Just before Rosh Hashana we read the portion in the Torah of the punishments of those who deviate from the correct path. We have been taught that this is in order to ‘end the year and its curses’ [1] But how can we bring an end to the year’s curses simply by reading about them from the Torah?
And to complicate matters further, in our prayers, we add the reverse of the above teaching: ‘…and begin the year with its blessings’ [2].
But we do not read any blessings from the Torah, so how do we fulfil ‘begin the year with its blessings’? [3]
Calculating the Jewish calendar, significant dates and relevant times is a complex task for various reasons. One technical issue in more recent times is that each new month must be sanctified – a process which cannot be achieved without a High Court. Recognising this issue, many years ago, Hillel haNasi pre-calculated the calendar for us to use nowadays.
Hillel haNasi calculated his calendar up to the (Jewish) year 6000.
Accordingly, we have an ancient tradition that by this date we will no longer have any need for a pre-prepared calendar, for by then the redemption will have arrived and we will be able to prepare our own calendar! [4]
On the other hand, throughout the generations many detailed calendars have been compiled based on the relevant calculations. When R’ Samson Rafael Hirsch was Rabbi in Oldenberg, Germany, he wrote Chorev which includes details of how to prepare a calendar. In the calendar that he prepared, it only extended up to the (Jewish) year 5700, which was the year 1940 – prophetically but tragically the last year in which the Jewish community in Germany existed.
Each year has potential for blessings or curses. It depends on us.
Indeed the difference in numerical values of the word ‘bracha’ (blessing) and ‘klala’ (curse) is the numerical value of the word ‘ani’ meaning ‘me’! [5]
In fact, the Torah itself alludes to this: “see I have placed before you today a blessing and a curse” [6]. It is “I” – me – who can determine whether or not there will be a blessing or a curse!
Reading from the Torah is a type of mini-receiving of the Torah [7].
Just like when we accepted the Torah we declared “we will do and we will hear” [8], so too this is how we should listen to the Torah reading.
As they did at Sinai, we too are listening and internalising its words and accepting upon ourselves to do that which is written.
At the end of the year we read the Torah portion of the punishments for transgressors. In doing so then, we are accepting that which is written, that the ‘curses’ came about because of our sins and lacking. Indeed this is the entire purpose of the curses: in order that we recognise our lacking. Therefore this recognition is the first stage to bringing an end to the curses.
And so by listening to the Torah portion of the punishments the way that we should, we fulfil the dictum to ‘end the year and its curses’. But how do we fulfil the additional second half “… and begin the year with its blessings? We do not read about blessings in the beginning of the Torah! How then do we receive these blessings?
And why are these blessings not mentioned in the original dictum?
If we accept upon ourselves the ‘curses’ the way we should, we are essentially accepting our responsibility of them. If we do this properly, this includes not only regret, but also repentance and accepting upon ourselves to improve in the future. This is itself how we will ‘begin the year together with its blessings’.
Have the blessed Rosh Hashana,
Dan.
Additional sources:
[1] Megilla 31
[2] Achos Ketana prayer
[3] In last week’s mail, we mentioned that blessings were indeed alluded to in the Torah. This could indeed provide us with an alternative approach to our question at hand.
[4] Ramban, Gittin 36a
[5] This equation requires the addition of the (accepted rule of the) ‘kollel’ (i.e. plus one) to the word ‘ani’ (or to the word ‘klala’)
[6] Devarim 11:26
[7] Zohar B, 206a
[8] Shemos 24:7
