On Rosh Hashana we are renewed. Hashem forgives us completely and our slate is wiped clean. If this is so then why would we need the 10 days of Teshuva leading into Yom Kippur? A day of repetitive “I’m sorry.. I’m so sorry for this and that. “Selach Lanu, Forgive us!”
Shouldn’t the order be flipped? Yom Kippur and then Rosh Hashana?

On Rosh Hashanah, we crown Hashem as our King. We make him the King of our world. In essence, it is the birth of a whole NEW year. We are renewed and completely cleansed. In the month of Elul leading into Rosh Hashana, we do “Teshuva Shel Taata – a lower Teshuva. Hashem forgives us.

It is called Rosh Hashana – the Head of the year because our minds expand and we enter a higher consciousness that will carry us through the new year.

Then, we enter the 10 days of Teshuva, a “Teshuva Shel Maale” – a higher return. As a holy people, we just can’t settle with being neutral with G-d. We say we want more. We don’t want to just be on good terms, we can’t settle. We want to be so close that there’s absolutely nothing in between us. Yom Kippur is the fixing of our HEART.
Our mind has been reset, but our heart still holds secrets. And so each day of the ten days we build up this yearning to be so much closer to the Ribonno Shel Olam – Master of the world. On Yom Kippur we come before him and we unlock every secret, break down every single barrier that surrounds our heart. We call to Abba, our Father, “I’m so sorry for this.. and that happened.. and this.. and I don’t want anything, ANYTHING, between us.” Of course, he knows everything, but when we verbalize it, it leaves us. And as we break each barrier, He’s there holding the pieces together and we become whole in that moment.

On Rosh Hashana Hashem forgives us. On Yom Kippur we forgive ourselves. It’s a relationship.

And we become pure in every way. From our head to our heart. And at that point there’s nothing standing in the way of us entering into Sukkot and Simchat Torah – represented by the feet, our entire being becomes encompassed by this love and we can’t help but dance… dance… dance…

The Sukkah becomes a hug encompassing us in every way. So close its claustrophobic in the best way possible.
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