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Rosh HaShanah, the new year is a day of choice; a day when we are given the possibility of choosing again. This is an amazing thought. For so many of us, the days go by and we seem to have drifted into habits of thought, feeling and even actions, which on closer examination we may not in fact espouse.
So what does this new choice consist of, and how do we choose?
As the Sages teach us, we are made up of body and soul. The body aspect of ourselves is actually the framework of the ego, called by Rabbi Ashlag, “the will to receive for oneself alone.” He calls it that, because this title actually describes its basic nature. The ego expresses itself through desires to benefit itself. These desires then beget needs, and needs beget thoughts and actions how to fulfill these needs. This framework of the ego can be so compelling that we even say of a person that ” he or she is governed by his or her ego.”
The other aspect of ourselves is the soul. This is characterized by the desire to give compassionately, and unconditionally. The soul is of the same essence as that of God, the Creator, whose desire is only that of giving. This soul is also given to us, as we say every morning, “Oh my God, the soul that you gave me is pure, you created it, you formed it, and you breathed it into me.” The acknowledgement of the soul is the acknowledgement of the godliness within us . The more we acknowledge the godliness within us the more power we give to the potential of the soul to govern our thoughts, actions and speech rather than giving away this power unthinkingly to the ego.
So the choice each one of us is given to chose again on the day of Rosh Hashanah is which governance do I chose? The governance of the ego or the governance of the soul?
It is this question that finds expression in the concept of God as King on Rosh haShanah. Can we make Him the governor of our own selves?
Shanah Tovah to you all, for a sweet New Year, Yedidah
Podcast inspired by article 6 taken from the Sefer Hama’amarim of Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag, תשמ”ט
Other talks for Rosh Hashanah can be found here
The language of Rosh Hashanah is derived from the Kabbalah
The Shofar, the sound of compassion
Changing our outlook on Rosh HaShanah
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