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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=093181610-21092006>This week's TSC
shiurim are dedicated in honor of the engagement of </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=093181610-21092006>Sheldon Chanales to
Elissa Goldberg!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
for ROSH HASHANA shiur</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> To our surprise, the
holiday that we call Rosh Hashana is<BR>never referred to as such in
Chumash! In fact, Chumash tells<BR>us very little about this holiday that
we are told to<BR>celebrate on the 'first day of the seventh month' (see
Vayikra<BR>23:23).<BR> So how do we know that this day
is indeed a 'day of<BR>judgment'?<BR> And why should
this day mark the beginning of a 'new<BR>year'?<BR> In
the following shiur, we attempt to answer these<BR>fundamental questions from
within Chumash itself.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> The laws
of Rosh Hashana are discussed only twice in<BR>Chumash, once in Parshat Emor
(Vayikra 23:23-25), and once in<BR>Parshat Pinchas (Bamidbar 29:1-6).
Therefore, we must begin<BR>our shiur by taking a quick look at these two
sources, noting<BR>how scant the Torah's detail of this holiday appears to
be:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1) In Parshat Emor -<BR> "On the seventh
month, on the first day of that month,<BR> you shall have a shabbaton [a
day of rest], zichron<BR> tru'a, mikra kodesh [a day set aside for
gathering], do<BR> not work, and you shall bring an offering to
God"<BR> (Vayikra 23:23-5).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2) In Parshat Pinchas -<BR> "On the seventh
month, on the first day of that month,<BR> observe a 'mikra kodesh', do no
work, it shall be for you<BR> a yom tru'a..." (Bamidbar
29:1-6).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Note that Chumash never
refers to this holiday as Rosh<BR>Hashana! Instead, we are told to make a
holiday on the first<BR>day of the seventh month [that's closer to 'mid-year'
than<BR>'new-year'].<BR> Furthermore, the Torah never
tells us why this day is<BR>chosen. Instead, we are instructed to sound a
tru'a [yom<BR>tru'a], or to remember a tru'a [zichron tru'a], but it is
not<BR>clear at all precisely what these phrases - yom tru'a and<BR>zichron
tru'a - imply.<BR> [Note that the Torah provides reasons for all of
the<BR> other holidays, either explicitly: chag ha-matzot is to<BR>
remember Yetziat Mitzrayim, shavuot for the grain harvest<BR> ('chag
ha-katzir') and Sukkot for the fruit harvest<BR> ('chag ha-asif'); or
implicitly - Yom Kippur for it marks<BR> the day on which Moshe Rabbeinu
came down from Har Sinai<BR> with the second Luchot & God's midot
ha-rachamim" (based<BR> on the three groups of 40 days in the account of
those<BR> events in Sefer Devarim chapter 9).]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Finally, nowhere in these
psukim in Parshat Emor or in<BR>Parshat Pinchas do we find even a hint that this
day should be<BR>considered a 'day of judgment'.<BR> So
what's going on? How does this enigmatic biblical<BR>holiday become the
Rosh Hashana that we are all so familiar<BR>with?<BR> To
answer this question, we must explore other sources in<BR>the Bible where these
very same topics are mentioned, namely:<BR> A) the cycle of the
agricultural year in Chumash, and<BR> B) the biblical meaning of the
phrases:<BR> "yom tru'a" & "zicharon"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>TISHREI - NOT THE 'JEWISH' NEW
YEAR<BR> To understand what is special about the seventh
month, we<BR>must return to the two parshiot of the chagim in Chumash,
i.e.<BR>Parshat Emor (Vayikra chapter 23) and Parshat Pinchas<BR>(Bamidbar
chapters 28->29).<BR> First, quickly review the
internal progression of each of<BR>these two units, noting how they both list
the entire set of<BR>holidays - in an order that begins in the spring.
Most<BR>likely, this 'spring start' is based on God's earlier command<BR>in
Parshat Ha'Chodesh to count the months from the first month<BR>of spring -
corresponding to our redemption from Egypt. [See<BR>Shmot 12:1-2;
13:2-3 & 23:15.]<BR> Hence, there seems to be
every reason in Chumash to<BR>consider Nissan as the Jewish New Year, and not
Tishrei! What<BR>then is special about the seventh month, and why do we
refer<BR>to it as Rosh Hashana?<BR> [Even though it is commonly assumed
that the first of<BR> Tishrei marks the anniversary of the creation of
the<BR> world, this specific point is a controversy in the
Talmud<BR> between R. Eliezer (created in Tishrei) and R.
Yehoshua<BR> (created in Nissan). [See Mesechet Rosh Hashana
11a]<BR> According to R. Yehoshua who claims that the world
was<BR> created in Nissan and not in Tishrei, could it be that<BR>
there is nothing special about this day? Furthermore,<BR> even
according to R. Eliezer, why should the anniversary<BR> of the Creation
provoke a yearly 'Day of Judgment'? In<BR> any case, Chumash never
states explicitly that the<BR> Creation began in Tishrei.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> To answer this question,
we must take into consideration<BR>the basic cycle of the agricultural year in
the Land of<BR>Israel.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE END OF THE AGRICULTURAL
YEAR<BR> In addition to the biblical year that begins in
Nissan<BR>(see Shmot 12:1-2), we find another 'calendar' in Chumash,<BR>which
relates to the agricultural cycle of the year. Take for<BR>example the
Torah's first mention of the holiday of Sukkot,<BR>noting how it explicitly
states that Sukkot falls out at the<BR>end of the year:<BR> "Three times a
year celebrate for Me... and the<BR> 'gathering holiday' [chag ha-asif],
when the year goes<BR> out [be-tzeit ha-shana], when you gather your
produce<BR> from the Land..." (see Shmot
23:14-17).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> From this pasuk we can
infer that Chumash takes for<BR>granted that we are aware of a 'year' that 'goes
out' when we<BR>gather our fruits. If this 'agricultural' year 'goes
out'<BR>when the produce is harvested, then it must begin when the<BR>fields are
first sown (in the autumn).<BR> When Sukkot is described
in greater detail (in Parshat<BR>Emor), we find the precise 'lunar' date for
this 'gathering'<BR>holiday:<BR> "On the 15th day of the seventh month,
when you gather<BR> the produce of your Land, you shall observe a holiday
for<BR> seven days..." (see Vayikra 23:39).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> From these two sources it
becomes clear that Chumash<BR>assumes that there is an 'agricultural year' that
ends in<BR>Tishrei.<BR> This assumption is confirmed
when we examine yet another<BR>agricultural mitzva that requires a defined
yearly cycle - the<BR>laws of shmitta [the sabbatical
year].<BR> In Parshat Behar the Torah describes a cycle
of six years<BR>when we work the land, and the seventh year of rest (see
25:1-7).<BR>Clearly, this implies that there must be a certain date<BR>when the
year of this shmitta cycle begins. And sure enough,<BR>the Torah informs us of
this date when it describes<BR>immediately afterward the laws of the yovel
[Jubilee] year,<BR>celebrated after each seven shmitta cycles:<BR> "And
you shall count seven weeks of years, seven times<BR> seven years, and
then you shall sound a shofar tru'a on<BR> the seventh month, on the tenth
of the month..." (see<BR> Vayikra 25:8-9)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Here we are told
explicitly that the years of the shmitta<BR>cycle begin in the seventh
month.<BR> [One could assume that the year actually begins on the
first<BR> of Tishrei, but on the yovel year we wait until Yom
Kippur<BR> to make the 'official declaration'. This may be for
a<BR> thematic reason as well, for on yovel land returns to its<BR>
original owners & we annul all debts, etc. [like starting<BR> over
with a clean slate]. Therefore, we pronounce yovel on<BR> Yom
Kippur, at the same time when we ask God to annul our<BR>
sins.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Finally, the mitzva of
hakhel (see Devarim 31:10-12)<BR>provides conclusive proof that the year of the
shmitta cycle<BR>begins in Tishrei. We are commanded to conduct the
hakhel<BR>ceremony 'be-mo'ed shnat ha-shmitta be-chag ha-Sukkot' - at<BR>the
appointed [or gathering] time of shmitta (i.e. the time of<BR>year when cycle
increments) on Sukkot. This clearly implies<BR>that the shmitta cycle
increments in Tishrei.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE BEGINNING OF THE AGRICULTURAL
YEAR<BR> In addition to the above sources that assume
the<BR>existence of an 'agricultural year' that ends in Tishrei,<BR>another
source in Chumash informs us more precisely when this<BR>agricultural year
begins. In fact, this source is the only<BR>time in Chumash where we find
an explicit mention of the word<BR>'rosh' in relation to the beginning of a
year!<BR> In Parshat Ekev, the Torah explains how
farming in the<BR>'land of Israel' differs from farming in the 'land of
Egypt'<BR>(see Devarim 11:10-12). Unlike Egypt, which enjoys a
constant<BR>supply of water from the Nile River, the Land of Israel
is<BR>dependent on 'matar' (rain) for its water supply. Hence,
the<BR>farmer in the land of Israel must depend one the rainfall for<BR>his
prosperity. But that rainfall itself, Chumash explains,<BR>is a direct
function of God's 'hashgacha' [providence]. In<BR>this context (i.e. in
relation to the rainfall in the land of<BR>Israel), we learn that:<BR> "It
is a Land which your Lord looks after, God's 'eyes'<BR> constantly look
after it - mi-reishit shana - from the<BR> beginning of the year - until
the end of the year"<BR> (11:12).<BR> [Recall that in
the land of Israel it only rains<BR> between Sukkot and
Pesach, hence the cycle begins in<BR> Tishrei.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Here, God assures Am
Yisrael that He will look after the<BR>'agricultural' needs of our Land by
making sure that it will<BR>receive the necessary rainfall. To prove this
interpretation<BR>we simply need to read the following parshia (which just
so<BR>happens to be the second parsha of daily 'kriyat shma'):<BR>
"[Hence,] should you keep the mitzvot... then I will give<BR> the rain to
your land at the proper time... [but] be<BR> careful, should you
transgress... then I hold back the<BR> heavens, and there will be no
rain... (see Devarim 11:13-<BR> 16!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In this context, the
phrase 'reishit shana' in 11:12<BR>implies the beginning of the rainy
season. Hence, the<BR>biblical agricultural year begins with the rainy
season in the<BR>fall - reishit ha-shana - i.e. the new (agricultural)
year.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A CRITICAL TIME<BR> But
specifically in the land of Israel this time of year<BR>is quite significant,
for in Israel it only rains during the<BR>autumn and winter months.
Therefore, farmers must plow and<BR>sow their fields during those months in
order to catch the<BR>winter rain. In fact, the rainfall during the months
of<BR>Cheshvan & Kislev is most critical, for the newly sown
fields<BR>require large amounts of water. If it doesn't rain in
the<BR>late autumn / early winter, there will be nothing to harvest<BR>in the
spring or summer.<BR> [Note that in Masechet Ta'anit (see chapters 1 and
2) we<BR> learn that if the rain is not sufficient by mid-Kislev,
a<BR> series of 'fast-days' are proclaimed when special prayers<BR>
for rain are added, including a set of tefillot almost<BR> identical to
those of Rosh Hashana (see II.2-3). This<BR> may explain why Seder
Moed places Masechet Rosh Hashana<BR> before Masechet Ta'anit, rather than
placing it before<BR> Yoma (where it would seem to belong)!]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> From this perspective, the
fate of the produce of the<BR>forthcoming agricultural year is primarily
dependent on the<BR>rainfall during the early winter months. Should the
rainfall<BR>be insufficient, not only will there not be enough water
to<BR>drink, the crops will not grow! [See Masechet Rosh
Hashana<BR>16a!] A shortage of rain can lead not only to drought,
but<BR>also to famine, and disease throughout the months of the<BR>spring and
summer. Furthermore, a food shortage is likely to<BR>lead to an outbreak
of war between nations fighting over the<BR>meager available
resources.<BR> Consequently, it may appear to man as
though nature<BR>itself, i.e. via the early rainy season, determines 'who
will<BR>live' and 'who will die', who by thirst and who by famine, who<BR>by war
and who by disease...'. [from the 'netaneh tokef'<BR>tefilla on Rosh
Hashana]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>NATURE OR GOD?<BR> Even
though it may appear to man that nature, or more<BR>specifically - the rain -
will determine the fate of the<BR>forthcoming agricultural year, Chumash
obviously cannot accept<BR>this conclusion. As we discussed (or will
discuss) in our<BR>shiur on Parshat Breishit, a primary theme in Chumash is
that<BR>the creation of nature was a willful act of God, and He<BR>continues to
oversee it. Although it may appear to man as<BR>though nature works
independently, it is incumbent upon him to<BR>recognize that it is God, and not
nature, who determines his<BR>fate.<BR> Therefore, in
anticipation of the rainy season (which<BR>begins in the autumn) and its effect
on the fate of the entire<BR>year, the Torah commands Bnei Yisrael to set aside
a 'mikra<BR>kodesh' - a special gathering - in the seventh month in
order<BR>that we gather to declare God's kingdom over all Creation.
In<BR>doing so, we remind ourselves that it is He who determines our<BR>fate,
based on our deeds, as explained in Parshat Ekev (see<BR>Devarim
11:10-19).<BR> Now that we have established why the
seventh month should<BR>be considered the beginning of a new year, i.e. the
new<BR>agricultural year, we must now explain why the Torah
chooses<BR>specifically the first day of this month to mark
this<BR>occasion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE OVERLAP<BR> Based on
the Torah's definition of Sukkot as 'be-tzeit ha-<BR>shana' (the end of the year
/ see Shmot 23:16), it would seem<BR>more logical to consider Shmini Atzeret -
which falls out<BR>immediately after Sukkot - as the first day of the New
Year.<BR>After all, it is not by chance that Chazal instituted<BR>'tefillat
geshem' - the special prayer for rain - on this day.<BR>Why does the Torah
command us to gather specifically on the<BR>first day of this seventh month,
before the previous year is<BR>over?<BR> One could
suggest very simply that an overlap exists, as<BR>the new agricultural year
begins (on the first day of the<BR>seventh month) before the previous year
ends. However, if we<BR>examine all of the holidays of the seventh month,
a more<BR>complex picture emerges.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A SPECIAL MONTH<BR> Note
that in Parshat Emor and Parshat Pinchas, we find<BR>four different holidays
that are to be observed in the seventh<BR>month:<BR> On
the first day - a Yom tru'a<BR> On the 10th day - Yom
Ha-kippurim<BR> On the 15th day - 'Chag Sukkot for seven
days<BR> On the 22nd day - an
'Atzeret'<BR> [Note how all these holidays are connected by
the<BR> Torah's conspicuous use of the word 'ach' in 23:27
&<BR> 23:39.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Why are there so many
holidays in the seventh month? For<BR>Sukkot, the Torah provides an
explicit reason: it marks the<BR>end of the summer fruit harvest [chag
ha-asif]. However, no<BR>explicit reason is given for the celebration of
any of the<BR>others holidays on these specific dates. Nonetheless,
based<BR>on our above explanation concerning the biblical importance of<BR>the
forthcoming rainy season, one could suggest that all of<BR>the Tishrei holidays
relate in one manner or other to the<BR>yearly agricultural cycle that begins in
the seventh month.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> More conclusive proof of
an intrinsic connection between<BR>these three holidays of the seventh month -
Yom Tru'a, Yom<BR>Kippurim, and Shmini Atzeret - can be deduced from
their<BR>identical and unique korban mussaf, as detailed in
Parshat<BR>Pinchas. Unlike any other holiday, on each of these
holidays<BR>we offer an additional ola of 'one bull, one ram, and
seven<BR>sheep' for the mussaf offering.<BR> [See Bamidbar chapter 29,
note that no other korban has<BR> this same korban mussaf. See TSC
shiur on Pinchas. See<BR> also further iyun section in regard to the
double nature<BR> of the mussaf of Sukkot, which may actually include
this<BR> offering as well.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> But why are three holidays necessary to
inaugurate the New<BR>Year?<BR> One could suggest that
each holiday relates to a<BR>different aspect of the anticipation of the
forthcoming<BR>agricultural year. In this week's shiur, we discuss
the<BR>meaning of yom tru'a, which we are commanded to observe on the<BR>first
day of this month. In the shiurim to follow, we will<BR>discuss Yom Kippur
and Shmini Atzeret.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>YOM TRU'A<BR> As we
explained in our introduction, according to Chumash<BR>the only unique mitzva of
this holiday is that we are<BR>commanded to make a yom tru'a according to
Parshat Pinchas<BR>(Bamidbar 29:2), or a zichron tru'a according to Parshat
Emor<BR>(Vayikra 23:24).<BR> Each of these two phrases
requires explanation. Why<BR>would 'sounding a tru'a' have any connection
to the beginning<BR>of the rainy season? Likewise, what does "zichron
tru'a"<BR>imply?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>YOM TRU'A IN THE BIBLE<BR>
To understand these phrases, we must consider how a<BR>shofar was used in
biblical times.<BR> Today, a shofar is considered a
religious artifact. If<BR>you are shopping for a shofar, you would inquire
at your local<BR>"seforim" store or possibly a Judaica shop [or search
the<BR>internet].<BR> However, in Biblical times, its use was quite
different.<BR>Back then, if you were shopping for a shofar, you would
have<BR>most probably gone to your local 'arms dealer' - for the<BR>shofar was
used primarily in war, as a shofar was used by<BR>military commanders and
officers to communicate with their<BR>troops.<BR> [See for example the
story of Gideon and his 300 men, each<BR> one sounding a shofar to make
the enemy think that there are<BR> 300 commanders, and hence thousands of
soldiers / see<BR> Shoftim 7:16-20.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Similarly, civil defense
personnel used the shofar to<BR>warn civilians of enemy attack and to mobilize
the army. [See<BR>Amos 3:6 & Tzefania
1:16.]<BR> Now, there are two basic types of 'notes'
that the shofar<BR>blower uses:<BR> 1) a teki'a - a long
steady note (like DC current);<BR> 2) a tru'a - a
oscillating short note (like AC current).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Usually, a teki'a long
steady sound was used to signal an<BR>'all clear' situation, while the
oscillating tru'a signal<BR>warned of imminent danger (like a siren sound
today). This<BR>distinction between a teki'a & tru'a is easily deduced
from<BR>the mitzva of the 'chatzotzrot' (trumpets) explained in<BR>Parshat
Beha'alotcha (see 10:1-10 / highly suggested that you<BR>read these psukim
inside). According to that parsha, the<BR>teki'a was the signal for
gathering the camp for happy<BR>occasions (see 10:3-4,7,10), while the tru'a was
used as a<BR>signal to prepare for travel in military formation and war<BR>(see
10:5-6,9).<BR> [Note, both a 'shvarim' and 'tru'a' are examples of
tru'a<BR> (AC). The difference between them is simply an issue
of<BR> frequency / 3 per second, or 9 per second.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Hence, in biblical times,
if someone heard a shofar<BR>sounding a tru'a, his instinctive reaction would
have been<BR>fear, preparation for war, and/or impending danger. [Sort
of<BR>like hearing sirens today.]<BR> Elsewhere in Tanach, we find many
examples. The prophet<BR>Tzfania, for example, uses the phrase 'yom shofar
u-tru'a' to<BR>describe a day of terrible war and destruction.
Tzfania's<BR>opening prophecy speaks of the forthcoming 'yom Hashem', a
day<BR>in which God will punish all those who had left Him. Note
how<BR>the following psukim relate shofar & tru'a to God's
providence<BR>['hashgacha']:<BR> "At that time ('yom Hashem') I will
search Yerushalayim<BR> with candles and I will punish ('u-pakadeti') the
men...<BR> who say to themselves 'God does not reward nor does
He<BR> punish..."<BR> The great day of the Lord is
approaching...<BR> it is bitter, there a warrior
shrieks.<BR> That day shall be a day of
wrath,<BR> a day of trouble and distress ('tzara
u-metzuka'),<BR> a day of calamity and
desolation....,<BR> "yom shofar u-tru'a
..."<BR> a day of blowing a shofar and
tru'a..."<BR>
(see Tzfania 1:12-16).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Here, 'yom shofar u-tru'a'
clearly implies a day of<BR>imminent danger and war - a day in when God enacts
judgment on<BR>those who have sinned. [See also Yoel 2:1-3,11-14 &
2:15-17!]<BR> The strongest proof that the sound of a
shofar would<BR>cause intuitive fear is from Amos:<BR> "Should a shofar be
sounded in the city, would the people<BR> not become fearful?!" (see
Amos 3:6).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> With this background, we can return to
Parshat Pinchas. The<BR>Torah instructs us to make a yom tru'a on the
first day of the<BR>seventh month (29:1-2). Obviously, the Torah does not
expect<BR>us to go to war on this day; however, we are commanded on this<BR>day
to create an atmosphere that simulates the tension and<BR>fear of war. By
creating this atmosphere in anticipation of<BR>the new agricultural year that is
about to begin, we show God<BR>our belief that its fate - and hence our fate, is
in His hands<BR>(and not nature's).<BR> Therefore, to create this
atmosphere of a 'day of judgment',<BR>to help us feel that our lives are truly
'on the line' - in<BR>God's Hands, the Torah commands us to sound a tru'a with
the<BR>shofar.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ZICHRON TRU'A<BR> Now we
must explain the phrase zichron tru'a, which is<BR>used to describe this holiday
in Parshat Emor. The key to<BR>understanding this phrase lies in the same
psukim mentioned<BR>above concerning the chatzrotrot. There, we find the
link<BR>between tru'a, war, and zika'ron:<BR> "Ve-ki tavo'u milchama
be-artzechem... va-harei'otem be-<BR> chatzotzrot, ve-nizkartem lifnei
Hashem Elokeichem..." -<BR> When war takes place in your land... you
should sound a<BR> tru'a with your trumpets that you will be remembered
by<BR> (and/or that you will remember...) Hashem, and He will<BR>
save you from your enemies" (see Bamidbar 10:8-9).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Here we find a special
mitzva to sound a tru'a prior to,<BR>and in anticipation of, impending
battle. To show our belief<BR>that the outcome of that battle is in God's
Hands, and not in<BR>hands of our enemy, we are commanded to sound a
tru'a.<BR>Obviously, it was not the tru'a itself that saves Bnei<BR>Yisrael,
rather our recognition that the ultimate fate of the<BR>battle is in God's
Hands.<BR> We can apply this same analogy from war to
agriculture.<BR>Just as the Torah commands us to sound a tru'a in
anticipation<BR>of war - to remember that its outcome is in God's Hand; so
too<BR>we are commanded to sound a tru'a on the first of Tishrei
in<BR>anticipation of the forthcoming agricultural year - to remind<BR>ourselves
that its outcome is in God's Hand as well.<BR>
Therefore, Rosh Hashana is not only a yom tru'a - a day<BR>of awe on which our
lives are judged, but Chumash defines it<BR>as a day of zichron tru'a - a day on
which we must sound the<BR>tru'a so that we will remember our God, in order that
He will<BR>remember us. On this day, we must proclaim His kingdom
over<BR>all mankind in recognition of His mastery over nature and
our<BR>destiny.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In summary, we have shown
how the most basic aspects of<BR>Rosh Hashana, which at first appeared to be
totally missing<BR>from Chumash, can be uncovered by undertaking a
comprehensive<BR>study of the biblical importance of the seventh
month.<BR>Obviously, our observance of Rosh Hashana is only complete<BR>when we
include all of its laws that have been passed down<BR>through Torah she-ba'al
peh (the Oral Law). However, we can<BR>enhance our appreciation of this
holiday by studying its<BR>sources in Torah she-bichtav (the Written Law) as
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In today's modern society,
it is difficult to appreciate<BR>the importance of an agricultural year.
Rarely do we need to<BR>worry about our water supply and other most basic
needs.<BR>Nevertheless, especially in the Land of Israel, we are faced<BR>with
other serious national dangers such as war and terror.<BR>Even though we must
take every precaution necessary against<BR>these dangers, the basic principle of
the above shiur still<BR>applies, that we must recognize that the ultimate fate
of the<BR>forthcoming year is in God's Hands, and that He will judge us<BR>based
on our deeds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Even though all the
nations are judged on this awesome<BR>day, Am Yisrael's custom is to sound the
tru'a specifically<BR>with the shofar of an ayil (a ram), a symbol of
'akeidat<BR>Yitzchak' - a reminder to the Almighty of our devotion
and<BR>readiness to serve Him.<BR> With this shofar, together with our
tefillot, our heritage,<BR>and our resolve to conduct our lives as an 'am
kadosh' should,<BR>we pray that God should not judge us like any other
nation,<BR>rather as His special Nation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
shana
tova,<BR>
ve-ketiva ve-chatima
tova,<BR>
menachem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>===========================<BR>FOR FURTHER
IYUN</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A. In Chodesh Tishrei, the 'seventh' month, we find
many<BR>chagim that relate to nature, especially the 'seven' days of<BR>Sukkot
marking the culmination of the harvest season of the<BR>previous year. We also
find three days of 'Judgement', Rosh<BR>HaShana, Yom Kippur, and Shmini
Atzeret.<BR>1. Compare the korban mussaf of each of these three
chagim.<BR> (one par, one ayil, seven kvasim and one se'ir
le-chatat).<BR>2. In what way are these chagim connected?<BR>3.
According to Chazal, when are we judged for water?<BR>
How does this relate to the above shiur?<BR>4. Relate this to the tefilla
of the kohen gadol on Yom<BR>Kippur!<BR> (it's in your
machzor at the end of seder avoda)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>B. Why does Hashem need Am Yisrael to
proclaim him king? The<BR>one thing Hashem, ki-vyachol, can not do, is
make Himself<BR>king. A kingdom is meaningless if there are no
subjects. A<BR>king becomes king when and because he is accepted by
his<BR>subjects. Similarly, only when God is accepted and recognized<BR>by
man does He become Melech.<BR>1. Relate this to our davening on Rosh
Hashana.<BR>2 Explain changing 'E-l HaKadosh' to 'Melech
Hakadosh'<BR>according to this concept.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>C. The Jewish New Year, the New Year special
and unique to Am<BR>Yisrael is actually Nissan - Ha-chodesh ha-zeh lachem
rosh<BR>chodashim rishon hu lachem le-chodshei ha-shana (Shmot
perek<BR>12/v1-2). Yetziat Mitzrayim which took place in Nissan
marks<BR>the birth of the Jewish Nation.<BR>1. What aspects of Pesach and
Chag HaMatzot emphasize that we<BR>are a special nation, different from other
nations.<BR>2. What aspect of the chagim in Tishrei relate to
all<BR>mankind.<BR>(Note 70 parim on Sukkot etc. - see also Zecharya chap
14)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>D. In the shiur of the '13 midot' you may
recall our<BR>explanation that Hashem's hashgacha over Am Yisrael after
brit<BR>Sinai was broken due to chet ha-egel and defaulted to 'u-veyom<BR>pokdi
u-pukadti' (Shmot 32:34). As opposed to immediate<BR>punishment, God will
punish them from time to time, allowing<BR>for good deeds to balance out the bad
deeds. In the manner,<BR>Bnei Yisrael would be judged no different from
other nations.<BR>Note the Ibn Ezra on that pasuk - there he explains -
'from<BR>Rosh Hashana to Rosh Hashana'!<BR>1. Relate this peirush by the
Ibn Ezra to the above shiur!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E. Note that from the story of the flood in
Parshat Noach, we<BR>could also deduce the year begins in Tishrei, i.e.
according<BR>to the agricultural year. The heavy rains of the flood
began<BR>to fall on the 17th day of the second month, which would<BR>correspond
to Cheshvan. (See Breishit 7:11.) However, this<BR>specific point is
a controversy among the commentators.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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