Is Rosh Hashana Merely The Jewish New Year?
Rosh Hashana is a time of renewal. We must retain that truth without spiraling down the rabbit’s hole of fantasy in which the present evolves spontaneously, without the aid or damages of the past. One of the traditions of Rosh Hashana doesn’t seem to make this any easier for us. The custom of Tashlich seems antithetical to reality. On the surface it takes us back to January 1 as opposed to Rosh Hashana. At first glance it seems that Tashlich is an enchanted formula for making the impressions of the past disappear magically and effortlessly. How can we throw sins into the water and have them vanish? The Ramchal points out the crucial difference between Tashlich and wishful thinking (Maamar Hachochma). Tashlich invokes the thirteen Attributes of Hashem’s mercy. He explains that the renewal that takes place on Rosh Hashana is not one that artificially erases everything that came before. Rather, it is the Creator’s time of recommitting Himself to His world. His desire is that the good with
Related Questions
- The 2007 China-Tibet tour ends in Shanghai on Rosh Hashana, September 12-14, 2007. Is there a Jewish community in Shanghai that I can join with for this observance?
- Is there a Hebrew greeting to extend to someone for a Happy Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year
- Is Rosh Hashana Merely The Jewish New Year?
