Bosh

By HARRY. CUSHING • -

Copyright; 1955, Jewish Telegraphic

Jewish legend attributes many
important events to the month of
Tishri, the month -in which Rosh
Hashanah occurs. Thus, the Tal-
mud tells us that "Rabbi Eliezer
says, in the month of _Tishri the
world was created, in Tishri the
patriarchs were born and died.
On Rosh Hashanah, Sarah, Rach-
el and Hannah were remembered
on high and conceived. On Rosh
Hashanah, Joseph left prison;
and, on Rosh Hashanah, the
slavery of our ancestors ceased
in Egypt. In the month of Nisan
they were redeemed, and in Tish-
ri they will be redeemed in time
to come" (Talmud, Rosh Hasha-
nah 10b-11a).
The tradition that the world
is judged on the Hebrew New
Year is also mentioned in the
Talmud. Rabbi Meir expressed
the opinion that all things are
judged on Rosh Hashanah and
their fate is sealed on Yom Kip-
pur. Speaking in • the name • of
Rabbi Akiba, Rabbi Judah de-
clared: "All things are judged
on Rosh HaShanah, - but the:fate
of each Sand every one is sealed
in its proper season: at Passover,
the fate of grain; at the Feast of
Weeks, that of the fruits of the
trees, and at the Feast of Booths
(Succoth), that of rain" (Tosefta
Rosh Hashanah I. 13).

A Day of Memorial
One of the traditions of Rosh
Hashanah is that it is the Day of
Memorial when God remembers
the deeds of all men. The record
of each person is kept in three
large memorial books. The trac-
tate Rosh Hashanah (16b) relates
that Rabbi Kruspedai, speaking
in the name of Rabbi Yochanan,
declared that the three volumes
are for three categories of indi-
viduals: one for the completely
righteous, one for the wholly
wicked, and one for the average
person. The completely righteous
are immediately inscribed and
sealed in the Sefer Hachayim,
the Book of Life; the wholly
wicked are at once inscribed and
sealed in the Book of Death.
However, the average person's
fate is held in abeyance from
Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kip-
pur. If the average person repents
properly, he is inscribed on Yom
Kippur for life; if found unwor-
thy, he is destined for death. '
A popular commentary ex-
plains that Rosh Hashanah takes
place in Tishri because, since it -
occurs before the harvest season,
it would be favorable for Israel.
Inasmuch as the poor are given
the gleanings, the forgotten
sheaves and the Peah (corners
of the field), these acts of kind-
ness would influence God in his
judgment of Israel. By appealing
to the divine quality of mercy,
rather than to the divine quality
of justice, Israel would stand a
better chance to be inscribed for
life.

For an entire month pre-
ceding Rosh Hashanah, it is
customary to prepare for the
New Year. The month of Elul
is dedicated as a month for
T'shuvah, repentance. Tradi-
tion has it that the month of
Elul is an ideal time for re-
pentance. A legend tells us that,
after Israel had committed the
sin of bowing down to the Gol-
den Calf, and Moses had
broken the first set of the_Ten
Commandments, he ascended
Mount Sinai for a second time

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to obtain a second set of the
tablets, and remained on the
-mou- titain until 'Yam Kippur.

Thus has arisen the custom of
blowing • of the Shofar . at the con-
clusion of the morning services
during the month of Elul, to re-
call the 40 days spent by Moses
on Mount Sinai.
An interesting sidelight is that
the word Elul in Hebrew has
the numerical value of 67. The
woad "Binah," meaning "under-
standing," has the same numer-
ical value. Hence, Rabbi . Yaabetz,
in his Siddur, suggesting the
month of Elul for repentance,
points out that through under-
standing comes repentance, as it
is written "and understanding
with their heart, return, and be
healed) (Isaiah 6:10).

It has been the custom among
many of the pious, in past gen-
erations, to fast during the
days from Rosh Chodesh Elul
(the first of Elul) until the end
- of Yom Kippur, a period of 40
days. This, too, was in memory
of the 40 days which Moses re-
mained on Mount Sinai to re-
ceive the Tett Commandments.

There also have been individu-
als who, because of their piety,
made it a practice not to engage
in secular conversation from Rosh
Chodesh Elul until the end of
Yom Kippur. This practice was
based on the belief that there is
nothing better for the purifica-
tion of the soul than avoiding idle
talk. Also, by keeping from idle
talk,' the individual can concen-
trate so much better on his
prayers.
It is customary for the rabbi
to deliver a special exposition on
the Sabbath preceding Rosh Hash-
anah. The tradition for this cus-
tom is based on the belief that,
when a rabbi or sage sermonizes
before the people, their sins are
forgiven. Also, when the congre-
gation responds "Amen" to his
words, God - immediately destroys
the adverse decree.

' The Holiday Cantor

In engaging a cantor for the
high holidays, congregational
committees are advised • to face
the responsibility with grave seri-
ousness in their effort to please
all the congregants. Jewish tra-
dition has set up certain basic
requirements for a proper ba'al
T'filah during the High Holidays.
He must be a man of learning and
pious of deed. It is suggested that
he be married, have children and
be at least 30 years old. These
qualities are required because
they indicate that a person is
usually matured under such cir-
cumstances.
It is even suggested that the
chazan be a person who has the
capability of arousing people to
devoutness with a joyful melody
when required, and with a sad
melody when weeping is in order
for confession and repentance.
However, it is also urged that the
cantor not be a person who dis-
plays his vanity through his
chants. '
Often in the liturgy of Rosh
Hashanah, reference is made to
the- Covenant with Abraham.
Jews have come to believe a great
deal in Z'chut Avot, Merit of the
Fathers, the principle that one
is blessed because of the achieve-
ments of his ancestors. The Tal-
mud_ tells of an incident descrip-
tive of this principle. On one of
the occasions that Israel sinned,
while in the desert, Moses stood
-before God -and uttered many
prayers, but somehow his numer-
ous petitions were not answered.
Finally, he declared: "Remember
Abraham, Isaac arid Israel Thy
servants" (Exodus 32:13), and his
petition was immediately listened
to. (Shabbat 30a).

Modes of Prayer

Prayer attitudes are manifested
in various wayig. There are some
who pray silently. They do not
stir from their place during the
entire service. They are tranquil
and utter their petitions in whis-
pers. There are other, however,
who cry out in their prayers and
even make strange gestures with
their eyes and hands and even
with their entire being.
Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov,
founder of the Chassidic move-
ment, describes the latter type
of praying Jew in his volume

20.--LIETRO I T J EW I N EWS

Friday, September 16, 1955

The Mezuiah Scroll

"Keter Shem Tov." When a man
is drowning" in a river and
splashes about trying to pull him-
self from the waters that over-
whelm him, those who witness
the scene certainly will not ridi-
cule his splashing. So, when a
man prays with gestures, there
is 'no reason to make fun of him.
for he is trying to save himself
from the raging waters that en-
gulf him and distract him from
his prayers.
The blowing of the Shofar on
Rosh Hashanah is inspired by
many ideas. The keynote is set by
the following verse: "With trum-
pets and sounds of the Shofar
shout ye before- they King, the
Lord" (Psalms 98:6).
Maimonides, the famed Jewish
philosopher who stands out as
one of the leading codifiers of
Jewish law, vividly points to the
significance of the Shofar blow-
ing ceremony: "Awake, 0 ye
sleepers," he writes, "awake
from your slumber, and rouse
from your lethargy. Scrutinize
your deeds and - return in repen-
tance. Remember your Creator,
ye who forget' eternal truth in
the trifles of the hour, who go
astray all your years after vain
illusions which can neither profit
nor save. Look well - into your
souls and mend your ways and
your actions; let each of you for-
sake his evil path and his un-
worthy purpose, and return to
God, so- that He may have mercy
upon you" (Hilchot T'shuvah
111,4).
The ideological principles of
the High Holidays are impres-
sive. The Midrashic elements
have contributed much to the
observance of these days in which
the Jew has found much spiritual
security. They have always help-
ed' Jews develop the sense of be-
longing to the Eternal People.
The folk tales and parables, the
commentaries and ethical homi-
lies have prepared those who ob-
serve the holy days with that
spiritual armor with which Jews
have sustained themselves nigh
on to forty centuries.

Champion Firsts Holder

Major Mordecai M. Noah was
the champion holder of "firsts."
The first articulate American Zi-
onist (1843) ; the first American
Jewish dramatist (1808) ; first
Jew to be an American Consul
abroad. If not first, certainly
among the first of our Jewish
journalists, sheriffs, politicians„
and finally the first Jew whose
portrait was reproduced in a
book (1819).

First Jewish Publication

The first Colonial Jewish pub-
lication was an English transla-
tion of a Hebrew prayer of Rab-
bi Joseph Yesurun Pinto, "per-
forme at the Jews Synagogue in
the City of New York," October
23, 1760, as a "Thanksgiving to
Almighty God, for the - reducing -
of Canada to His Majesty's Do-
minion," . printed in New York
at the new printing office of W.
Weyman.

By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX

(Copyright, 1955, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.) -
* * *
•

The Mezuzah Scroll is always
placed in a sheath of wood, metal
or plastic before being nailed to
the door-post.
The most practical reason of-
fered for this custom is the fact
that the Mezuzah parchment
would be subject to various dam-
aging influences such as water
and moisture coming either from
the outside or seeping through

the threshold. The sheath pro-
teas it, in whatever casing is
provided. Some claim this was
done because of the custom that
arose of putting one's hand to
the Mezuzah and kissing it. It
would not be in good taste to do
this to the parchment itself. Thus,
it is placed in a sheath so that
the external sheath is touched
instead of the actual parchment
itself.

Jerry Lewis says that you can
tell when a person has acquired
that certain Hollywood polish
. . . he always starts casting re-
flections on everybody else.

ROSH HASHANAH

TIME FOR INVENTORY AND REFLECTIONS

"Whosoever Honors The Torah Shall
Himself Be Honored."

The year 5716 marks the beginning of the 301st
year of Jewish Settlement in America. Many
volumes have been compiled on our contribu-
tions to the economic, religious and educational
life in America.

This inventory would be incomplete without
mentioning the

Wilno Kosher Sausage Co.

and its contribution to safeguarding and up-
holding the religious heritage of Kashruth for
the last 61 years.

The reputation of the

Wino Kosher Sausage Co.

was built on 4 pillars:

Kashruth ... Quality .. Flavor . . Service

Standing at the dawn of the New Year we again
resolve to strengthen these pillars and uphold
the Commandments of the Torah in our busi-
ness dealings.

The Kashruth department is under the super-
vision of two prominent Orthodox Rabbis:
RABBI BORUCH RABINOWITZ AND RABBI
BEN ZION ROSENTHAL and a steady MASH-
GIACH.

We wish our Rabbis, distributors, customers, all
Rabbis and all Israel a
HAPPY
PROSPEROUS and PEACEFUL YEAR

Wilno Kosher Sausage Co.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

The start of the New Year is a time of dedication, when
men renew their vows to work for justice, to strive for
brotherhood among peoples, to pray for peace among the
nations.:

THE
ISRAEL HISTADRUT CAMPAIGN

Extends sincerest good wishes for a year of health and happiness

to all its workers, friends and to the Michigan Community at

large and calls for the continued support of Histadrut

in its task of molding a nation in Israel

DETROIT HISTADRUT COMMITTEE

Morris L. Schaver, Hon. Chair., Harry Schumer, Hon. Chair., Morris Lieberman, Chair., Philip

Goldstein, Chair. Exec. Bd., Norman Cottler, Treas., Norman Naimark, Fin. Secy, M. Mich,

Dir. of

Org.

3287 W. Davison

•

TOwnsend 9-8660

