemies, driven by our selfish instincts, prevent us from achieving our true potential.

If you still have external enemies, remember they are simply a reflection of parts of yourself that need healing. Rosh Hashanah is the time to address those inner enemies and come to a place of reconciliation.

Should we be happy during the meal? After all, the very next day, the prosecutor will present all our wrongdoings to G-d. How can we celebrate while judgment is taking place? The answer lies in understanding that G-d loves us unconditionally. And G-d is not just an abstract force; G-d is everything we see and experience—minerals, plants, animals, humans—all of creation is G-d. The Devil’s mission is to make us doubt the love of the Creator, to make us believe we are unworthy of that love. This is why we celebrate with a meal—because the meal activates the essence of our soul. The evening mediation and morning prayers, along with the shofar, are all tools to help us remember that everything around us is imbued with G-d’s love.

If you do not feel the love of the Creator through the world around you, it is not because that love is absent, but because something inside you has not been healed yet. When you fail to create a vessel to receive blessings, those blessings can become curses. Rosh Hashanah is here to help you build that vessel—your container—for the blessings that are coming your way this year.

When you sin, it’s only because you think small. A person who thinks big doesn’t have time for sin. The shofar has a narrow part and a wide part, and there’s a verse that says, “Min Hametzar Karati Ya, Anani Bamerchav Ya” (Psalm 118:5)—"From the narrow place, I called to G-d, and He answered me with vastness." We are asking G-d to open the gates for us.

This year, ask yourself: Do you want to be right and miserable, or do you want to be a little bit wrong and extremely happy? Happiness will not come from an obsession with being right. When you focus too much on the details, you may be right about those details but miss the bigger picture.

As the great sage Chatam Sofer wrote, “The year of 5781 will be a year for those who are willing to make themselves nothing, so G-d will make them something.” The “nobodies” become “somebodies.” But if you try to become someone important, this year may make you feel insignificant. As it says in Psalms, “Me’ashpot Yarim Evyon” (Psalm 113:7)—"G-d will raise the poor from the dust." Ashpot means "garbage," and the word shares the same letters as the Hebrew year 5781. This indicates that in the coming year, G-d will help us rise above the “garbage” we may be experiencing.

Do not compare yourself to others and what they have. Instead, ask yourself: Are you capable of feeling the love of everything around you? This is the true essence of the coming year.

Shana Tova U’Metukah.

Rabbi Eliyahu Jian and the Vital Transformation Team