FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO KNOW

Since I had too many unanswered questions for the blog I had envisioned for today I am flip-flopping it with the one that I planned to post on Wednesday the day before the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is a two day religious holiday although the majority of Reformed Jews only observe the first day even though there are the traditional services held on the Second Day.

The purpose of this blog is as an introduction to acquaint others with the history and significance of this day and if desired this subsequent next 15 days of religious significance to observing Jews here and worldwide.  

On Wednesday eve and Thursday until sunset; Jews will celebrate Rosh Hashanah the first day of the ten days that mark the High Holy days terminating in Yom Kippur, the fast day of repentance. There are many differences in the observance of this period between the different branches of Judaism; Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist. There are also two major ritual divisions between the Sephardic Jews whose origin was in Spain during the Moors dominance and the Ashkenazi from Eastern Europe and Germany.

None of this is any more complicated than the multiple divisions in Christianity. For example although the basic concepts of Christianity is the same for all Christians; there are major differences in interpretation or observation by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Southern Baptists, Greek Orthodox. or Coptic. These could be and have been fought over to the death as different religions

Rather than describe in my own words the meaning of these Holy Days; this is how Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of CLAL, The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership expressed it: “Rosh Hashanah is about relationships. Whether between individuals and the God in whom they believe, communities and the traditions which define them, or simply between individuals, whether any God or tradition is part of their lives, it’s all about sustaining relationships which sustain us and help us do the same for others.”

Even at my tender age there are facts that I never knew about Rosh Hashanah. According to an article in the Jewish World Review*: the ancient Hebrews probably had no concept of when the year started at all. Nor did they give the months names: the Torah merely enumerating them - "the first month", "the seventh month."

Nowadays we celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the first day of the fall month of Tishrei. But in biblical times, that period was explicitly called "the seventh month". During the First Temple period (8th to mid-6th century BCE), the year began in the spring, on the first day of Nisan.

Also, when listing the holidays, the Bible always starts with the spring holiday of Passover, in the seventh month – Nisan

The first day of Tishrei does have one other significance we do know of, based on the Book of Ezekiel. That prophet, at the very end of the First Temple period, prescribes that the Temple should be purified  on the first of Tishrei.

We don’t know what the religious life of the Jews was like during the Babylonian exile. But we do know that by the time the Jews returned to Israel, and at the beginning of the Second Temple period (516 BCE), Jewish religious practices had profoundly changed compared with the pre-exile era.

For one, the names of the months that we use to this very day are the Babylonian names. Tishrei for example is a Babylonian month whose name derives from the Akkadian word tishritu - “beginning.”

In addition, the Babylonians took their New Year’s Day celebrations very seriously. They called the holiday Akitu (from the Sumerian word for barley) and Resh Shattim, the Akkadian equivalent of the Hebrew Rosh Hashanah. This was celebrated twice a year, at the beginning of Tishrei and the beginning of Nisan, and lasted for 12 days.

It isn’t really clear when Rosh Hashanah began to be celebrated as a holiday in its own right, though clearly it was during the time of the Second Temple. All we can say for sure is that books written during this period, such as the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Maccabees, or the Dead Sea Scrolls, don’t mention any "Rosh Hashanah."

We first hear about it in the early rabbinic literature in the Mishnah and the Tosefta, both redacted at about 200 CE, and both having a tractate called Rosh Hashanah, dealing with the holiday and issues related to the calendar. It is in these texts that we first have elaboration on the importance of the holiday and its tradition”s.

Other tidbits;” Originally, Rosh Hashanah was a one-day celebration. How it came to be celebrated over two days is because of a communication problem.

The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle. A new month began when the new moon rose. The rise of each new moon was determined by a rabbinic council in Jerusalem and later in Yavne, based on witness accounts. Messengers would then be sent through the land, delivering the news to the populace that the new month had begun.

But regarding Rosh Hashanah, celebration would have to begin immediately. By the time the news reached the farther-flung parts of Palestine, let alone elsewhere, the land, the day would be long over.

Holidays such as Sukkot and Passover didn't present a problem – they take place about two weeks after the start of the new month.

Later, when the calendar was no longer determined by council and the two-day holiday was no longer needed, (not to mention that people could look into the sky themselves), the rabbis decided to leave the custom anyway.

In Europe, during the High Middle Ages, the consumption of honey evolved into eating challah and fruit, which today has become almost universally apples dipped in honey. A new tradition of eating pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah arose at about the same time, based on the false belief that the number of seeds in a pomegranate is 613, the same as the number of Jewish commandments.

Tashlikh, emptying one’s pockets into the sea or river (or, when these aren’t accessible, a well) on Rosh Hashanah is first mentioned in the 15th century and is now a common tradition among observant Jews. This is supposed to symbolize the clearing of oneself of sin. “

Ain’t History informative and interesting even if it represents useless knowledge? 

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    *Unfortunately I lost the article reference and can’t re-find on google.