Edot: L'Shana Tova Tikateivu - May You Be Written for a Good Year

We say goodbye tomorrow just before sundown to the Jewish year 5774, and at sundown we welcome the new year - 5775. One year ends; another begins. Seems simple enough. But our Edot students discovered this past Sunday that Jewish observance of Rosh Ha'Shana is not simply saying goodbye to the past year and welcoming the new year, as we do December 31st into January 1st on the Gregorian calendar. This holiday reflects the Jewish revolutionary beliefs about the shape and purpose of time, our belief in One God and the relationship we have developed as "partners" with God. We learned that while ancient peoples believed that the shape of time was a circle (sunrise, sunset; season following season in the same order every year; new moons waxing into full moons then waning into new moons again, etc.) repeating without fail no matter how they acted, Talmudic era Rabbis determined that there is a linear aspect to time - a timeline, if you will - which began at the moment of Creation. Since God created time, and everything that God created must have a purpose, according to the Rabbis, time must have a purpose. Events occur in linear progression on the timeline, and these events are determined by whether we - Israel - follow God's commandments or not. Follow them and God will bless us; don't follow them, and God will send our enemies to punish us.

According to Jewish belief, it is the role of Israel to be a "light unto the nations," i.e. to model how to "balance on the timeline," (following the commandments) in order to effect "tikkun olam" (repairing the world). Once every individual, every community and nation is "balanced," we are told by the Rabbis that time will end - its purpose will have been served - and we will enter into a new dimension they referred to as "absolute time" (i.e. the Messianic Age). We will exist in the same dimension as God - Israel will be one, the universe will be one, and all will be one with God.

It's appropriate, then, that the major symbol of Rosh Ha'Shana is the shofar. In ancient times, the shofar was an "announcing" tool - sharing when the sun had set and a new day had begun, the sighting of the new moon and the start of the new month, the coronation of a new king, and warning of the danger of an enemy about to descend upon the people. The meaning of all Hebrew words built from the root letters "sh-f-r" (shin-fey-resh) must have something to do with "improvement". When we hear the shofar, we are "awakened" by this "alarm clock" to remember what our role as Jews, as human beings, is and to take action. "Awake you slumberers from your sleep" Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (Rambam) wrote. Each of the three sounds made by the shofar during the High Holy Days (and for the entire month of Elul - the last month of the year) is a wake-up call to help "balance" the world - help make it a "just" world for every living thing.

T'ROO'AH - the name of this sound means "Alarm"
SH'VAREEM - the name of this sound means "Broken"
T'KEE'AH - the name of this sound means "Repair"

Taken together, the sounds are warning us that the world is "broken" and must be "repaired." It's the ultimate call to action. Look around you - don't fall into complacency. Don't accept the world as it is, but work to make it a better place for all life.

This holiday begins the very solemn observance of the High Holy Days, ending with Yom Kippur 10 days after Rosh Ha'Shana. But, optimists that we Jews are, we see good days coming and celebrate with joy. Traditionally, we begin the new year with a sweet taste in the mouth. Honey cake, apples dipped in honey, and other sweet delicacies are served at the festive meal. Our Edot students continued to review and learn Hebrew vocabulary relating to the holiday, and as we said goodbye together to 5774 (we'll return to school next Sunday, the 4th day of the month of Tishrei, 5775!), we left with the sound of the shofar in our ears, and a sweet taste in our mouths: