The kabbalists teach that Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the New Year, when our true self is born anew. But what does that really mean?

Every one of us has a spark of the Light of the Creator within us. The kabbalists explain no matter how many negative actions we have committed, this true essence – our real selves – never becomes disconnected from its source. The Creator is always within us.

The only problem is, we cover it up. We cover it up with veils of darkness created by self-centered thoughts and actions. Too often I hear people say they don’t deserve the blessings in their life. The truth is, this type of thinking is from the negative side, the side of our nature that doesn’t want us to realize how powerful we are.

There is a famous kabbalistic teaching that says in the nine months prior to birth, there is a specific angel that teaches us the secrets of the universe. However, the moment before we come into this world, we are made to forget all this wisdom we have been taught.

The kabbalists ask, if we are going to be made to forget this wisdom, what is the purpose of teaching it to us in the first place?

The answer is, although on one level we forget all the wisdom, on a deeper level – the soul level – we never forget. Our true work in this world is to reveal the Light we already have within us.

The gift of Rosh Hashanah – and all the holidays of Libra – is the assistance to remove the veils, to scrub away the dirt that surrounds our true essence. To the degree that we remove those veils, will be the degree to which our connection to the Light of the Creator will shine forth and manifest the Light we need in our life.

Every one of us should desire in this year to truly manifest our potential, for ourselves and for the world. We will accomplish this when we have the strength during the difficult times to not only get through them, but to remember how amazing and abundant we truly are.