Introduction
What words comes to mind when we think of Rosh Hashanah? Some will mention the months of Elul and Tishrei. Elul is the month that leads straight into Rosh Hashanah, which is at the beginning of the month of Tishrei. Rosh Hashanah literally means the beginning of the new year, so some will mention new resolutions. Some will mention the blowing of the shofar, which is why the day is also called Yom Teruah, a day of shofar blowing. Some will remember it’s also called the Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgement. It’s also called Yom Hazikaron, the Day of Remembrance. Some fondly remember dipping raisin challah and apples in honey. Some salivate at the thought of their mother’s brisket! What is the significance of all these things? We will go through all theses ideas in the coming pages. Read on!
The months of Elul and Tishrei
We’re in the last days of the month of Elul. Interestingly, Elul is most famous for… leading into the next month, the month of Tishrei, which then ushers in the High Holidays. Why doesn’t Elul seem to have its own identity, and what exactly is the role of Elul?
Let’s learn a little bit about the number 40. It’s a number that represents a unit of completion. For example a kosher mikvah needs a minimum volume of 40 se’ah of water. For our purposes we’re going to learn about three consecutive 40s. Each one is 40 days (and 40 nights): It starts with the revelation at Sinai on the 6th of Sivan. Moshe then went up the mountain to receive the Torah from G-d, and was there learning the Torah for 40 days and 40 nights (Shemos 24:18). He came down on the 17th of Tammuz, witnessed the sin of the golden calf, and shattered the Tablets. That’s one reason why that day is a fast day. G-d was furious, and the next day Moshe went back to the mountain and pleaded with G-d for forgiveness for another 40 days and nights (Devarim 9:18). G-d finally relented on the 29th of Av, and told Moshe to come back the next day to relearn the Torah again. The next day was the 1st of Elul, and Moshe came back 40 days later (on the 10th of Tishrei) with the Torah and the tablets (Shemos 34:28). That day G-d forgave us completely. That day is Yom Kippur.
So there we have it folks, Elul (which is 30 days) and the first 10 days of Tishrei (which starts with Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur) make up that special 40 day period. It’s the first time in history that G-d gave us a second chance. And every year, that second chance is renewed.
The sages say that the name Elul is an acronym for a verse in Shir Hashirim (6:3) ‘אני לדודי ודודי לי’, I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me. Elul is a month of closeness to G-d, of tremendous favor. We’re meant to take advantage of that closeness, which peaks on the last 10 days of the 40, known as the ‘10 days of repentance’ between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
But some might ask that it seems like a time of fear, fear of the upcoming day of judgement? The commentaries explain that it’s a different kind of fear; the fear of missing out. The example they bring is that you won the sweepstakes. You won the opportunity to go through the big department store and take whatever you want for 30 minutes. Boy are you nervous. It’s your big chance and you don’t want to blow it!
These 40 days are a time for yearning to be closer to our father in heaven. For remembering who it is that we really want to be. For dreaming and planning how we can accomplish becoming better, different, great. It’s a time where a little effort goes a very long way. We won the sweepstakes. Let’s grab every bit of growth we can.
Another year of failure?
As we mentioned above, the month of Elul is known for being the month leading up to the High Holidays. It’s an auspicious time for improving ourselves as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah and beyond. There are many reactions to the month of Elul, but I will share with you what I think is the most common: Oh no! Not again. Another year of failure behind me, another year where I said I would finally become the person I want to be, with no success. I am done trying. I give up.
So I want to share with you a story that I came across a few years ago which really sums up this feeling, and what our mindset should be moving forward:
There once was a man who felt discouraged. Rosh Hashanah was around the corner and he took stock of the resolutions he made last year. Nothing in his life had changed. He was the same person, with the same flaws and problems. He began to lose hope, so he went to speak to his Rabbi. The Rabbi asked ‘do you know how long it takes for the giant Chinese bamboo to grow as tall as a building? During the first year the tiny plant is watered and fertilized… and nothing happens. It is watered and fertilized for another whole year… and another… and another… and still nothing happens… Then in the 5th year, it shoots up to the sky! In 6 weeks the bamboo grows 90 feet!’ The Rabbi then asked ‘so how long does it take for it to grow so high?’ The man replied ‘6 weeks’. The Rabbi shook his head and said ‘you are mistaken. The answer is 5 years. If the farmer would have stopped watering the plant at any point during those five years, it would have died. So what was happening during all those years? Underneath the ground, an enormous network of roots was developing to support the bamboo’s sudden growth. Every drop of water makes a difference.
Growth takes patience and perseverance. You may not see the change right away, but growth is happening. Every step you take makes an impact. With commitment and drive to attain your goals, and with G-d’s help, you’ll eventually break through and reach great heights’.
The young man walked away feeling happy and hopeful again.
The message is clear. Never give up, keep going, and pray to the Almighty for help. Sure, sometimes we need to tweak or readjust our plan. But as long as we stay positive and keep striving towards a better life, we will keep getting closer to our goal. And like the great Chinese bamboo, one day that tremendous growth will be obvious and clear as day. Wishing you all an inspiring Elul and beyond.
The core of Rosh Hashanah
We have just a few days of preparation left before Rosh Hashanah, which is also known as יום הדין, the Day of Judgment. But in order to prepare for Rosh Hashanah, we’ve got to understand what the day is all about. And here lies the challenge of trying to sum up this awesome day in a few paragraphs!
I’m going to start by asking a very simple question. It sounds like G-d will be judging us for the past year. But G-d isn’t the IRS. He doesn’t look through the previous year and then send you one whopping annual slap on the hand, or a yearly bouquet of flowers if you’ve been really good. Judgment, reward and punishment is something we continuously experience throughout our lives. If that’s the case, what is different about the judgment of Rosh Hashanah?
This is where things get lofty. The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains that from the beginning, G-d made a general 6000 year plan for the world to attain perfection. And each year has its own function and formula in getting us closer to that. The Maharal tells us that the Hebrew word for ‘year’ is שנה, which also shares the same root with שונה, ‘different’, because every year has a different objective.
G-d has a big plan for the year, on every level. On Rosh Hashanah He decides how much divine energy He will infuse in the world in general, and in our own lives in particular, in the course of the coming year. It’s like an economic investment model. He comes to us and says I have endless spiritual and physical resources that I’d like to invest in those who are interested in building a G-dly world; how much do you want to be a part of it.
This is where we come to G-d and say, ‘I want in, I want to be part of your vibrant kingdom’. We come to G-d with a plan, a detailed plan. ‘G-d, I’d like to accomplish the following things this year, and I need the necessary spiritual and physical resources to do that. Each person chooses a personal area that they want to work on and master.
The cards are all on the table, and the judgment begins. G-d looks at our plan, and He looks into our hearts to see how sincerely we want to do it. He takes into consideration our performance the previous year. Is our plan the same as last year, did it work last year. If not, did we make it more realistic this year? If He showers us with divine abundance, will it pay dividends?
In short, Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment, but it’s a judgment on the future, not the past. It’s a judgment on how much we’re worth investing in for the year to come, both spiritually and physically. It is literally the biggest opportunity of the year. Our job is to prepare for it wisely. How much do we really want to accomplish this year spiritually, and how are we going to make sure it happens. When we stand before him on Rosh Hashanah, it’s our chance to present our spiritual business plan to G-d, our investor, and may we all make the most of it.
The call of the shofar: Just jump
Every year around this time I need to get into spiritual game shape like everyone else. A few years ago as I was trying to figure out what would be the idea that would inspire me, my mind drifted to a particular moment. We were on a trip, and we took the young professionals cliff jumping. The way it works is you stand at the top of this cliff/platform, about 20 or 30 feet above the water and you jump into the water below. I’m picturing the worried faces of a lot of Jewish mothers right now, so let me assure you that it was very safe! There were no rocks below, the water was deep, you wear a lifejacket, and there is a lifeguard right next to you. Let me also assure you that I had absolutely no interest in jumping because it’s quite scary. But I decided to do it for one simple reason: I didn’t want my life to be controlled by fear. So I stood at the edge of the platform and looked down, and froze. It was a long way down. And so went this inner tug of war: My rational mind would say ‘don’t worry, it’s safe, it’s totally safe’, while my heart was beating like the entire orchestra. And for a full three minutes I would walk to the edge, look down, freeze, and then back away. Finally, I just did it. I jumped, and a second later I was safe in the water. It wasn’t exactly graceful, but I did it.
And while I was swimming in the water I was thinking about what had happened a moment ago, and it struck me that this is exactly what we feel when it comes to changing for the better. So many times we know the right thing to do, and yet we are afraid. We’re afraid to do something different. We’re afraid of the unknown. We’re afraid to break out of our comfort zone. I deal with this all the time. I invite students to join me for a whole Shabbos, suddenly all the color drains from their faces. The thought of not using their smartphone for 25 hours is terrifying! At the same time, they know we will have a great time throughout the Shabbos, disconnected from all the outside noise. The food is great, good company, good conversation. We’ll play games, we’ll pray together, etc. But there’s this fear blocking the way, and all they have to do is jump, and when they do they feel amazing afterwards.
The Talmud says two opposite things about the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. It says that when we blow the shofar G-d shifts from a place of harsh judgment to a place of mercy. That sounds good. Yet it also says when we blow the shofar the Heavenly court begins our judgment. That doesn’t sound good at all. Which one is it? The answer is when we blow the shofar, thereby inviting the judgment to begin, we are taking that first step to holding ourselves accountable, and that alone is a great merit on our behalf.
Holding ourselves accountable and taking those first steps are very meaningful. We all know what the next step in our lives is as growing Jews. This time, let’s follow our minds, and let go of the fear holding us back. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, let’s finally just take that jump and become the people that we really know that we can be.
The Shofar: The positive path forward
Rosh Hashanah is around the corner. In a few days we’ll be standing in judgement before G-d. There’s a lot at stake. A lot of what will happen in the coming year will be determined. It sounds scary. At the same time, it’s a day that’s very confusing. You know what day is very clear? Yom Kippur. We spend the entire day hitting ourselves for all the bad things we did, feeling remorse, a desire to do better, and ultimately ask for forgiveness. But we don’t do any of that on Rosh Hashanah, no confessing, no seeking forgiveness. So what are we doing?
We blow the shofar. The truth is that the shofar itself teaches us the path forward. The shofar blowing has a pattern: tekiah (one long continuous blast), shevarim (3 medium blasts), teruah (9 quick bursts of sound), and tekiah again. Let’s analyze the meaning and significance of these sounds.
Tekiah means strong and firm. It’s constant and unbroken. It’s meant to affirm and strengthen our good deeds and qualities, that are firm and forever, and Hashem will always reward every good deed. When traveling in the dessert they would blow tekiah to stop and settle and recover our strength from the weary journey.
Shevarim means to break. We feel broken. There are parts of us that are weighing us down.
Teruah has same hebrew letters as teorah, meaning waking up, being shaken up. Since anyone who realizes the power of this day wakes up. Its focus is din (judgement). The noise is a scary one. It’s the same noises we make by blowing trumpets of war, to create fear in the enemy, and wake us up to do teshuvah (repent) before the battle.
We end again with a tekiah, which is another affirmation of our inherent goodness. Because right before we confront the darker part of ourselves-and it must be confronted-we remind ourselves that we are truly inherently good.
These are very deep and beautiful ideas, but what does it have to do with the theme of Rosh Hashanah?
It’s true, there’s a lot at stake on Rosh Hashanah. But Rosh Hashanah is a day of positivity. It’s a forward thinking day. It’s a day where G-d reestablishes his world, his kingdom for the year, and we get to be a part of it. It’s a blank canvas, waiting for us to decide who do we want to be this year? What do we want to achieve this year. We express our desire on Rosh Hashanah for a year of growth and expansion in every way. And the shofar teaches us the formula for achieving this. It must start with positivity. We first need to recognize how good we really are at our core. And how good we want to be. Then we break ourselves, and understand there’s consequences for our actions that cut both ways. We need to be honest and aware of that, because if we’re not than we will fall flat on our faces right out of the gate. We’re not asking for forgiveness, that’s what Yom Kippur is for. But we need to be aware. And finally, we once again remember our inherent goodness. We know we’re not perfect, but we are good, we’re positive, and we’re excited to move forward with G-d to a year of growth, achievement, and all the blessings that come along with it.
May we all merit to hear the call of the shofar to an uplifting and happy year.
Rejoice or Tremble?
One of the most perplexing aspects of Rosh Hashanah is the seemingly contradictory sources about whether It is a happy day or a serious day: The Talmud states that we do not say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah. It records that the Angels asked God why this is the case? God answers: “Can it be that the King is sitting on the throne of judgment and the books of the living and the dead are open before Him, and the Jewish people are singing?!”
Yet, the Midrash has a different approach: “It is the way of the world that if one has a judgment pending, he wears black clothing, leaves his beard unkempt, and doesn’t trim his nails, for he doesn’t know how his judgment will turn out. However, the Jewish people are not like that; they wear white clothing, trim their beards and nails, and eat, drink and rejoice on Rosh Hashanah, for they know that the Holy One, Blessed is He, will perform a miracle for them [and give their judgment a favorable outcome]”.
On the one hand, there is a very serious element on the day, to the extent that it is inappropriate to say Hallel. On the other hand, we are confident that God will provide us with a good outcome. How does this make sense? In truth there is no contradiction at all. One can have a serious state of mind, realizing the gravity of the day, and at the same time, be confident (but not complacent) that God will judge him favorably. In the Torah outlook, seriousness and joy do not contradict each other, rather they complement one another. The basis of our joyous mood is our confidence that God will judge us favorably. That favorable outcome is itself a product of how seriously we are taking the day.
This is the basis of the dichotomy of Rosh Hashanah: We are afraid, because we know that there are consequences to our actions, but we are happy, because we know that if we make the effort, then God will respond in kind, and our success in judgment will have been earned. Rosh Hashanah reminds us not to look on God as One who lets everyone off for their behavior no matter what, but as both a loving Father and powerful King. He wants us to be successful. He wants to see that we take life seriously, and be worthy of investment and reward as a result.
Because we take the day seriously, make the effort, and know that Hashem will respond in kind, we celebrate the day with nice clothing and delicious food. After the prayers and the effort, we eat sweet challah with raisins (and sweet apples) and dip them in honey, because we are confident in a good judgement for a sweet new year. It’s a serious day. And then a day of celebration.
May we all merit to be inscribed in the Book of Life!
