saw a post on instagram that was like "we're not going to wish people a shana tovah because thats OUT OF TOUCH" and im like. you're missing the point. we don't wish people a happy new year because we know it will be happy. we don't. in fact, right now, it seems like it wont. we wish people a happy new year because we HOPE it will be, and hope is all we have.
and the thing is, we say lshanah tovah umetukah--here's to a good and sweet year.
may peace be upon us this year.
????? god, how to know some people are very, well... young? I guess? idk, that's not exactly what I mean but like. to boost OP's point:
we don't wish each other a happy new year in certainty of it being happy, or because we automatically assume it will be or whatever. we wish each other a happy new year because we have an obligation to hope! we have to hope the new year will be better, that it will contain sweet moments, that it will contain peace. we have to hope for this even when everything has been dark and terrible. especially when everything has been dark and terrible. change starts with hope.
we need hope! we're human beings and we need to hope that things will get better! that we can make them better! that our lives mean something! that other people's lives mean something! that even though we are small in a large universe we can make something better! without hope we cannot work for the betterment of our world! and if not us, then who? and if not now, when?
and idk man if we stop expressing that hope outwardly, if we stop saying "l'shanah tovah u'metukah, have a good and sweet year" out loud because things have been awful...
idk. I just think that's giving up and resigning ourselves to everything always being terrible. I think we're sealing our fate before the book of life is even opened. and that's not what we're about.
