Q&A: Advice for the High Holy Days
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Advice for the High Holy Days
Question
In light of what you argued in Mishor, that Divine providence has diminished in our generations, do you nevertheless have any advice for how to connect to the prayers of the High Holy Days? I mean prayers like, "Who is not remembered on this day… and all creatures are remembered on it…" and the prayer Unetaneh Tokef. [I know that regarding the idea of the spiritual work appropriate to this time, one can do inner work, but the prayers generally refer to judgment and to the open eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He.]
Answer
I don't.
I can only add that Meiri is apparently the most extreme source on this issue. He wrote in Iggeret HaTeshuvah that the books of the Holy One, blessed be He, are not opened on Rosh Hashanah because they were never closed; rather, it is a human need to have a day on which we engage in repentance.
Even so, I am convinced that he too took this human need seriously, and on that day devoted himself more to thinking about judgment before the Holy One, blessed be He. Just as on Passover we engage more in strengthening faith, even though that is relevant all year long.