Judgment Should Fill Us with Joy

Yet for so many of us, they’re also days of anxiety and alienation. Days when overwhelm and despair threaten our efforts to complete the avodah at hand. Days when, more than once, we need to fight the urge to tune out and count down to those Motzaei Yom Kippur rugelach.

It’s time to bridge the gap. This week and next, we’ll clear a path through some of the questions, worries, and struggles we face during these days. And, with Hashem’s help, gain new access to the closeness and meaning waiting for us within them. This week, we’ll tackle three questions about how to approach Rosh Hashanah.

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“The thought of judgment on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur makes me want to close my eyes and wake up on Succos. How can I approach the Yom Hadin so I feel inspired instead of anxious and scared?”

Perek 96 in Tehillim, part of Kabbalas Shabbos, lays out a fascinating scene. We watch the heavens, earth, sea, and more explode with joy — why? “Ki va lishpot es ha’aretz.” Because Hashem has come to judge the land.

What are we missing? Why doesn’t judgment fill us with joy, too?