Rosh Hashana Reviewed

In May, I went through files of my college writing, mostly to decide what to keep and what to toss. I ran across my freshman English 101 journal. I hated that journal but that's another story.

The journal was mandatory and so a lot of it is drivel - and tediously boring - just to meet the requirement. Still, as with all writing, you run across some hidden gems. This post, in my opinion, is one such gem. I post it here as it was written but with editing. Believe me, it was necessary.

Rosh Hashanah

I spoke with the Rabbi from the local temple about Rosh Hashanah. I was surprised and impressed by what I learned.

Rosh Hashana means New Year. It is a celebration of the creation of the world and is celebrated In Temple by prayer and praising God for the creation. 

The holiday also marks the beginning of the Penitential Week. The week following Rosh Hashanah is spent in reflection of and repentance for the sins of the past year. This would be a time for prayer and good deeds.

In Israel, the holiday is celebrated for one day. In much of the rest of the world, it is celebrated for two days. The holiday ends at Yom Kipper. This is a day of fasting from sunset to sunset, and most of the time is spent in prayer for forgiveness for personal and community sins.

There is a story told about these two holidays. It is said that God writes in a book the names of those who are going to live and those who are going to die. The individual has the week to reflect and repent. After Yom Kipper, the book is closed and sealed until the next year. 

The two holidays are considered the high point of the spiritual year for Jews.
-- October 4, 1989

When Is Rosh Hashanah

This year Rosh Hashana begins at sunset on Sunday, September 9 and ends at sunset Monday, September 10. Yom Kipper begins the following week. 

Summing it Up

Rereading this journal entry, I'm again impressed by this holiday. I understand why it would be the high point of a spiritual journey. In fact, the whole process appeals to me for some reason. I'm a Christian and not Jewish. However, there is a spiritual component to this particular holiday that I feel a connection to that I like. 

Imagine this. What if the whole world took a day to praise God for the creation, which includes humanity, and the following week spent time to ask forgiveness for our personal sins and those of every community? Can you even grasp the impact that would have on the planet? The world would be turned upside down. 

Honestly, it isn't even about being Jewish or Christian. The whole thing feels primal to me as if it is ingrained in my DNA to praise God for the creation. I frequently find myself doing just that. I can be sitting in a park or my backyard, marveling at the beauty that surrounds me. I start thanking God for this magnificent planet and the blessing of it. I usually begin to feel that I'm unworthy of such a gift and ask God to forgive me and help me be a better steward of his creation. It seems natural to do this.

I haven't studied much about Jewish holidays in any real sense and I think the reason for my journal entry was the topic was probably suggested by the professor. I think Jewish holidays float on our calendar so I suspect the date varies year to year. I'm glad I did it and I'm glad I found it again.