It's difficult to write about the festivals of the Jewish calendar in the
English language. None of the available words seem to capture the mood of these
landmarks in Jewish time. Holiday? Too frivolous. Holy Day? Too somber.
Festival? Better, but still not quite the right word. The Hebrew phrase Yom
Tov literally and blandly translates as "good day." How, indeed,
to describe the blend of reverence and revelry, seriousness and exuberance,
liturgy and lokshen kugel that is the Jewish festival?
In particular, the first festival of the year, Rosh Hashanah, seems to fit no
familiar mold. It is the day on which we tremulously submit to the divine sovereignty
and crown G-d as our king, but as the Chassidic masters point out, a coronation
is always a festive event, with bands playing in the streets and crowds picnicking
in the parks and fields. It is the day on which we stand in judgment before G-d,
the day on which the Heavenly Court rules "who shall live and who shall
die...who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched... who shall fall and
who shall rise"; but also the day on which we "eat lush foods and
drink sweets... for the joy of the Eternal is your strength." The Talmud
offers the image of a person coming to court where a life-or-death verdict will
be handed down on him, but he is dressed in white and has a feast awaiting
him at home, confident that he will triumph in his trial.
No single article can capture the paradox of Rosh Hashanah, much less
explain it. To understand Rosh Hashanah, we need to exprience it -- spend those
hours praying in shul, hear the shofar's hundred notes, dip the apple in honey
and eat the tzimmes. But here is a sampling of essays, insights and
stories -- some Rosh Hashanah reading to get us in the mood:
The King and I
from the Chassidic Masters
The Cry of the Shofar: Two Parables
by Rabbi Eli Friedman
Cooking the Year
by Illana Attia
Days of Awe
by Yanki Tauber
Cold Soup
by Manis Friedman
Rosh Hashanah Unwrapped
by Tzvi Freeman
Reminding G-d
by Tzvi Freeman
The Adam Factor
by Tzvi Freeman
Chanah's Prayer
by Tzvi Freeman
The Waking of Creation
from the Chassidic Masters
The 48-Hour Brain
by Yanki Tauber
The Master Key
by Rabbi S.Y. Zevin
A Glass of Milk
from the Chassidic Masters
Sweet
by Tzvi Freeman
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