As a parent, one of the most important things to me is to see my children playing nicely together. Or at the very least, getting along.
In fact, there are times when they are technically misbehaving, and yet I can't help but feel proud and smile. Like when they bring their blankets downstairs on Shabbat morning and build a fort together.
They are working as a unit, and the harmony that is the result is truly beautiful. Their distinct personalities seamlessly join together to compliment each other and form an energy uncomparable to that of one single child.
The same is true in the classroom, the workplace, and any other environment. And the same is true with the Jewish community.
We always read the following verse the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah: Moses tells the Jewish people "You are all standing this day before God". From the elders to the water carriers. Just as we are not complete without all the limbs of our body, so too each and every individual is precious to the full picture.
What's the key to being inscribed for a good and sweet new year? Unity. That we all stand together. When we do, our Father in heaven cannot help but look down and smile. Regardless of any particular misstep that we may have taken, the sum total is a gravity-defying force, a heart-melting harmonious community.
May we all be blessed with a Shana Tova!
ב"ה