Reflections on Rosh Hashana

This Rosh Hashana was an especially meaningful one for me. Our family spent it with cousins in Kiryat Arba, and it was a yom tov like no other. We davened vasikin both days (at 5:40am!), which added a special atmosphere to the already beautiful and moving davening.

Both days we also walked down to Me’arat Hamachpela. Davening in the me’ara on Rosh Hashana, with its focus on Akeidat Yitzchak and zechut avot was very meaningful. We also had a special bonus – during the course of the year the Arabs have use of the hall where the grave markers for Yitzchak and Rivka are, and Jews are not allowed in. On (only) 10-11 days during the year Jews are allowed to enter there, and the first day of Rosh Hashana was one of those days. It has been many years since I was in that part of the me’ara, and davening mincha by the grave marker for Yitzchak held special meaning. (Quick quiz – can you figure out why?)

Rosh Hashana is Yom Ha-din, the day on which Hashem inspects and judges each person like a shepherd inspects each of his flock. Yet although the day is solemn and serious, it is still a chag, and therefore it is also a happy day. Part of this simcha comes from our conviction that if we understand the meaning of the day and use it properly, then Hashem will grant us a favorable outcome.

There is a discussion in the gemara (Megilla 31a) about what portion of the Torah should be read on each of the days of Rosh Hashana. One opinion says that we should read about Hashem remembering Sarah through the birth of Yitzchak and that for the haftorah we should read about Chana and the birth of Sh’muel. Indeed, this is what we do on the first day of yom tov. One reason is that it is because both Sarah and Chana, after many years of infertility, conceived on Rosh Hashana.

But I saw another nice explanation (unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the sefer in which I saw it, and can’t give proper credit to its author). In selecting these particular topics as the portions of the Torah and haftorah to be read on Rosh Hashana, Chazal were trying to give us a message of hope on this very solemn Yom Ha-din. Yes, Hashem sits in judgment on this day, and we should all be filled with trepidation. But in the midst of our fear we should remember that Hashem is also the G-d of mercy, and we should be filled with hope that just like He answered the tefillot of Sarah and Chana on this day, so too, if our tefillot are sincere enough, we hope and pray that He will answer our tefillot as well, and grant us all a good year.

With wishes for a g’mar chatima tova to all of us and the rest of Klal Yisrael, and a year that is filled with learning, growth, and personal fulfillment.