גמר חתימה טובה
/gemar chatimah tovah/
/gemar chatimah tovah/
a good final sealing (of the book of Life for the year)
I don’t know the actual Hebrew words yet, but I’m getting pretty good at sounding things out. Kind of like the six-year-olds you know. H-OU-S, house.
It’s the last day of the Jewish High Holy Days, the Day of Atonement when all the dis-order one has made over the year has hopefully been put into order, just as we all hope God puts us into order by forgiving us.
“Indeed, although Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the year, it is suffused with an undercurrent of joy; it is the joy of being immersed in the spirituality of the day and expresses confidence that G‑d will accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness.” from “How to Observe Yom Kippur 2018” (Chabad.org)
“Shanah tovah u’metuka” (שנה טובה ומתוקה) — a sweet good year to you!