Rosh Hashanah starts tonight at sundown (I was going to say “For those who are Jewish”, but Rosh Hashanah starts whether you are Jewish or not; you just may not observe it). If you didn’t read my “L’Shanah Tovah” post of last evening, go read it. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
Great. That post talks about customs, but it doesn’t say what Rosh Hashanah is. If you are like most people reading this, you probably don’t know (hell, you probably just think of it as a day a number of people aren’t at work, or a day you might get off of school). Rosh Hashanah (“Head (Rosh) of the Year (Ha-Shanah)”) is just one of four new years observed historically by Jews. Here are each of them, with a description (from the Soc.Culture.Jewish FAQ):
- Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1)
- Also known as Yom Hadin, Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Teruah (Day of the sounding of the shofar). In traditional congregations, the shofar is not sounded when Rosh Hashanah falls on the Sabbath. This holiday celebrates the creation of the world, and as such is the new year for calculating calendar years, sabbatical and jubilee years. This holiday is characterized by the blowing of the shofar. During the afternoon of the first day, many follow the practice of tashlikh, symbolically casting away sins by throwing stones into the waters. Rosh ha-Shanah, the 1st of Tishri, never falls on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday, in order that Yom Kippur should never fall on a Friday or Sunday and Hoshana Rabbath should not fall on the Sabbath.
The one practice unique to Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, in accord with the biblical command “… it is a day when the horn is sounded” (Num. 29:1). Since it falls on the first day of the month, when new months were proclaimed by the Sanhedrin on the basis of the testimony of witnesses, there existed an uncertainty as to when exactly Rosh Hashanah would be. Even when the Temple stood, it was sometimes necessary to celebrate two days of Rosh Hashanah due to the late arrival of witnesses. As a result it was decided to celebrate two days every year. Unlike other holidays, this is unrelated to the diaspora.
Rosh Hashanah is also known as yom ha’din, “the day of judgement”, when according to the Talmud, God determines who will be inscribed in the “book of life” and who will be inscribed in the “book of death” for the coming year. The decision is made on Rosh Hashanah and sealed ten days later at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. One’s behavior in the interim can supposedly alter a harsh decree, thus the period from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah to the conclusion of Yom Kippur is known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During the Middle Ages, it also became common to refer to Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur as the Days of Awe.
After the service in the synagogue, it is customary for worshippers to wish one another le-Shanah tovah tehatem ve-tikatev (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year). It is traditional to eat bread and apples dipped in honey followed by the meditation, “May it be Your will to grant us a good and sweet year.”
In Ashkenazi communities, a special custom known as Tashlikh occurs; it invokes the recitation of biblical verses and a prayer near a body of water. It is performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah (unless the first day falls on the Sabbath, in which case it is deferred to the second day). The custom symbolizes purification of sin in the water.
- Tu B’shevat (Shevat 15)
- The day designed as Rosh ha-Shonah la-Ilanot – the New Year for Trees. This day was set aside in the Mishna on which to bring fruit tithes. It is still celebrated in modern times. Fruit that began to grow after the flower stage (or to ripen, according to Maimonides and the geonim, before Tu bi-Shevat, belongs to the previous year. Fruit reaching the stage of development after Tu bi-Shevat belongs to the new year. The consequences of this determination is whether ma’aser sheni, the “second” tithe (first, second, fourth, and fifth years of the seven year cycle), or ma’aser ani, the tithe for the poor (third and sixth years of the seven year cycle) are to be taken from the fruit. The importance of this determination stems from the prohibition against setting aside fruit from the new year’s crop as a tithe for the previous year’s crop. To facilitate compliance with the commandments of orlah and fourth year’s fruits, this date is used to determine the first four years that the tree bears fruit. Tu bi-Shevat also marks the beginning of the second year in a tree’s life, so long as it has taken root some time before Tu bi-Shevat. This date was chosen “because most of the winter rains are over” (RH. 14a) and the fruit has begun to ripen.
In the Diaspora (exile), Tu bi-Shevat has lost its halakhic and agricultural significance, yet it is still regarded as a festive day. Thus, no fasting or eulogizing is permitted, nor is the Tahanun prayer recited. Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed and his disciples began the custom of eating fruit on this day. For this purpose, they composed liturgical poems (piyyutim) and a seder for Tu bi-Shevat eve, during which they drank four cups of wine. This custom was adopted first by varios Sephardi communities, and then by Aschkenazi Jewry who initiated the custom to eat on Tu bi-Shevat the fruit for which Eretz Israel is famous.
In modern Israel, this is the day when children plant trees in the forests and in public places.
- New Year for Kings (Nisan 1)
- Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew calendar; in Mishnaic times it was celebrated as the New Year for Kings and months. In biblical times, kings reckoned the years of their reign from the first of Nisan. If a king mounted the throne on the previous day, then the Ist of Nisan marked the beginning of the “second year” of his reign. In addition to this “new year”, the Mishna sets up three other New Year’s: Elul 1, for animal tithes, Tishrei 1 (Rosh HaShanah), and Shevat 15, the New Year for Trees/fruit tithes. Ever since the Babylonian diaspora, only the Rosh HaShanah and Tu B’Shevat are still celebrated.
- New Year for Animal Tithes (Taxes) (Elul 1)
- This day is set up by the Mishna as the New Year for animal tithes, which roughly corresponds to a new year for taxes. This is similar to the tax deadline in the United States of America, on April 15. The date is disputed; Some authorities claim that it was observed on Tishrei 1 (Rosh HaShanah). The actual date is now merely academic; This holiday has not been observed since the Babylonian diaspora.
Every year, Rosh Hashanah reminds me… that I’m part of a minority religion. I’m reminded every time someone schedules a meeting or event on the first day of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, effectively (unthinkingly) excluding most Jews from attending. I see this happening at work, where we have multiple applicant interviews scheduled, and major conference are taking place. Now look at the few major Christian holidays — Christmas and Easter. Are these typically work days with meetings scheduled? In fact, Christmas is even a National holiday! Yes, we have official separation of church and state — which means there isn’t an official state religion — but Christian values are still infused throughout our society (and America is one of the most religious countries, even without a state religion). Here’s yet another example.
So, to my friends observing Rosh Hashanah, a Happy New Year. I hope you don’t miss too much while the world goes on around you. To my friends not observing Rosh Hashanah…. I wish you a Happy New Year as well. May you find in this new year what you need to find in life. May you be healthy, may you be happy, and may find love/continue to be loved.
