Rosh HaShana (3): Dead Man Walking and Life After Death

As we know, on Rosh HaShana two books are opened: the Book of Life and the Book of Death. We understand plainly that this is a reference to a physical mortality; life and death in the biological sense of the terms. But Rav Dessler explained that while it is true that who will remain on this earth and who will end up under it are decrees established on Rosh HaShana, there is another judgement; this one exclusively for the living. There is a Book of Death for those who continue to breath as well. Let's explain.

Chazal famously teach us that Tzadikim are called alive even when dead, and Reshaim are called dead even as they live. Why is this so? The Pasuk says, ואתם הבקים בה' אלוקיכם חיים כולכם היום, And those of you cling to G-d are fully alive today. Being alive doesn't just mean breathing and having a pulse. Just as an apple disconnected from the tree can survive a while but in truth is slowly rotting; so too a person disconnected from the Source, who doesn't attach himself to Hashem may seem alive, but is really a dead man walking. (יעקב אבינו, who personifies Dveikus - as his face appears on the Divine Throne - is explicitly called לא מת, eternally alive.) The wicked are called dead when they are alive because the lives that they lead are devoid of any true content.

On this level, Rosh HaShana also serves as the Day of Judgement as to what type of lives we will live this upcoming year: lives of life, or lives of spiritual death.

With this is mind, Rav Dessler offers a novel interpretation as to why the righteous are called living even in death: Even the devout sometimes fail. The true seekers also fall stray of their goal from time to time. They too sometimes are "dead" in the spiritual sense of the word. They give in, and for a brief instant their life is one that misses the point. But as we learned in a previous post, the goal is to be sensitive to our shortcomings and constantly yearn to rectify them and grow forth. Even when the Tzadik falls and is considered "dead", his internal passion is never extinguished and his Dveikus never falters and thus he is still very much alive. "Tzadikim are called alive, even in death."

When we slip up it's so easy to have despair and feel down. A thought may cross the mind, "See? really I'm lowly, what business does Hashem want with me?" But the truth is that those times are test to seeif we will persevere and bounce back. Let's internalize this powerful lesson and always keep our desire for connection alive, even when our actions may falter. For it is this inner strength that created true success in Avodas Hashem.