rosends
Well-Known Member
I did some thinking about the nature of Rosh Hashana recently, but I focused on the first of Tishrei
rosends.blogspot.com
but now I'm thinking in the otehr direction.
Today is the first of Nisan which is, according to the Mishna at the beginning of tractate Rosh Hashana, a marker of the new year (discussed on folios 2-7 of the gemara).
On page 7, the text finally cites the biblical source for the idea that this date is the beginning of some year cycle:
Sh'mot, 12:2
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחׇדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
“This month shall be [reckoned] to you [as] the head [beginning] of months. It shall be to you the first of the months of the year.
This leads me to two sets of questions. The first is "why don't we say anything or do anything to mark this date as a special day? Yes, we observe Rosh Chodesh with its liturgical changes and its few practices/limitations, but this isn't a garden variety new month; it is a new month that establishes our identity as a nation and fixes our holiday cycle. It is the opening of the "blessing on smelling flowers" season! Shouldn't we be saying something more? (and not because it is R. Nachman's birthday)
The second has to do with today's Torah reading. We read the standard selection from Bamidbar 28. But unlike other new months, we have a relevant Torah section (the above mentioned Sh'mot 12) that has to do with THIS specific date! Why don't we read (in addition, even) a section that calls forth the unique identity of the day?
Happy New Year!
Rosh Hashana Thoughts Yes, yes, yes, I know it is not time for the “Jewish new year” and you probably think that I set my clock ahead...
rosends.blogspot.com
but now I'm thinking in the otehr direction.
Today is the first of Nisan which is, according to the Mishna at the beginning of tractate Rosh Hashana, a marker of the new year (discussed on folios 2-7 of the gemara).
On page 7, the text finally cites the biblical source for the idea that this date is the beginning of some year cycle:
Sh'mot, 12:2
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחׇדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
“This month shall be [reckoned] to you [as] the head [beginning] of months. It shall be to you the first of the months of the year.
This leads me to two sets of questions. The first is "why don't we say anything or do anything to mark this date as a special day? Yes, we observe Rosh Chodesh with its liturgical changes and its few practices/limitations, but this isn't a garden variety new month; it is a new month that establishes our identity as a nation and fixes our holiday cycle. It is the opening of the "blessing on smelling flowers" season! Shouldn't we be saying something more? (and not because it is R. Nachman's birthday)
The second has to do with today's Torah reading. We read the standard selection from Bamidbar 28. But unlike other new months, we have a relevant Torah section (the above mentioned Sh'mot 12) that has to do with THIS specific date! Why don't we read (in addition, even) a section that calls forth the unique identity of the day?