Rosh Hashanah: combining past, present and future

Every moment in life is a sum of the past, present and future. But on Rosh Hashanah we experience this more than on most occasions. With only two weeks to go until it is truly upon us, even in the midst of the frenetic rush of preparations that characterise pre-Rosh Hashanah weeks, it is time to pause a moment to dwell on this concept.

Three themes will come to the fore on Rosh Hashanah, encapsulated in the central brachot of the Musaf service as malchiyot, zichronot and shofarot, with each of those blessings constructed out of 10 relevant biblical verses. 

Malchiyot refers to the crowning of God as king – with particular emphasis on the messianic era at the end of days.

Conversely, zichronot takes us back to the days of the patriarchs (and even earlier) as well as the fact that we are remembered for judgement. In the latter context we hope that God will remember his eternal covenant with Israel.

And enlarging on the key element of Rosh Hashanah, shofarot combines memories of the shofar at Sinai with the shofar which will herald the messianic advent.

Those themes are also to be found in the various names given to this day.

The fact that the festival is most commonly referred to as Rosh Hashanah carries with it implications of a future – it is the head of the year which we have yet to experience. 

The implications of the name Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) are obvious in their reference to that which has been.

And Yom Teruah, Day of Trumpeting (or, as this year when the first day is Shabbat , Yom Zichron Teruah, a Day of Remembering Trumpeting) clearly emphasises the mitzvah of the day, which revolves around the ceremonial blowing of the shofar with all its connotations.

However, there are not just three names (as is the case of the thematic blessings) but also a fourth to be taken into account: Yom Hadin – the Day of Judgement.

Albeit that it is not a biblical term in regard to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Hadin encapsulates another important feature of the day. Rosh Hashanah is the opener of the 10 Days of Repentance, when we are all judged, and which culminate in the ultimate Yom Hadin, Yom Kippur.

Yet there is a fascinating difference between the two Yemei Hadin – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

As so many have commented, sin and our consequent regret are barely mentioned on Rosh Hashanah. (In fact some customs such as that of Chabad deliberately exclude from the service even those verses of the famed Avinu Malkeinu which refer to the fact that we have sinned.) But on Yom Kippur, we constantly reiterate confessions with specific reference to a whole series of misdeeds and wrongdoings that we as individuals may or may not have perpetrated. This process of confession even begins at the Selichot prior to Rosh Hashanah and continues through the non-festive days of the 10 Days of Penitence but has no place on Rosh Hashanah itself. Why is Rosh Hashanah so different?

The answer is that the rabbis recognised that there are two different approaches to repentance. One is “sur mera” – turn away from evil. In recent centuries the mussar movement emphasised this approach, requiring significant levels of introspection (and perhaps even bodily punishment) to overcome the evil inclination embedded within us. The other, preferred by early Chassidic leaders, was “aseh tov” – literally (jump forward and) do good. Don’t dwell on the past albeit that it must be changed. Move forward and the past will fall away of its own accord – and maybe if the negatives of the past pushed you to the positives of the future, then they too will be redeemed.

Rosh Hashanah encapsulates the latter approach. After all, if the world becomes a unity, “veye’asu kulam agudah achat la’asot retzonecha belevav shalem – and all (of creation) unite as a single entity to do thy will with a perfect heart” – then what does it really matter if one of us lowly creatures did something a little wrong? And so the Rosh Hashanah approach is that we seek to unite to achieve an ideal world – and as we achieve that end, our misdemeanours may be forgiven as insignificant.

However, we are then soon reminded that in real life there is no easy way out. Can a person sin and then just forget it? After all, we conclude zichronot itself by saying to God: “Ki zocher kol hanishcachot atah hu me’olam – You are the one who remembers all forgotten things from all eternity.” 

So as soon as Rosh Hashanah is over we recommence penitence relating to our own misdeeds, until again on Yom Kippur we all combine in a spirit of unity. But on that occasion the emphasis is different: we recite the confessions together, in a triumphal chorus of communal song. For in unity there is strength even as we face adversity. 

And it is that triumphal unity which allows us at the end of that day to sound the shofar. This time it is not (as during Elul and even on Rosh Hashanah) just a call to repentance. This time, as we cry out “Leshanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim”, it is the shofar which symbolises the shofar of redemption through Moshiach. May it indeed be sounded speedily and finally in our days!

Shabbat shalom, 

Ketivah v’chatimah tovah, 

Yossi

Yossi Aron OAM is The AJN’s religious affairs editor.