מצליחה להביא את הטוב מכל המגזרים. סיון רהב-מאיר
מצליחה להביא את הטוב מכל המגזרים. סיון רהב-מאירצילום: אייל בן יעיש

Generally, towards the arrival of Rosh Hashanna, new desires awaken within us. To create, to act, to improve, to make the coming year the best and most fulfilling we've had so far. The problem is that our new desires and good intentions often remain unfulfilled.

In the Torah portion we read this past Shabbat, the mitzvot of first fruits are described: When we reach the Promised Land and are privileged to grow and harvest our own fruit, we are obligated to place them in a basket, and bring them to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Ba'al Shem Tov (1698-1760), founder of the Hasidic movement, explains: When a new desire or good intention awakens within us, when a new fruit of hope and aspiration is born -- it is forbidden to allow it to remain dormant within our minds. We must place it in the realm of reality and carefully examine it. We must provide it with practical tools, thereby transferring it into the world of action.

This is our mission for the month of Elul, towards the beginning of the New Year: To know how to grab our beautiful dreams, examine them in every detail, and make step-by-step plans bringing them to fruition.

May everyone's Rosh Hashanna dreams come true.

Translation by Yehoshua Siskin