“Behold I have set before you today life and good and death and evil… You shall choose life so that you and your offspring shall live.” (Devarim 30:16 19)

Now let us explain the prayer of Zochreinu l’Chaim in which we ask Hashem to consider us in essence tzaddikim. A question comes to mind: This is a matter of an existing spiritual reality. If a person has been wicked how can he ask Hashem to change reality and consider him righteous?

The answer is that Zochreinu l’Chaim does not refer only to life in the physical sense of eating drinking and health and not even to the “pseudo-life ” which includes Torah and serving Hashem done out of habit. (Ma’archei Lev Rabbi Moshe Schwab)

Three books are opened on Rosh HaShanah.

A chill comes over me when I think of the critical question: Which book will my name be written in? I want to shout out loud “Hashem please write me in the Book of life!”

But suddenly I get awkwardly silent. It is the Day of Judgment. My acts are being weighed and measured. What I don’t deserve I won’t receive. What room is there for such requests?

Rather it means we aspire to a true life a life filled with the purpose of doing Hashem’s will out of acknowledgment and awe of Heaven and this is what is meant by the commandment to choose life. That is to choose the true and proper life of serving Hashem through accepting His rule over us wholeheartedly. And before every act we are about to do and as we plan how to go about it we must think of this and ask ourselves: Is this Hashem’s will or not? That is why we ask to be remembered for life. (ibid) 

What type of life do I want to be written down for? What sort of life do I want to wake up to on the morning after Rosh HaShanah? So many people have been granted the gift of life but haven’t even bothered to unwrap it. They live their lives superficially without ever seeing what’s inside.

This past year wasn’t the most spiritual one I know. I’ve had my ups and downs and I’m far from perfect. But this fire within me is real sincere and blazing. I want to live so I can live better. So I can have a stronger home. Really!

The desire for a fuller spiritual life the sincere heartfelt desire to be counted among the tzaddikim is the reason why Hashem will consider us as such in essence. This is the meaning of “Write us in the Book of Life” for writing in a book is a statement of the fact that we are in the category of the truly living that is the tzaddikim. Of course there are various levels of tzaddikim in that book and the more we increase our desire to attain higher levels and accordingly pray more fervently for siyata d’Shmaya in reaching them the higher the level we will rise to. (ibid) 

If you really want to live you will be written in the Book of Life. If your spiritual desire is sincere and burning you are actually there. You are where your heart is and that is where you will be written.

Although one’s aspiration is the essence of the soul and of life if someone goes no further than aspiring this indicates that he doesn’t truly want spiritual growth and the desire hasn’t taken root in him for true desire leads to toil and action.

… The scope of one’s deeds and their number expresses the scope of the inner desire and indicates it. More than that actions influence the heart and amplify one’s desire. In order to amplify our desire for the true life for the fear of Heaven that we ask for in the prayers of Zochreinu l’Chaim and Uv’chein Tein Pachdecha we must prepare ourselves through actions before Rosh HaShanah by strengthening our learning and serving Hashem willingly and truthfully for these are the actual expressions of true life. (ibid) 

When there is overpowering burning desire great deeds are born.

If we really want to be written in the book of tzaddikim in the book of those who live — we will try our best to live as tzaddikim. And then we’ll merit not just life but a wonderful life.