No matter how much we fear it, try to escape it or ignore it, death comes to everyone. Death is a fundamental theme during these 10 Days of Repentance as we confront ultimate reality and truth. It is a mistake, however, to think in morbid terms. Rather, we Jews are called upon to think positively and to live our lives moving forward on the one hand, but with the consciousness of living backwards on the other all the while being aware that life is short, time should not be wasted, and that now is our moment to take responsibility for ourselves, acknowledge frailty, make amends, and commit ourselves to change our behavior and way of being in the world. In doing all this (i.e. t’shuvah – repentance) we realize that wealth, fame and even wisdom and virtue provide no sanctuary for any of us.

Somewhere I read the following:

“It won’t matter in the end what we owned or what we were owed. At the end our grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will disappear. So too will our hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter from where we came, or on what side of the tracks we lived. It won’t matter whether we were beautiful, brilliant, or talented. What will matter isn’t the number of our days, but how we numbered our days.”

The ethicist Michael Josephson said it this way:

“What will matter is not what we bought but what we built; not what we got but what we gave; not our success but our significance; and not what we learned but what we taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, and sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate our example.

What will matter is not our competence but our character; not how many people we knew but how many will feel a lasting loss when we’re gone.

What will matter are not our memories but the memories that live in those who loved us;

And what will matter is how long we’ll be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance — but of choice.”

The Un’taneh Tokef (the signature prayer of Rosh Hashanah) reminds us that we are here for a short span of years, and what is important is not how much time we have but what we do with our time and whether we make a difference that really counts.

When we enter the synagogue on Kol Nidre and stare into an Ark empty of its sifrei Torah and then say throughout the day confession upon confession ending with Shma at Neilah, we are reminded that our task is to wipe the slate clean, reinvent ourselves and restore ourselves to Torah, God, community, and the people we love.

Chazak v’eimatz – be strong and of good courage. Gmar chatimah tovah u-l’shanah tovah u-m’tukah!