Q&A: Rosh Hashanah in Our Time
Rosh Hashanah in Our Time
Question
True, the holiday is still a long way off, but suddenly I thought about it: how the hell did we get from a day of remembrance and shofar-blasting to a day on which we’re judged for the year and a person’s livelihood is sealed (which I assume the Rabbi doesn’t believe in)? Like, how did the whole essence of Rosh Hashanah change from a day of remembrance and coronation to a terrible and awe-filled Day of Judgment when you’re supposed to repent, and so on?
Answer
I’ve written about this several times. I completely share your feeling. In my opinion, these are aggadic traditions that the Sages created in order to encourage the public to engage in soul-searching, and as part of the coronation of the Holy One, blessed be He. You can search here on the site. Briefly, for example, here: https://mikyab.net/posts/817/
Discussion on Answer
In the Torah*
In my opinion, that isn’t really a question. When we are remembered before Him, it is like subjects before a king. The Sages understood that this was the intent, and that is entirely reasonable. I was talking about inventions in the realm of facts (judgment in heaven and the like).
With God’s help, 22 Nisan 5784
To Aharon — greetings,
In the passage about the trumpets, we find a blast for remembrance before God in time of war: “And when you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies”; and a blowing of the trumpets for remembrance before God “on your days of rejoicing, and on your appointed festivals, and on your new moons,” at the time of offering the sacrifices, “and they shall be for you as a remembrance before your God.” It seems that the remembrance of the alarm-blast was meant for salvation from an oppressor, while the remembrance of the trumpet-blast was for the festival offerings to be accepted favorably before God.
From here, perhaps one may learn that also on the “day of remembrance” in the seventh month, there is a need for salvation from the accusing adversary, as described in Job 2: “And there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.” On the other hand, there is also the “blast of the King,” as described in Psalms 81: “Sing aloud to God our strength; shout to the God of Jacob… Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the covering of the moon, on the day of our festival. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.”
Standing before God is bound up with both joy and awe.
Best regards,
Fish”l
I assume the connotation of coronation comes from the shofar, and the connotation of a Day of Judgment comes from the coronation—because otherwise, in what other way is God’s being King expressed (mainly as legislator and judge)?
In the Torah it says a day of remembrance. It doesn’t say coronation. So: 1) what is a day of remembrance?
And 2) where did this whole idea of crowning God king on this day come from?