לשנה הבאה בירושלים
“Next year in Jerusalem”

QUESTION: Why is this prayer recited twice a year; at the conclusion of the Pesach Seder and at the conclusion of the Yom Kippur services? And why “next year”?

ANSWER: In the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 11a) Rabbi Yehoshua states that just as the redemption from Egypt was in the month of Nissan, so too, the final redemption will be in Nissan. Rabbi Eliezer opines that the final redemption will take place in Tishrei.

The intent is not that we should wait until next year to be in Jerusalem. Rather, we are asking to be immediately redeemed and our prayers follow both opinions. Hence, when we celebrate the festival of Pesach during the month of Nissan,we pray “Leshanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim — May we be redeemed immediately and thus, next year we will be celebrating with a karban Pesach in Yerushalayim.” Yom Kippur is in the month of Tishrei; thus, we pray that we be redeemed immediately so that next year when Yom Kippur occurs we will all be in Yerushalayim with a Kohen Gadol officiating in the third Beit Hamikdash.

(טעמי המנהגים)