Rosh Hashanah: Duality of Joy and Sadness

Every year, at some point during the Rosh Hashanah service, the thought strikes me anew that it was on this day that the Holocaust was decreed. It is admittedly an odd thought, for someone who was born two generations afterwards, but at the same time, unintentionally, the gravity of the day sinks in when that thought re-enters my mind. 

A day that couples sweet treats, and heartfelt prayer, one in which we ask the previous year's curses to be bygone, and the blessings around the corner to come expediently, is perplexing by its very nature. Perhaps all the more perplexing is the historical context that applies to it. Referred to in the Torah as no more than a day in which there is "remembrance of the blasting of the horn," Rosh Hashana has taken on mythic proportions, rich in detail, angels hastily scurrying about, the Satan, jarred by cacophonous sounds that disturb his quiet, and shift the balance in our favor. 

Rosh Hashanah was a day, in the Navi, or Prophets, which signified spiritual rejuvenation, the ability to live happily with the confidence that Hashem would redeem us amidst feelings of despair. When the Jewish people were overcome with sadness at their failure to abide by the Torah's laws, Nehemia commanded them otherwise. 

"Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the LORD your God: you must not mourn or weep,' for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching. He further said to them, 'Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in the LORD is the source of your strength.'

In essence, the day was one of camaraderie, giving, and realizing that our strength lied in our devotion to do Hashem's will despite the difficulty and our past, apparent failures. 

I do not know how Rosh Hashanah has become such a grave time. In the Prophets, it was not seen in that light. Seeing the customs that have been adopted, I am left feeling left out, or surprised, at the least. There is a strongly imbedded custom to not rest on the day of judgment; yet, when one sees the optimistic note struck by Nehemiah, that doesn't seem to make sense. Another custom is to learn the Mishnah for the book of Rosh Hashanah as a special way of gaining salvation; again, the custom seems alien to the biblical and prophetic tradition. 

In summary, whenever I remember that morose thought, I also remind myself that it was a day on which so many good things were also decreed, the birth of my children, the day I would meet my wife, and so many other positive, life-changing things that have added richness and meaning to my life. Though a day in which many are in a state of trepidation, or unstated fear, it is a day of renewed confidences, love, and tranquility, knowing that we can now best do our part to reseal our covenant for a new, blessed, and beautiful year!