This article was previously published in 2020.
On the day of Rosh Hashanah, which is also the New Moon of Tishrei, or Libra, there is specific work we have to do for the world.
There's a section in the Midrash which says the Light of the Creator represented judgment elevated, and then was transformed to mercy; energy begins with judgment, with what’s called Left Column, and then suddenly something happens that causes the Light of Mercy to begin being revealed. So, it says this day begins with the Light of the Creator coming from the channel of judgment. And judgment isn't necessarily negative. It means “exact;” the amount of Light, blessings, health, and so on that we can receive is exact.
However, we don't want that. We want the Light that shines on the New Moon of Libra, the day of Rosh Hashanah, to come from Right Column energy of mercy. Therefore, we have to know that if we draw Light on this day and leave things as they are, then the channel we’re drawing Light from is the channel of din, judgment, or exact measure.
Yes, we’re going to have a year with Light and blessings, but it'll be measured… and we don't want a measured year of Light. But that's where we begin, and if we do nothing, then the amount of Light and blessings we receive will always be measured, will always have a little bit of judgment attached to them. Yes, this day begins with Light shining, but it is Light shining from a place of measured judgment. Yet, when we come with consciousness and make the connections through the reading of the Torah and the blowing of the Shofar, it says the Light of the Creator moves from that conduit of judgment to the conduit of mercy, so that all the Light that comes down into this world, will come down in the place of overabundance, from that place of Rachamim, Mercy.
So, what has to be clear about drawing Light on this day is that we do not want that Light to come from a measured place, we do not want that Light to come from the place of din, judgment. On this day, we have to move the conduit from judgment to mercy. Both of them will shine Light and blessings, but we do not want measured or exact blessings. We do not want blessings that come with judgment. On this day, we have to move the Light of the Creator.
The Midrash continues and says that if we do the work with consciousness, desire, and connection, then the funnel moves to the place of Rachamim, Mercy, and the Light therefore shines down abundantly with mercy. As such, the Light coming down for this year transforms to coming from a place of judgment into coming from a place of mercy. This work is incredibly important; every single one of us, both individually and collectively, has to move the Light of the Creator on this day.
Yes, we're going to make connections and we’re going to draw Light. But that Light, by default, will come from the place of judgment, from that measured place that has both good and bad. But that's not what we want. We want to move the Light of the Creator so that the Light which shines down to us, the Light of blessings, the Light of health, happiness, and sustenance, comes from the place of Rachamim. That's our work. The focus on everything we do, while we listen to the Torah, to the blowing of the Shofar, and to the connections, whether we understand it or not, needs to be that what we are doing with every single word of connection, word of the Torah, and blowing of the Shofar is moving the Light of the Creator to shine not from the place of judgment, but from the place of an overabundance of mercy.
And we have the ability to do it, but we have to be clear on the work that we have to do. In fact, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Zohar guarantees that if we are able to maintain this consciousness throughout the connection on this day, we’re going to move the Light of the Creator from the conduit of judgment to the conduit of mercy. So, on this day, during our connections, rather than speaking to a friend, or getting tired, we need to focus on moving the Light of the Creator from judgment to mercy.
Every single one of us is given the strength, with this consciousness, to move the Light of the Creator from the conduit of judgment to the conduit of mercy. That's our work this day. First, we have to know it, and second, we have to understand that we have the ability to do it. Because if we’re here and the Light of the Creator revealed this secret to us, it means that we have the ability to do it. But every single one of us has to be laser-focused on this work, remembering that we have the opportunity on this day to make sure that all Light that comes into our lives in this year comes from the conduit of mercy, and as such, is an overabundance of mercy not measured with judgment.
That's our work during Rosh Hashanah, on the New Moon of Libra. I hope that we're all focused on that; this year, we have to completely move the Light of the Creator from judgment to mercy. And we can do it if we maintain focus and consciousness throughout our connection, and remind ourselves in every word we’re hearing and every blow of the Shofar we’re listening to that all of us, together, are moving the Light of the Creator from the conduit of din, judgment, to the conduit of Rachamim, Mercy.
