It is interesting that the words "Rosh Hashanah " do not appear in the Chumash. Rather, Bamidbar 29:1 refers to it as a "yom teruah" [a day of blowing of the horn] for you."
The closest we come to "Rosh Hashanah" is in Deuteronomy 11:12: "A Land which the Lo-d thy G d cares for; always are the eyes of the Lo-d upon it, from the beginning of the year [me-reshit hashanah] until the end of the year." The context in which these words appear is significant: G d's love and concern for Eretz Yisrael.
Question: Why does the Torah not simply state that "G-d's eyes are always on the Land"? Why does the Torah add that extra phrase, "from the beginning of the year to the end of the year"?
Perhaps the Torah is informing us that G-d's concern for the Land is not automatic. It is renewable at every "beginning of the year," but we must earn that renewal. (The Baal Haturim in fact finds the name of the month Tishrei hidden in the Torah's unusual spelling of reshit.) And it is renewed at Rosh Hashanah because this is when we renew our own relationship to G-d by crowning Him as our king.
When we do this, we effect a reaction in heaven. G-d reciprocates and renews His love for us; i.e., we reach up and He reaches down, once again focusing "His eyes on His Land." G-d's concern for the inanimate Land is certainly true of the living Jews residing within the Land.
At a time when anti-Semitism, terror, and hostility towards Israel and Jews surround us, it is comforting to remember that we are under Divine protection. The ongoing miracle of Israel's existence is evidence of the truth of the Biblical promise.
May we be worthy of renewing our attachment to Him this "Reishit Hashanah", and may He renew once again His divine care and deliverance.
Shanah Tovah!
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Emanuel Feldman served as rabbi of Atlanta's Beth Jacob synagogue for 39 years until his aliyah to Israel in 1991. He was editor of Tradition magazine for 13 years, and has authored eight books and over 100 articles. He is presently editor of Machon Ariel's English translation project.
The closest we come to "Rosh Hashanah" is in Deuteronomy 11:12: "A Land which the Lo-d thy G d cares for; always are the eyes of the Lo-d upon it, from the beginning of the year [me-reshit hashanah] until the end of the year." The context in which these words appear is significant: G d's love and concern for Eretz Yisrael.
Question: Why does the Torah not simply state that "G-d's eyes are always on the Land"? Why does the Torah add that extra phrase, "from the beginning of the year to the end of the year"?
Perhaps the Torah is informing us that G-d's concern for the Land is not automatic. It is renewable at every "beginning of the year," but we must earn that renewal. (The Baal Haturim in fact finds the name of the month Tishrei hidden in the Torah's unusual spelling of reshit.) And it is renewed at Rosh Hashanah because this is when we renew our own relationship to G-d by crowning Him as our king.
When we do this, we effect a reaction in heaven. G-d reciprocates and renews His love for us; i.e., we reach up and He reaches down, once again focusing "His eyes on His Land." G-d's concern for the inanimate Land is certainly true of the living Jews residing within the Land.
At a time when anti-Semitism, terror, and hostility towards Israel and Jews surround us, it is comforting to remember that we are under Divine protection. The ongoing miracle of Israel's existence is evidence of the truth of the Biblical promise.
May we be worthy of renewing our attachment to Him this "Reishit Hashanah", and may He renew once again His divine care and deliverance.
Shanah Tovah!
-----------------------
Emanuel Feldman served as rabbi of Atlanta's Beth Jacob synagogue for 39 years until his aliyah to Israel in 1991. He was editor of Tradition magazine for 13 years, and has authored eight books and over 100 articles. He is presently editor of Machon Ariel's English translation project.