Rosh Hashanah
Approaching High Holy Days
As Jews Or As People
T
he start of the Jewish New Year,
the month of Tishrei, is filled
with holy days, among them
four foundational celebrations: Rosh
Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and
Simchat Torah-Shemini Atzeret. They are
as different from one another as possible.
Yet, we may also think of all four holidays
as two pairs of two. The first two — the
day of memory and accounting and the
day of atonement — are awe-inspiring
and grave compared with the last two fes-
tivals, which are days of joy.
At the same time, the first three holi-
days do have a common denominator: As
much as these are Jewish holidays, they
carry a universal message. Here, embed-
ded within them, are three of humanity's
cardinal touchstones: accounting and
judgment; mercy and atonement; and the
joy of life.
These attributes and qualities are
essential to the lives of every human
being. We mark the New Year by com-
memorating Creation on the one hand,
and celebrating the kingship of the Lord
on the other. Both Creation and God's
sovereignty pertain to all humankind and
are not specifically Jewish.
The Day of Atonement, too, is relevant
to every human being. Life is full of
mistakes and transgressions. Without
atonement it would be unbearable to go
In Tishrei, however, we focus on our
on living with the unresolved and painful
fundamental humanity, on the fact that
pieces of our past.
we are human beings with great prob-
Sukkot, at first glance, seems to be far
lems. In this context, humanity is not
more connected with Jewish history. Yet,
defined as a group of human beings;
at its essence, this holiday is actually a
here we speak of our basic humanity —
festival of thanksgiving for
humanity as a quality.
what we have. We acknowledge
The very touchstones that
the tranquility in our lives
we mark in Tishrei are what
and express our gratitude for
make us human. The essence
Divine gifts. Moreover, our
of the universality of these
sages teach us that during
holidays, then, is not in the
Sukkot — in the days of the
point of sharing with others;
Holy Temple — 70 bulls were
it is in delving into ourselves
offered to God in the name of
in order to reveal and find
the 70 nations of the world.
some of the fundamentals of
As the prophet Zachariah
our existence. We explore and
foretells, in the days to come
acknowledge what is universal
Rabbi Adin
it is on Sukkot that all the
to all humankind within our
Even- Israel
peoples of the world will come
own selves.
Stein saltz
as pilgrims to the Temple in
The fourth and last of the
Jerusalem (14:16-21).
holidays of the month of
This combination of the particular and
Tishrei, Shemini Atzeret (and with it
the universal is not just one more inter-
Simchat Torah), stand in clear contrast
esting point; it is the key for understand-
to the first three. As beautifully depicted
ing the meaning of these three holidays.
by our sages, the King made a great ban-
In all our other celebrations and perhaps
quet, to which he invited all the citizens
in Jewish religious life in general, we
of his realm. At the end of these feasts,
stress the specificity of Jewish existence.
he called his most beloved friend and
Most of our holidays and memorial days
said, "Now that all these big events are
are deeply connected with our own his-
over, let us have a small banquet just for
tory.
the two of us" (tractate Sukkah 55b). 0
Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz is a world-
renowned distinguished scholar, teacher,
mystic and social critic. He has written more
than 60 books and hundreds of articles on
the Talmud, Kabbalah and Chasidut. The
first volume of the new Koren Talmud Bavli
with Rabbi Steinsaltz's English translation
and commentary is available through the
publisher and Amazon. The Koren Talmud
iPad App will be available soon.
High Holidays And Sukkot 101
R
osh Hashanah literally
means "head of the year" in
Hebrew. During the 10 Days of
Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur, "mankind passes in judg-
ment before the heavenly throne."
According to tradition, the "Book of
Life" is opened by God on Rosh Hashanah
and closed on Yom Kippur. In this book,
it is inscribed who will live, who will die,
who will be born and who will prosper
or suffer during the coming year. Jews
observe a period of deep reflection, pon-
dering their deeds and behavior over the
past year.
In spite of the solemn nature of Rosh
Hashanah, the New Year is also a time for
joy and warm sharing between families.
A festive meal is held before sundown on
the evening beginning the Holy Day. At
the meal, it is customary to dip a piece
of apple or bread into honey in hopes of
a sweet New Year. Relatives and friends
74
September 13 e 2012
are greeted with L'shanah tovah tikateivu
(May you be inscribed in the Book of Life
for a good year).
The shofar, one of the most important
symbols of Rosh Hashanah, is sounded in
the synagogue as a call to worship on the
New Year and on each of the 10 Days of
Repentance.
This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at
sundown Sunday, Sept. 16.
On Yom Kippur, prayers are recited
asking God to release persons from vows
undertaken but not fulfilled. Before
the sun sets on the Eve of Atonement,
families gather for a holiday meal, where
candles are lit. FolloWing the meal begins
25 hours of prayer and fasting.
Synagogue services on the eve of Yom
Kippur open with the traditional Kol
Nidre chant led by the congregation's can-
tor. It is a prayer for absolution for the
breaking of vows made to God. Prayers
during the service are recited in terms
of "we" and not "I:' because collective
responsibility is taken for the shortcom-
ings of mankind.
This year, Yom Kippur begins at sun-
down Tuesday, Sept. 25.
Four days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot
is the Jewish festival of thanksgiving on
the occasion of the final gathering of the
harvest. During Sukkot, a sukkah (booth
or hut) is erected next to synagogues
and at many homes. Also marking the
festival are the citron or etrog (related to
the lemon) and the lulav, a palm branch
tied together with myrtle and willow
branches.
Special synagogue services are held on
the first two days of Sukkot, and on the
seventh and last day, called Hoshanah
Rabbah. Traditional blessings are recited
and congregants march in a processional
circle bearing the etrog and lulay.
This year, Sukkot begins at sundown
Sunday, Sept. 30.
After the seventh day of Sukkot,
Shemini Atzeret, the Eighth Day of
Assembly (this year on Monday, Oct. 8),
is celebrated as the concluding festival of
the season. On this day, memorial ser-
vices to honor and remember deceased
relatives are held.
The next day (this year, Tuesday, Oct.
9), Simchat Torah, worshippers read the
last chapters of the book of Deuteronomy
and the first chapters of Genesis. This
ritual declares that the Torah is eternal,
having no real beginning and no real end.
The evening service on Monday is elab-
orate, with the Torah scrolls being carried
in a processional through the congrega-
tion. Children carry banners, kiss the
Torah scrolls and receive candy and other
sweets. The ceremony is repeated during
the next morning's services.
Source: Jewish Community Relations
Council