Who Are You Meant to Be? | Rabbi Yisroel Bernath Rosh Hashanah Sermon

Sometimes it takes a crisis to stop us in our tracks and ask: Who am I? What kind of spouse am I? What kind of person am I becoming?

On Rosh Hashanah, Judaism invites us to ask these very questions. And at the heart of the holiday is a mysterious, beloved prayer: Hayom Harat Olam, “Today the world is born.”

But did you know? The same phrase appears in the Book of Jeremiah with an opposite meaning, not birth, but never being born at all. Why would our sages choose such a paradox for the High Holidays?

In this inspiring High Holiday sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath takes us on a journey through:

• The prophet Jeremiah’s cry of despair
• The Netziv’s life-changing decision as a child
• Michelangelo’s challenge to Raphael: Amplius,Think bigger!
• The shofar’s call for authentic self-expression
• The hidden Jewish spark that even Soviet oppression couldn’t extinguish

This Rosh Hashanah, the shofar asks each of us: Will you live as an echo, or will you give birth to your true self?

Key Takeaways

1. Rosh Hashanah is not only the birthday of the world, it’s the birthday of your world. Each year, we can choose to start anew.
2. Harat Olam has two meanings: remaining unborn potential or becoming a living expression of your G-d-given gifts.
3. The shofar rejects echoes… it calls us to live authentically, not as faint imitations of who we’re meant to be.
4. Amplius, Think bigger! Don’t live small when your canvas is vast.
5. Every Jew has a hidden spark… no matter how distant, it can be awakened in a single moment of courage, connection, or faith.

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