The Denver Jewish news., 1921-09-28
Rosh Hashonah in Lite
rature and Legend
BY DIR. S. n. Deinard

a greater change during the period eX-
tending between the close of the Old
Testament canon and the compilation
of the Mishnah than our New Years
Day, Rosh Hashonoh. In the Mosaic
Law the day celebrated rs Rosh Ha-
: shonoh is designated as the first day
of the seventh month. and is to be cele-
brated by the Characteristic act of the
blowing of the rams horn. The first
day of every month was to celebrated
as holy Day. The reason for the
greater conservation of the seventh
month which bears the special designa-
ton of .Yom Tru'Oh," the Day of the
Sounding of the Trumpet. or "Iichron
Tru'oh." the Memorial of the Sounding
Of the Trumpet probably is that on the
'enth of the month is the most sacred
day of Yom Kippurim. and on the ff-
teenth to twenty days the feasts
of Succoih and Atsereth. the Oldest and
most gladstone feasts of the Biblical cal
pndar. The Mosaic Law also provides
that every fifticth year. on the tenth OF
the seventh month (Tishri), the year of
Jubilee is TO be procla lined through the
land by the sounding of the rams horn.
That probably was the original mean
\ ing of the blowing of the horn on Rosh
| Hashonoh. a memorial. either to remind
die people of the approach of the other
sacred days in the same month. or by
analogy of the blowing of the trumpets
on occasion of war ITO he remembered
before the Lord your God" (Num. :O.
| Additional Significance was given the
lay by two important events recorded
in the Bible. The returned exiles un-
der Zcrubbcnel began the sacrificial
service on the restored altar of Jeru-
salem on the first of the seventh month.
That is all the significance that at
taches to Rosh HashOnoh. as far as our
Biblical sources are concerned. 1t is,
therefore. n far cry from this character
assigned to it in the Bible to the state
ment of the Mishnah (about the close
IF the second century of our era)
rherc are four New Years Days =.
he first of Tishri is New Years Day
If the civil year. etc." and further on:
The world is judged at four different
seasons of the year on New
Years Day all human beings pass be-
sore Him like the sheep of the fold"
How to explain this remarkable devel-
1pment in the character of the Day is
lne of the puzzles of Jewish arch
aeolnay.
The opinion of the Mishnah regard
ing this day is the one that has pre-
vailed in the Synagogue, and in Jewish
life. Rosh Hashonoh. together with
Yom Kippur. are the two holiest days
in the Jewish calendar. In the Jewish
home and in Jewish life its aspect as
New Years Day stands out very prom
inently. while in the Synagogue ritual
its cha racter as Day of Divine Judg-
ment is emphasized. All the customs
observed on this day bear on this its
two-fold character. Beginning with the
first day of the week in which ROsh
Hashonoh occurs. special supplications
for forgiveness (Sclei' hoth) are offered
up i'm the synagOgucs early in the morn
ing before the regular prayers. On Rosh
Hashonoh afternoon the ceremony of
TashIich (Of laGc metiaeval origin) is
carried out, the symbolic shaking Off
and casting away of the sins into
body of flowing water.
AT home fruits and sweets. and other
yiands of symbolic value are eaten on
Rosh Hashonoh expressive of the wish
for sweet and happy year. Nuts are
not to be eaten for the numerical value
of the Hebrew word meaning nut is
equivalent to the numerical value of the
Hebrew word that stands for sin"
The customary greeting exchanges on
this day is "L'shonoh tovoh tikkOsliv-
Nav you be inscribed for n good year"
The celestial program for this day,
as elaborated in the exuberant fancy
of the Talmudic Rabis. is very awe-in
spring Says one Rabbi Three books
are open (in the heavens on Rosh Ha-
shonoh. one for the perfectly righteous
one for the utterly wicked, and one for
all those who belong to neither class.
The perfectly righteous are at once en-
tered in the Book of Life; the wicked
are Immediately inscribed in the Book
of Death while the judgment of the
others is suspended until the Day of
Atonement. when according to their
merit. or lack of it, they are recorded
with a sentence of either life or death.
4 sentence of DEATH or the punishment
may be averted by repentance, prayer,
and charity. Hence the ten days from
Rosh Hashonoh to Yom Kippur are
, known as the ten dnYs of pcnitence.