May you be inscribed for a good year |
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May you be inscribed for a good year |
Certainly, David. I see that apostle_of_eris has already filled you in, but I’ll still be happy to add a little more information. In the entry for Rosh Ha-Shanah (Heb. רֹאשׁ הָשָּׁנָה) in the Jewish Virtual Library we read:
R. Keruspedai said in the name of R. Johanan: “Three books are opened on Rosh Ha-Shanah, one for the completely righteous, one for the completely wicked and one for the average persons. The completely righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life. The completely wicked are immediately inscribed in the book of death. The average persons are kept in suspension from Rosh Ha-Shanah to the Day of Atonement. If they deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of life, if they do not deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of death” (RH 16b). The theme of the books of life and death feature prominently in Rosh Ha-Shanah liturgy. The intellectual difficulties in the whole concept were much discussed in the Middle Ages (see e.g. Naḥmanides, “Toratha-Adam,” in: H.D. Chavel (ed.), Kitvei Rabbenu Moshe ben Naḥman, 2 (1964), 264ff.). ( . . . ) On the first night of Rosh Ha-Shanah it is customary to greet one’s friends with: “May you be inscribed (in the book of life) for a good year.” The Sephardi version of the greeting is: “May you be inscribed for a good year; may you be worthy of abundant years.” |