High Holidays: The Book of Life v. Santa’s List

by Bob Schwartz

The traditional belief for the Jewish High Holidays is that for ten days, starting on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur, the Book of Life is open. Based on the life we live, informed and inspired by these sacred days, a judgment will be entered.

A common holiday greeting is l’shanah tovah tikateivu—”May you be inscribed [in the Book of Life] for a good year”.

For congregants who experience years of study and hours of services (especially during Yom Kippur services on days without food), the mind wanders and spins out. One thought I’ve been unable to shake is the similarity of the Book of Life and Santa’s List.

Just as God’s angels may be keeping tabs on us and reporting to the boss, so Santa’s elves are watching and supplying intelligence. One distinction is that the Book of Life affects the whole year, while Santa’s List only affects the gifts for that Christmas. Also, Santa is apparently only interested in boys and girls, not adults. Grown ups need not worry about coal and are free to do whatever they want, naughty or nice.

Continuing in the spirit of creative wandering, I revisit my first post for Yom Kippur—Yom Kippur: A Serious Day for a Serious Man. Set in the 1960s, A Serious Man is a great Jewish-themed movie, the Coen Brothers’ modern take on the Book of Job.

The penultimate scene takes place in the office of the ancient and unapproachable senior rabbi, Rabbi Marshak. Danny, recently bar mitzvah, has been sent to the rabbi’s office after he was caught listening to his transistor radio in Hebrew School class. The radio was confiscated and is in the rabbi’s desk.

Danny sits down across from the rabbi. After a long pause, Rabbi begins haltingly reciting the lyrics to the Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody to Love. “When the truth is found. To be lies….And all the hope. Within you dies….” Rabbi asks Danny, “Then what?” Danny doesn’t answer. Rabbi goes on, “Grace Slick. Marty Balin. Paul Kanta. Jorma. . .somethin. These are the members of the Airplane….Interesting.”

Rabbi pulls the radio from his desk drawer and pushes it across to Danny. Rabbi closes with his sage advice: “Be a good boy.”

If there is a summary of what God or Santa wants, on the High Holidays, at Christmas, or any day, that is it: Be a good girl or boy.