Rosh Hashanah: Wishing for a good and sweet year

When the sun sets this Wednesday, we will be on the cusp of a new year. We will mark the beginning of the year with two days of Rosh Hashanah, this year followed by Shabbat.

If we pay attention to the name of the holiday, we will notice that it does not symbolize only the beginning of the new year, since it is not called “beginning of the year” but rather Rosh Hashanah, meaning “head of the year.”

When we study the human body, we can look at it from bottom to top, feet first; or from top to bottom, head first. But clearly, the head is the most important of the human body parts, the one that influences and manages all its actions, from moving our little finger to the most amazing creation a person can create. The head is the manager, where everything is determined. 

So is Rosh Hashanah. It is not just the beginning of the new year but the most significant day; the one that influences our actions throughout the year.

The significances of Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah contains two parallel significances. On the one hand, based on ancient Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the day of judgment, the day on which the Book of Life and the Book of Death are open. On this day our deeds are examined and, based on the result, it is decided whether we are worthy of another year of a good life. 

On the other hand, when we look at the machzor, the prayer book for Rosh Hashanah, we find that the central content of the holiday is kingship – anointing God as king of the world. On this day, we express our desire and hope that divine righteousness will prevail and rule over the entire world.

IS THERE a connection between these two holiday messages?

To answer this question, we look at the words of Rabbi Ya’acov ben Asher (a renowned halachic scholar who lived in Spain in the 14th century). In his book Arba Turim, he describes the appropriate preparation for Rosh Hashanah:

“Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yehoshua would say: What nation is like this nation that knows the character of its God – meaning: His traditions and judgments. It is the way of the world that a man who stands in judgment wears black, wraps himself in black, grows his beard, and does not trim his nails, since he does not know how his judgment will turn out.

“But the people of Israel do this; (rather) they wear white and wrap themselves in white and shave their beards and trim their nails and eat and drink joyfully on Rosh Hashanah because they know that the Blessed Be He will perform a miracle for them. Therefore, they customarily trim and wash on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and have a lot of food on Rosh Hashanah” (Arba Turim, Orach Chayim Siman 5181).

This beautiful description sharply contrasts with the man standing in judgment who is worried and anxious about the future. How can he be calm and serene and even express feelings of security and joy as Judgment Day approaches? This behavior is described in the obscure words “What nation is like this nation that knows the character of its God.”

This is surprising. What kind of trial is it if the person being judged knows in advance if he is going to be found innocent? And do we actually know the results of our judgment by our creator on Rosh Hashanah?

The explanation for this is in the additional meaning of Rosh Hashanah – the day of kingship, the day when we all hope and want full control of divine will and righteousness over the world.

What is kingship? In our day, it is rare to have a monarchy of a single king ruling over a country. But to understand the term “kingship,” we can look also at the democratic system of governance. When a prime minister or president is elected for a term of office, what is the message that citizens are conveying to the chosen person? Trust! 

The citizens who elected him/her to run the affairs of state are expressing trust that this person is the most appropriate for this role; that he/she is the person who can best take care of the citizens of the state, their well-being, their welfare, and their security.

That is the message of kingship. When we say in the prayers of Rosh Hashanah, “Rule over the entire world with Your honor,” we are telling God: I trust You; I count on You; I am convinced that You love me and take care of all my needs. This trust is the explanation of the words “a nation that knows the character of its God” – a nation that recognizes the goodness of God and therefore trusts Him completely.

Now we comprehend the connection between the day of judgment and the day of kingship. If we prepare for Rosh Hashanah anxiously, fearful of what might be decided for us, we would behave as one who stands before a fateful judgment and be expressing a lack of trust in a righteous judgment. 

However, when we stand in front of our creator and God, we behave in the opposite way: We cut our hair, wash, wear holiday clothing, and sit down to festive meals. In this way, we express our strong faith and trust in God, whose judgment is righteous and lenient. 

This perspective on the day of judgment through kingship conveys this most strongly. The more we believe and anoint the Blessed Be He to rule over the world, the more we will merit, with God’s help, to have a good and sweet year, a year of fulfilled wishes, a year of success and joy, a year of health and happiness.  ■

The writer is the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.