Rosh Hashana

Found 23 Search results

  1. Why Is Ch. 31 of Jeremiah the Haftorah of Rosh Hashanah?

    Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot

    תאריך פרסום: תשעג | |

    This shiur will examine the structure and key themes of Ch. 31, the beautiful prophecy of consolation that is found in the middle of the book of Jeremiah. We will then proceed to suggest a new insight as to why the sages of the Talmud chose this chapter to serve as the haftarah for the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

  2. The Casting of the Lot

    Prof. Jonathan Grossman

    This article explains the meaning and significance of the Lottery ("Pur"). The world of magic is often linked with Rachel and her descendants. Haman's lottery was performed during the celebration of the Babylonian New Year, and reflects a deterministic worldview. We will compare the Haman's lottery to the High Priest's lottery on Yom Kippur, and Joshua's lottery for dividing and distributing the land.

  3. Rachel Weeping for Her Children

    Rabbi David Sabato

    This unique prophecy exalts the figure of Rachel and has been a source of inspiration for future generations. It has engraved the image of a loving and compassionate mother on the consciousness of the exiled and tormented people for thousands of years.

    Yaakov's lack of reconciliation with the loss of Yosef expresses his inner recognition that Yosef is alive. This is the principle alluded to by Rachel's continuous bitter weeping. Her non-stop weeping and refusal to be comforted testify to a similar cognition: Deep inside, Rachel knows and feels that her children will one day return to their land. This weeping is not a weeping of despair but a weeping meant to stir up the mercies of Heaven for her children and return them to their land. Just as Yaakov merited to be comforted and to see his lost son, so too Rachel is promised that her weeping will have an effect, and in the end her children will return to their land.

    In contrast, the second part of the prophecy describes a return of a different kind. Here, the son is active in the process; Ephraim's desire to return is what drives the wheels of salvation. Indeed, here too there is parental love for a lost son, but this is a father's love for his son, which symbolizes God's love for Israel.

    The difference between the two parts stands out in the root "shov." In the first part, it appears twice and denotes the children's return to the land as a result of Rachel's weeping. In contrast, in the second part, it appears three times and describes Ephraim's repentance, which will bring about his salvation.

  4. Ramban on Rosh HaShana: What is the Secret of the Terua?

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 30 minutes

    In the Torah, the holy day we call “Rosh HaShana” is referred to as “Yom Terua” and “Zikhron Terua”- a “Day of Loud Blasts” and a “Remembrance of Loud Blasts.” What does remembrance mean here? Ramban notes that “zikaron” means “to bring something to the fore,” suggesting that this is a day of bringing the Shofar to the fore. Ramban also, however, continues and says that blowing the shofar will facilitate a remembrance before God. The mitzvah of Shofar is compared and contrasted with the mitzvah of constructing silver trumpets. Ramban connects the loud blasts of the “terua” with war, which is connected to judgement. This is a day of judgement, but through the terua enveloped by the tekia (evocative of the short, simple, sound of the breath of the individual), we can accept God’s judgement but symbolically arouse remembrance, thereby tempering the strict judgement with mercy.

  5. Hannah

    HaTanakh.com Staff

  6. The Lord is My Light and My Salvation (Psalm 27)

    Rabbi Yitzhak Bart

  7. "Which I Will Tell You" – When?

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

  8. Foundations for Life

    Rabbi Ben-Tzion Spitz

  9. Why was Yishmael Banished?

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

  10. Understanding the Shofar

    Rabbi Yehuda Rock

  11. Hannah and Self-Sacrifice

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

  12. The Power of Prayer

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

  13. The Love of a Father

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

  14. What does the Shofar Sound like in Neviim and Ketuvim?

    Elisheva Brauner

  15. Preparation for Sukkot

    Dr. Noah Hacham

  16. POLITICIANS – KEEP YOUR PROMISES

    Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Brandes

  17. The First of the Seventh Month - Rosh HaShana in Tanakh

    Elisheva Brauner

  18. Midrashic Setting of Yitzhak's Blessings to his Sons: Pesach or Rosh HaShana

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  19. The Teshuva Revolution

    Part 2

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    Consistent with the transition detailed from a Temple-based Judaism to a Torah-centered lifestyle, the emphasis in this chapter is decidedly not on the Temple service. Many, if not all, of the practices omitted in this chapter bear significant connections to the Temple service. Ezra’s revolution, which seeks to reimagine Jewish life in the aftermath of the destruction of the First Commonwealth, envisions an observance of the holidays that does not revolve around the sacrificial service.

    Putting Esther and Nehemya together, it appears that repairing the Jewish People’s social fabric was a major point of emphasis for both post-exilic communities. It is almost as if Tanakh implies that Jews of Persia and Israel sought to “undo” the sins of previous generations, in which the wealthy trampled upon the poor and there were irreparable divisions between the different classes of society. Both Esther and Nehemya worked to create greater unity by emphasizing the importance of generosity at times of communal celebration, so that no one would feel excluded.

    The extraordinary moment of solidarity around the celebration of Sukkot – with all the difficulties it raises regarding contemporary observance of that holiday - coupled with the dramatic impact of the Torah reading ceremony just a few days earlier, combines to make the events of Nehemya chapter eight some of the most climactic known to biblical history.

  20. Rosh HaShana Torah and Haftarah Readings - Judgment and Tears

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  21. Aseret Yemei Teshuva and Psalm 130

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  22. Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur - God Ascends in Judgment

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  23. Universal Recognition of God’s Kingdom on Israel and the World

    The Structure & Story of Books books II (42-72) & III (73-89)

    Dr. Beni Gesundheit | Hour and 9 minutes

    The Rosh Hashanah Mizmor 

    Mizmor 47, its Context with 46-48 and the 1st Korach collection (K1)

    What are the unique messages of mizmor 47? (And how to understand its role for Rosh Hashana immediately prior to the blowing of the Shofar)?

    Mizmor 47 is part of the first Korach collection K1 (42-49). The internal narrative of this group of mizmorim presents the nostalgia to Zion, mourning its destruction and hope for the future vision when all nations will recognize God in Jerusalem. The text, context and intertext of mizmor 47 are presented (and compared to the themes of Rosh Hashana).

    Comparison of the two Korach collections, K1 (42-49) and K2 (84-88), will be briefly presented but will be elaborated later on during the series.