Giving Birth to a New Year
On Rosh HaShanah in the year 1746, the Ba’al Shem Tov had an ascension of soul to the higher heavenly spheres where he found himself in the presence of the soul of the Messiah. In responding to his asking him “When will the master come,” the Messiah answered him with a verse from Proverbs (5:16): “when your wellsprings [of Torah] spread outwards.” (This revelation was explained in a letter written by the Ba’al Shem Tov to his brother-in-law Rabbi Gershon of Kitov and was first published as an appendix to Ben Porat Yosef 128a). Just as Biblical stories play themselves out in every generation and relates to each person, so too we can understand the meeting of the souls of the Ba’al Shem Tov and the Messiah to signify much more than an individual revelation, but as a teaching for all of us on many different levels. In addition, the significance of this revelation and the verse quoted from the Messiah is very connected to the very essence of Rosh HaShanah.
According to the teaching of the Ba’al Shem Tov, that each person has a spark of the Messiah within them, we can understand that the Ba’al Shem Tov had activated and perfected his own spark enough to merit such a meeting. Interestingly, the Messiah put his own coming back into the hands of the Ba’al Shem Tov - “when your wellsprings [of Torah ] spread outwards.” This dialogue, in a sense, is the ongoing theme of the “Days of Awe,” beginning with Rosh HaShanah. At certain times we turn to God and say: it’s all in Your hands,” while at other times God, as it were, turns back to us and says: “really, its all in your hands.” During these times of great reflection and soul searching, our deepest spark of longing for holiness and to be close to God is aroused, which in turn enflames our own deepest potential, our spark of Messiah deep within.
The image of the wellsprings is especially significant on Rosh HaShanah due to the custom of Tashlich, where we go to a body of natural water, most preferably a spring or other body of flowing water where there are fish, and cast our sins on the water which take them away. There are many levels of symbolism in this beautiful custom. Water is always a symbol of purity, cleansing and rebirth, the very essence of Rosh HaShanah. Not only is it the “birthday of the world,” as we recite in our prayers, but Rosh HaShanah, when properly appreciated, serves as a vehicle for personal rebirth. Fish and life teeming in the water allude to their being the first creations of the animal kingdom. They also were the first creatures to receive the blessing to be “fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:20-22).
The letters of “be fruitful” (p’ru), along with the letter shin, form the word, shofar, the horn we blow on Rosh HaShanah. The blowing of the shofar concentrates all the basic themes of Rosh HaShanah in a most powerful and dramatic experiential manner. When looking in a prayer book at the series of shofar blasts we see an interesting arrangement of repeating series of nines. This number represents the nine months of pregnancy. Therefore, hearing the shofar acts, as it were, as the birth pangs of each person as they attempt to give birth to a new year. Just as each day has its unique energy and opportunities, never to be repeated, each year brings a totally new and unique energy into the world. Yet this energy must be grasped and developed or it lies dormant and hidden. Each person is like a midwife to themselves, with the opportunity to recreate their very being and in so doing give birth to their own selves and a new year.
When Abraham was taking Isaac to Mount Moriah, in the episode known as Akedat Yitzchak, the binding of Isaac, Satan tried to halt their journey by creating a raging river (Sh’lah; Levush). Their ability to see through the illusion and their determination to carry on allowed them to transcend the obstacle. The custom of Tashlich reminds us that most of our obstacles in life are also illusionary in nature and are there to push us to newer and greater levels of self awareness and closeness to God.
Each soul has within it wellsprings of creativity and unique talents waiting to be born, nurtured and revealed to the world. Activating and manifesting these innate qualities is not a matter of achieving fame, wealth or power. Using our God given abilities is reward enough. If one reaches a wider audience, well and good, but sharing with friends, family and community in venues large or small has its own deep feeling of spiritual satisfaction. Creating for just oneself or God in moments of quiet or solitude reveal sacred parts of our being hidden to even ourselves. The wellsprings deep within us have the power to water seeds of creativity just waiting to sprout. Yet, it is only through a determined effort, much like the birthing process, that we can indeed bring to fruition that which we are truly capable of achieving. Though in principle we can do this at any time of the year, Rosh HaShanah is particularly tuned to the energy of birth and newness. May we merit to use this time and opportunity wisely.
The Significance of Rosh Hashana
Also Being a New Moon
There are many levels of understanding the significance of Rosh Hashana also being Rosh Chodesh, a new moon. Every Rosh Chodesh inaugurates an entirely new energy and a new opportunity to begin again. The ability to renew and rejuvenate is one of the secrets of the Jewish calendar being based on the lunar cycle. The capacity to begin again and again lies at the very root of Jewish survival. Rosh Hashana, the new year, is the “headquarters” for newness, thus it shares the same energy as Rosh Chodesh.
The shape of the moon on Rosh Chodesh and Rosh Hashana is but a thin, cup like sliver, seen for a short time in the western sky before going down at sunset. The judgement taking place on Rosh Hashana is similarly very hidden, yet a sliver of the light does reach us. We can envision the shape of the moon representing our heartfelt prayers to create a vessel to receive blessings. God wants to give us so much - the question is do we have vessels to receive it.
The Midrash states that when the moon was created it complained to God that both it and the sun could not wear the same crown. Therefore God made it smaller. A different Midrash states that every Rosh Chodesh God - as it were - brings a guilt offering for making the moon small. Rosh Hashana comes on a Rosh Chodesh in order to teach us that since we should not judge anyone till we stand in their place, God - so to speak - whispers to us that he empathizes with our situation and thus understands our desire for rectification and forgiveness, for He too brings a guilt offering on this day! This parable represents the judgement on Rosh Hashana as one of understanding and compassion.
The Significance of the
Different Notes of the Shofar
There are three basic sounds of the shofar - tekiya, shevarim and teruah. In the Torah Rosh Hashana is actually called “Yom Teruah,” a day of sounding the shofar. The Sages in the Talmud all agreed that the teruah connotes crying, but disagreed whether it was like a melancholy moaning or a more uncontrolled staccato sound. Therefore, both opinions are honored and today we sound the shevarim, which alludes to sighing and has three medium length sounds, the teruah, which connotes uncontrollable crying comprised of nine short sounds and the shevarim-teruah, a combination of the two. Preceding and following each of these sounds is the tekiya which alludes to many things in our tradition: a summons to gather together, a wake up call, a way to greet the king, as well as a sound of joy and rejoicing.
One notices a certain inconsistency between the different crying sounds of the teruah and shevarim and the more uplifting, joyful sound of the tekiya. This paradox reflects two equally important aspects of Rosh Hashana. On one hand it is a very joyful day when through our heartfelt prayers we praise God and crown Him king of the universe. It is also a day to begin again, full of hope and anticipation of a year of blessing. Yet, it is also a very serious, reflective day when all souls are judged by God and our lives and future are on the line. Therefore, the arrangement of the shofar blasts on Rosh Hashana reflect this reality.
It is taught that there is no vessel as whole as a broken heart. Rosh Hashana is the time to open our hearts and express our desire to rectify our lives and be close to God. These heartfelt emotions are surrounded by the tekiya and the hope, trust and joy it represents.
Special Foods for Rosh Hashana
It seems almost every Jewish holiday has its special foods and Rosh Hashana is no exception. In fact, it actually has more special foods than any other holiday due to the custom of eating a series of foods at the first meal of Rosh Hashana and reciting various expressions of blessings desired for the new year. The most well known custom is dipping apples in honey as a sign of a sweet year and that all judgements which may be pending should be “sweetened.”
Other foods and blessings include: pomegranate, whose many seeds allude to the increase of merits; dates and our wish to consume our enemies, fish and our prayer to be fruitful and multiply, a fish head and our request to be the head and not the tail, beets so that our adversaries be removed, a gourd so that any decree be torn up etc… Different communities include additional foods and expressions as well. Each phrase is based on either a play on words or an allusion to the corresponding food.
The eating of these foods and their appropriate idioms are called “significant omens” and there is a profound meaning in this being one of our first acts of a new year. Every day we are confronted with numerous situations and events. God in fact communicates with us through the daily circumstances of our lives. To understand the true significance of these messages we must look much deeper than the surface and learn to decipher their signs, “coincidence” and symbolism and give meaning to these occurrences. Beginning the year with eating ordinary food while concurrently attaching great importance and symbolism to each type trains us to see God’s messages and hints to us in the very fabric of our ordinary lives.
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