What Does “Wishing You a Happy New Year” Mean?

From a Kabbalistic perspective, the new year, which we call “Rosh Hashanah,” represents a renewal in our inner spiritual journey of correcting our egoistic desire so that it would become altruistic.

We thus renew our desire out of its brokenness, from the myriad shattered states it undergoes, to examine the parts, intentions, desires, and aspirations that we need to change, complete, receive, and gather. We will then have enough material to build what is called “the Temple,” i.e., a complete state of connection among each other and with the altruistic force of nature enlivening our connection.

Spiritually speaking, this state of a happy new year, where in Hebrew we say “Shana Tova,” which literally means “a good new year,” is an inner state of a decision to change (the Hebrew word for “year” [“Shana”] comes from the word for “change” [“Shinui”]).

What do we decide to change? We decide to change our egoistic desires into altruistic ones. By doing so, we become healthy parts that accurately match the altruistic spiritual system — the system that created, sustains, and vitalizes us at every moment. Such a change is the way to achieve harmony, peace and genuine happiness in our lives.

Toward this state of a new year — a decision to change from egoism to altruism — we need to go through a state of discovering what we lack in order to build the structure of the Temple, the state of complete connection between us.

Therefore, when I wish someone a happy new year (or a “good new year” [“Shana Tova”]), I mean that the person I am wishing it for will know what they personally lack in order to participate in constructing the Temple, a correct and complete human connection.

What is good about this? It is good in that we discover our shared vessel in which the positive force dwelling in nature can dwell. That is ultimately what we need in order to achieve a harmonious and peaceful world.