Rabbi Josh Hearshen’s Rosh Hashanah Message for 2026

In the fifth chapter of the Laws of Repentance in the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam teaches an essential lesson for life in general and for the High Holiday season in particular. He emphasizes that every person possesses free will and has the ability to choose between good and evil. We each have the capacity to determine how we will live our lives.
In the second halakhah of the chapter, the Rambam makes this point with particular force. We should never allow ourselves to believe that we were born destined to be good or bad, or that some external force compels us to behave in a particular way. These powerful words remind us that we are responsible for ourselves and for our conduct. We make choices, and those choices have a profound impact on the world around us.
We cannot live as though we lack agency, as though we are merely vessels controlled by a puppet master. Instead, each year we are called upon to evaluate our lives and to look honestly and deeply at how we are choosing to spend our days. We are asked to examine our relationships and recognize, as well, that the people with whom we are connected possess their own free will. They, too, make choices, and they, too, are not necessarily compelled by external forces to behave in one way or another.
The fatalistic idea that we are destined, from the moment of our creation, to become a particular kind of person is firmly rejected by the Rambam in this section of the Mishneh Torah. He goes so far as to describe those who believe otherwise as being among the “undeveloped” in Jewish thought. His message is unmistakable: it is inconsistent with Jewish belief and philosophy to see ourselves as powerless or as destined to behave in a predetermined way.
When we truly appreciate the power of the Rambam’s words, we can begin to forge better paths for ourselves. We can recognize that we have a measure of control over the direction of our lives — and with that blessing of control comes the burden of individual responsibility. We each have the power to make our lives more meaningful, to become better versions of ourselves, and to profoundly affect the lives of those around us.
We each have agency. We each have power. And as we prepare to gather for the holidays, we should carry that knowledge with us. The choices we make today are not merely reflections of who we have been; they are the foundation upon which we can build who we hope to become. The High Holiday season gives us the opportunity to recognize that power, accept its responsibility, and begin laying the foundation for a better year ahead.

Rabbi Josh Hearshen is the rabbi for Congregation Or VeShalom.