Claim Life. Today. (Rosh HaShannah / Nitzavim)
The High Holidays invite us to a radical reckoning with ourselves and the world. They call us to show up, to fill the space we were meant to fill, and to live as fully as we were created to live.
On the cusp of a New Year, we stand before God with trembling Jewish hearts, broken and bruised after a year of trauma. How can we imagine rebecoming whole in a world that has provided no easy answers and in a moment that is distinguished from the last one only by the calendar. And, if we can find a breath, we might even remember to ask ourselves: what do we need?
We’d like many things, but what do we truly need? Courage. The courage to live today as if it matters, because it does.
“Give us courage.” That’s how the High Holiday prayer Hayom begins. And when we sing it, there’s a sacred echo, as every voice carries the weight of these words, as if we are saying aloud what we’ve always known but struggled to admit. It’s the bold declaration of who we truly are. Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the Universe, reminds us that every day is our birthday, and Jewish tradition in this way makes a stunning claim — that God’s deepest care is not just for one tribe, one nation, but for all of existence. Every blade of grass, every animal, every human being is precious.
This reflection ties into this week’s Parasha, Nitzavim. The word “hayom” — today — appears five times in the first six verses. Moshe, knowing it is his last day on Earth, tells us: you’re here today. All of you. From the woodchopper to the water-drawer, every soul is present. “Don’t miss today,” he seems to whisper, “because it’s all we have.” Five times, he pleads with us, reminding us not to let the weight of life make us forget the beauty of it.
As we approach this unreal Rosh Hashanah, this idea is magnified. What do we need to live fully, to be present, even in this day? Courage. And as we move into this sacred season, we ask God for three things: courage, blessing, and the strength to defy the world and be our full size as Jews. History’s weight and current anti-Jewish hate can shrink us, but we were created to stand tall, to do good, to lift each other up, as human beings, and as Jews.
I feel this powerfully when I lead the prayers. As the melodies rise, I am often in tears. The enormity of life, the pain, the responsibility, the love — it’s overwhelming. But it’s also the greatest gift. And so, I ask God, in these aching, intense Days of Awe: help us live. Give us life. Help us claim it with everything we have. Remind us to demand what we need, not just for ourselves, but for our beleaguered, beautiful People. And one day, when we have our feet beneath us again, for the whole world.
As we walk through the world, we pass other people. Some look fine; some look as though the weight of the world is crushing them. We should pray for each one, because none of us should bear this weight alone. God, let us remember that our power is in seeking peace, in showing up for each other, and in not waiting for tomorrow. And if that remains true in Rosh HaShannah’s broad vista of all of existence, then let us remember to include, nay, prioritize, Am Yisrael in our prayers this year.
Today is the day. Hayom — right now, we have the chance to promise ourselves life once again. May we — Am Yisrael — rise once again to the fullness of who we are, the image of God within us, with full human dignity, and may we be blessed to see it in each other. Let’s not wait, friends. Let’s start now. We deserve life. All of us do.
Sing it with me: hayom. Today is the day. Don’t wait. Not even for Rosh Hashanah.
Claim life now.
Am Yisrael Chai!