The Motive of Rosh ha-Shanah A Holy Convocation And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying:
In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you. And ye shall prepare a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the ram, and one tenth part for every lamp of the seven lambs; and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you; beside the burnt offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering therefor, and their drink offerings, according unto their ordinance, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire until the Lord. [Num. 29:1-6]
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadek, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon its bases, for fear was upon them because of the people of the countries, and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt-offerings morning and evening. [Ezra 3:1-3]
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the congregation, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from the early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive upon the book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they has made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people—for he was above the people—and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaia, even the Levites, cause the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. And they read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep.’ For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said until them: ‘Go your way, eat the far, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye grieved; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying: ‘Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.’ [Neh. 8:1-11]
THE DAY OF JUDGMENTS
“Blow the horn at the new moon, at the full moon for our feast-day” (Ps. 81:4). Rabbi Phineas and Rabbi Hilkiah said in the name of Rabbi Simon: All the ministering angels assemble before the Holy One, blessed be he, and say, “Master of the universe, when is the New Year’s Day?” And he says to them, “Is it me you are asking? Let us both of us ask the Court below!” Because of the verse (
ibid.): “For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.” [Midrash Tehillim]
It has been taught: Rabbi Eliezer says, In the month of Tishri the world was created, in Tishri the patriarchs were born, in Tishri the patriarchs died. On Rosh ha-Shanah Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered on high and conceived, on Rosh ha-Shanah Joseph left prison, on Rosh ha-Shanah the bondage of our ancestors ceased in Egypt. In the month of Nisan they were redeemed, and in Tishri they will be redeemed in time to come. [Rosh ha-Shanah I0b-11a]
The world is judged at four season: at Passover, in regard to grain; on the Feast of Weeks, in regard to the fruit of the tree; on Rosh ha-Shanah, all the inhabitants of this world file before Him. As it is said, “He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their doings” (Ps. 33:15). On the Feast of Booths, the world is judged in regard to rain. [Mishnah Rosh ha-Shanah I.2]
All things are judged on Rosh ha-Shanah, and their fate is sealed on Yom Kippur, are the worlds of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah, in the name of Rabbi Akiba, says: All things judged on Rosh ha-Shanah, but the fate of each and every one of them is sealed in its proper season; at Passover, the fate of the grain, at the Feast of Weeks, that of the fruit of the tree, and at the Feast of Booths, that of rain. [Tosefta Rosh ha-Shanah I.13]
Copyright © 1995 by S. Y. Agnon. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
