12 Sep THE PROPER ROSH HASHANAH GREETING

In memory of Michael
Laves z”l, a good friend
who always greeted
people enthusiastically

I. Have a Good Year
Many people greet each
other on Rosh Hashanah
with blessings for a good
year, “Shanah tovah.” Rav

Ya’akov Ben Asher, the 14th century German-
Spanish author of the Tur, quotes an Ashkenazic

custom to greet people on Rosh Hashanah with
the phrase “Tikaseiv be-shanah tovah, may you
be written in a good year” (Tur, Orach Chaim
582). Rav Moshe Isserles (Rema, 16th cen.,
Poland; ad loc., 8) quotes this with a minor
variation, “Le-shanah tovah tikaseiv, may you
be written for a good year.” However, the exact
phrasing of this greeting generated debate. While

this may seem pedantic, and really any well-
intended greeting is fine, the underlying debate is

about the theological meaning of Rosh Hashanah.
What exactly happens on this important day and
how does it affect our future’s ? Two forms of
greeting offer different visions of Rosh Hashanah
but there is a third, little-mentioned greeting that
serves as a compromise between the opinions.
Rav Avraham Gombiner (17th cen., Poland;
Magen Avraham, ad loc., 8) quotes a slightly
different greeting than that of the Tur and Rema.
He says the greeting is “Le-shanah tovah tikaseiv
ve-seichasem, may you be written and sealed
for a good year.” As he points out, the greeting

included in the 1547 Machzor Ma’agalei
Tzedek is similar — “Tikaseiv ve-seichasem
le-shanah tovah.” However, the Vilna Gaon
(Commentary, ad loc.) disputes the addition of
the word “techaseim, sealed” because it does not
reflect what actually happens on Rosh Hashanah.
There are two important Talmudic passages that
underlie this discussion.
II. Signed, Sealed, Not Delivered
The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 16a) quotes a
baraisa: “At four times of the year the world
is judged… Man is judged on Rosh HaShana
and his sentence is sealed on Yom Kippur.”
What does it mean for a judgment to be sealed?
Procedurally, it seems that changing the
judgment is easier before it is sealed. Before it is
sealed, you only have to tip the scales by doing
more good (particularly teshuvah). After it is
sealed, only an extraordinary effort can change
the judgment.
While the above passage places the sealing of
the judgment on Yom Kippur, the Gemara says
on the next page (16b): “R. Kruspedai said, Rabbi
Yochanan said: Three books are opened on Rosh
HaShana: One of the completely wicked, one
of the completely righteous and one of those in
between (beinonim). The completely righteous
are immediately written and sealed for life; the
completely wicked are immediately written
and sealed for death; and those in between are
suspended and waiting from Rosh HaShana until
Yom Kippur. If they merit, they are written for
life; if they do not merit, they are written for

death.” According to this passage, judgments
for the righteous and the wicked are written and
sealed on Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is only
necessary for those in between. Yet, it seems
from the prior passage that Yom Kippur is for
everybody.
There are two main approaches to reconciling
these passages. Ramban (13th cen., Spain; Sha’ar
Ha-Gemul), quoted by R. Nissim of Gerona (14th
cen., Spain; Commentary to Rif, Rosh Hashanah
3b s.v. tzadikim), explains that the first passage
is speaking about those in between. Those who
are judged as completely righteous or completely
wicked for the year are written and sealed on
Rosh Hashanah. In this case, the judgment is
for the upcoming year and the terms “righteous”
and “wicked” are used as technical terms and
not descriptive of the individual’s overall merits.
Righteous here means someone who is judged
for life, who has prevailed in the judgment.
Even if he has done many bad things, if he is
judged to live and succeed in the upcoming year
then he falls into the category of “righteous.”
Similarly, “wicked” is used here to refer to the
outcome of the judgment, even if the individual
is a very good person. Everyone has done good
and bad things in their life. Sometimes we are
rewarded for the good and sometimes punished
for the bad. Righteous and wicked here refer to
what the upcoming year will bring. In contrast
to those who are not judged righteous or wicked,
those whose judgments depend on additional
repentance and good deeds, are judged on Rosh
Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur. Yom
Kippur is only for those in the “in between”
category.
III. This World and the Next
In contrast, Tosafos (Rosh Hashanah 16b s.v.
ve-nechtamin) explain the second passage
as referring to the World-to-Come. On Rosh
Hashanah, we are judged whether we will
go straight to Heaven (Gan Eden) or Hell
(Gehinom). The completely righteous are
immediately written and inscribed for Gan
Eden (i.e. life) and the completely wicked
are immediately written and inscribed for
Gehinom (i.e. death). Meaning, based on their
actions over the past year, should they receive
Gan Eden or Gehinom? Even though this can
change in future years through repentance
and good deeds, this is their judgment for
the World-to-Come as it stands at that point.
Those in between righteous and wicked have
their judgments written on Rosh Hashanah
and sealed on Yom Kippur. According to
Tosafos, every Rosh Hashanah (and for some,
Yom Kippur also) is a spiritual checkup for
the World-to-Come, an annual performance
review that will yield results after your time
in this world is over.
The Vilna Ga’on (ibid.) explains that
according to Tosafos, the first passage —
everyone’s judgment is written on Rosh
Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur —
discusses our experiences in this world. The
second passage — only the judgment of those
in between are sealed on Yom Kippur —
discusses judgment for the World-to-Come.
According to Tosafos, when we say in the
U-Nesaneh Tokef prayer that we are written
on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur,

we are talking about everyone’s judgment for
the next year. According to Ramban, this must
be discussing only those in between, not the
righteous or wicked.
Bringing it all together, Magen Avraham follows
Ramban who believes that the righteous and the
wicked are judged, written and sealed on Rosh
Hashanah. Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah we
greet people with a blessing that they be judged
as righteous by saying in our greeting that they
should be written and sealed for a good year.
In contrast, Tur and Rema follow Tosafos that
when it comes to this world, no one’s judgment
is sealed on Rosh Hashanah. Everyone is judged
and written on Rosh Hashanah but their judgment
is sealed only on Yom Kippur. Therefore, you
should only wish people to be written — not
sealed — for a good year on Rosh Hashanah.
IV. Creative Greetings
Rav Avraham Danzig (19th cen., Lithuania;
Chayei Adam 139:5) says that the proper

greeting is “Tikaseiv ve-seichasem le-alter le-
chaim tovim, you should be written and inscribed

immediately for good life.” He includes both
writing and sealing but excludes the upcoming
year. The phrase “le-shanah tovah, for a good
year” in the standard blessing refers to the
upcoming year, a judgment on this world. By
omitting that phrase, Rav Danzig makes the
greeting ambiguous so it can apply either to
this world or to the next world. You are wishing
someone a good judgment — written and sealed.
If the judgment is about the World-to-Come,
according to Tosafos that is appropriate for
Rosh Hashanah when the righteous are written
and sealed. If the judgment is about this world,
according to Ramban it is appropriate for Rosh
Hashanah.
Rav Danzig’s ambiguous phrasing satisfies
all opinions. It is common in yeshiva circles to
wish people a “kesivah va-chasimah tovah, a
good writing and sealing.” I believe that this is
a variant of Rav Danzig’s compromise greeting
that conforms to all views. With that, I wish all
readers a kesivah va-chasimah tovah for this
world and the next.