Is Rosh Hashanah in the Seventh Month? The Mishnah’s Revolution in Relation to Scripture – Rabbi Uri Holtzman (Auto Translated)

Rosh Hashanah and the Three Festivals: The Order of Tractates and the System of the Seventh Month

Introduction: Two Points About the Seventh Month

And the review here contains new things, perhaps one needs to review.

I want to speak about two points that are connected to the seventh month. Let’s begin with one point and we’ll see if we also have time for the second point. So first of all, certainly this is primarily about the approaching day, which today is called Rosh Hashanah. We need to discuss in general, is this really Rosh Hashanah? From where do we… ah, wait, I was even speaking. Excuse me. Well, let’s speak Yiddish, I forgot.

So, we will speak about the seventh month, and the first thing about the first of the month, the first of the seventh month, which all of Israel calls Rosh Hashanah, actually the Mishnah in tractate Rosh Hashanah, and we will see that we need to know how it becomes Rosh Hashanah. There are several questions that we need to see together what we can explain here.

And later I want to go into a bit, it was together, I want to go into in a general way all the festivals that there are, all festivals isn’t the right word, but all the days that we observe in the seventh month, which is actually the first of the seventh month, the tenth of the seventh month – Yom Kippur, and the fifteenth – the festival of Sukkot.

Four New Years — The First Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah

So, in practice, I started backwards. In the Mishnah we have in tractate Rosh Hashanah, there it says in tractate Rosh Hashanah, there are four new years. This is the first Mishnah of Rosh Hashanah. On the first of Nisan is the new year for kings and for festivals. On the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithes. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say, on the first of Tishrei. On the first of Tishrei is the new year for years and for sabbatical cycles and for jubilees, for planting and for vegetables. On the first of Shevat, the new year for trees etc. etc.

This itself is an interesting thing, that there should be four new years. Does a person have four heads? Does a year have four heads? This itself is a wondrous thing. Then one should say fine, each thing for a certain matter. Why does one need to have four new years? It remains interesting, what are these four new years? Ah, forget it. What are these four new years?

And we see, the Biur HaGra on Shulchan Aruch says about Tu B’Shevat, you know, it says in halachah that one increases, something one makes a… like the Chassidim generally make it a big thing. So the Biur HaGra says that the source for this is there are four new years. If there are four new years, then each new year is a festival, there’s something here the Mishnah is interesting. What does the Mishnah come to say here?

The Order of Tractate Rosh Hashanah — A Wondrous and Astonishing Thing

The Question: Why Does Rosh Hashanah Come After Beitzah?

And actually one needs to know another interesting thing, there is a wonder about the entire order of tractate Rosh Hashanah. Tractate Rosh Hashanah, its order in the tractates is truly a wondrous and astonishing thing. Why? Because the order of the tractates goes in the order of Moed, Shalom. The order of Moed goes Shabbat, the order is obviously simple, then comes Eruvin, which is connected to Shabbat, Pesachim, Shekalim. Which apparently Shekalim should be before Pesachim, but Pesachim, Shekalim. And after that comes Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah, Rosh Hashanah. This is the wondrous thing.

So in the Bavli, ours which we have printed in the Bavli, they switched the order. The order became back Rosh Hashanah, Yoma, Sukkah. But in practice, we see explicitly, and Steinberger brings all the proofs, that the order of the Mishnah is specifically backwards, as it is in all the Mishnayot, that tractate Rosh Hashanah comes after Beitzah.

The Proof from Tractate Ta’anit

From where do I know that there is such an order? So the main proof in my opinion is specifically from the Gemara in tractate Ta’anit. Because tractate Ta’anit, which comes after Rosh Hashanah, tractate Ta’anit comes after Rosh Hashanah, the Mishnah says, the first Mishnah in Ta’anit, from when do we mention the powers of rain? This is how the tractate begins. The Gemara asks, from when? Where was the Tanna standing that he teaches from when? Just like the same thing in Berachot chapter 1, where was the Tanna standing. The Gemara says, perhaps it goes back to Berachot, where it says there that one says the powers of rain? The Gemara says, no, that’s too far. The Gemara says, no, it goes back to the Mishnah which says on the festival they are judged regarding water. But on the festival itself one doesn’t actually mention rain. In truth this is the sugya the first Mishnah, Rabbi Eliezer says the first day of the festival, Rabbi Yehoshua says the last day of the festival, so this is exactly the point.

So apparently it’s proven in the Gemara, one says such an order Rosh Hashanah which should be normal, Rosh Hashanah, Yoma, Sukkah, we have Rosh Hashanah, Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah, Ta’anit. Why did it become so close? And perhaps in time we will also see, on another occasion, I have more proofs that the order in the Mishnah is specifically this way. This is a very wondrous thing.

The Two Questions on the Order

Even if you would, I’m more simple that all Mishnayot have an order, even if I would be very troubled that there’s no order for Mishnayot, but such a kind of order you must have some reason as if to make it backwards, to make Pesach, and after that make Yoma, Yom Kippur, and after that Sukkah. And only after that Beitzah. What is this Beitzah? More simply, Yom Tov is called that a lot. Tractate Beitzah, actually tractate Yom Tov. So indeed already tractate Yom Tov, after all the festivals, especially Yoma, Sukkah, all these festivals of the seventh month. Beitzah is tractate Yom Tov. So after tractate Yom Tov, one will have tractate Rosh Hashanah. It’s interesting.

And Rosh Hashanah actually goes with Ta’anit. This is actually what the Gemara tells us. It comes out that the question is here in two ways. The first thing Rosh Hashanah should have been before Yoma, then it should have been before Rosh Hashanah is after Beitzah. And actually, the point is that Rebbi wrote Rosh Hashanah before Ta’anit. This is truly a wonder, what is this matter that connects Rosh Hashanah with Ta’anit?

The Connection Between Rosh Hashanah and Ta’anit

And he will look at more Mishnayot in Rosh Hashanah, and in Ta’anit one will see that the tractates go together, for example another Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah. Which the Mishnah says in the third chapter, the Mishnah says in Mishnah 3, the shofar of Rosh Hashanah was of ibex straight, and its mouth was overlaid with gold, two trumpets on the sides, the shofar sounds long and the trumpets short, for the commandment of the day is with the shofar, on fast days [goes a different order]. It’s understood that when one says something that it’s different, actually one says that they have a connection, they are similar, and something is different. The thing isn’t absolute laws. And it’s very interesting, one learns the Gemara, that the Gemara even has a side to say the same thing, truly interesting hidden reasons, and there are more proofs that it goes together.

The System of the Seventh Month

And this is actually what we need to stand on, what is there David? In order to establish the matter a bit, one needs to go back to the verses, fine, see how the whole matter begins at all. And here one will see in the verses another even more wondrous thing. The verses go like this: the three festivals we have the festival of Matzot, the festival of Shavuot, the festival of Sukkot, and we have a system of Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur. Many times it tumbles out exactly, how does it work, it goes into the middle of another system.

One wants to know from the verses, that apparently, and what one sees normally, the order is that Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur with Sukkot is one thing. It’s not simple that one comes in one month, in such a service of two weeks, when one can dance over each time the soul should be in something another course of standing before Hashem. Yet for a festival is at minimum two weeks according to Rabbi Shimon Gamliel, but according to the Sages thirty days before the festival, thirty days before the festival, thirty days before the festival. Purim one has with the month, the month of joy, the month of spring, it has with the month. It would be very forced to say that in the same month one makes, each thing has a different matter.

The Three Festivals in the Book of Exodus — The Festival of Matzot, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering

Parashat Mishpatim: The First Mention of the Three Festivals

But more than this is, that as long as I see the verses this way, that in Parashat Mishpatim and in Parashat Ki Tisa, where the three festivals are stated there, one sees that the festival of Matzot, which although the festival of Matzot already appears in Parashat Bo at length several times, the Torah says in Parashat Mishpatim, it repeats the three festivals you shall celebrate for Me in the year, chapter 23, the festival of Matzot you shall observe seven days you shall eat matzot, as I commanded you at the appointed time of the month of spring for in it you went out from Egypt, one repeats how many days, what one must do, and it says seven days you shall eat matzot.

And afterwards, the next verse is and the festival of harvest the first fruits of your labors which you sow in the field and the festival of ingathering at the going out of the year when you gather in your labors from the field. One says in one verse both two festivals, which the two festivals I don’t know at all for Mishpatim, there’s no hint in the Torah. And the Torah says nothing yet, the first thing, when is this? The festival of harvest the first fruits of your labors – when is this? Yes, understood, at the time of harvest. But is this a day? Is this a week? Is this two days? Perhaps this is exactly seven weeks? Yes, we’ll see. And what one does isn’t stated. How is this a festival of harvest? With what?

And the festival of ingathering is the same thing. The festival of ingathering at the going out of the year when you gather in your labors from the field. When is the festival of ingathering? What does one do on the festival of ingathering? It doesn’t say. And so it’s repeated in Ki Tisa. One didn’t introduce, yes? There are small changes, but it’s the same thing. Mishpatim, Ki Tisa is the same thing.

The Importance of the Festival of Matzot in the Book of Exodus

And I think that actually it says here in the portion that the festival of Matzot is more important than the festival of harvest and the festival of ingathering. In any case, in the book of Exodus certainly the festival of Matzot is more important than the festival of harvest and the festival of ingathering. The festival of Matzot is the first festival, it is the festival where there is a Korban Pesach which has karet. This is the main festival.

The Law of “They Shall Not Appear Before Me Empty-Handed”

It also resolves the matter of pilgrimage. Because there’s a very interesting thing stated here, it says here the festival of Matzot you shall observe… and they shall not appear before Me empty-handed. And afterwards it says and the festival of harvest… and the festival of ingathering. That is to say, there would be a side that from Parashat Mishpatim itself the law of appearing empty-handed would be only the festival… pilgrimage one must go up all three festivals, but the law of they shall not appear before Me empty-handed is only on the first festival. This is normal as it says here in the verses. So it should have been. This is in the book of Exodus.

Because in practice, I’m learning the book of Exodus, as I said earlier, I still don’t know exactly how one makes the festival of ingathering and how one makes the festival of harvest.

The Festival of Harvest and the Festival of Ingathering: The Order of Festivals in the Written Torah

Parashat Emor — The Main Portion of Festivals

The portion of festivals we have more, we have in Pinchas, we have in Re’eh, but the portion that says all all the commandments at great length is Parashat Emor, this is the main portion.

The Order in Parashat Emor: From Pesach to the Festival of Harvest

And in Parashat Emor the order goes like this: one begins with Pesach, and afterwards one goes over in chapter 23 in Vayikra, “and Hashem spoke to Moshe saying speak to the children of Israel… when you come to the land which I give you and you reap its harvest you shall bring the omer of the first of your harvest to the priest”. So I hear immediately, “and you reap its harvest” – ah, now one goes to learn the festival of harvest.

What comes out when is the festival of harvest? The festival of harvest is already the 16th of Nisan. “From the day after the Shabbat” is called the festival of harvest. It’s the same spirit. Ah, it’s not yet any actual festival. Fine, but one begins to observe the harvest, one brings an omer as harvest.

From Omer to Shavuot — The Atzeret of the Festival of Harvest

And afterwards, “and you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Shabbat… seven complete weeks shall they be”, and “and you shall proclaim on this very day a holy convocation”. It already says in Parashat Emor that this is called more a festival against the day this isn’t called a festival.

So actually that I learn “the festival of harvest the first fruits of your labors”, and this is indeed truly so, the omer is first fruits, the two loaves are first fruits, and this is very much the reason as the Ramban says, that Shavuot is actually a certain atzeret of Pesach. It’s an atzeret of Pesach regarding harvest. I don’t know if it’s an atzeret regarding the exodus from Egypt, this we will speak about on Shavuot. In any case, this is the festival of harvest.

The Festival of Ingathering — The Seventh Month as One Great Festival

The Verses in Parashat Emor: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot

Afterwards the Torah continues, and says, “and Hashem spoke to Moshe saying. Speak to the children of Israel saying in the seventh month on the first of the month there shall be for you a rest day a remembrance of blowing”. I would have said that the verse comes to say the festival of ingathering. The Torah says, one wants to make the festival of ingathering. The first day is “a rest day a remembrance of blowing”. “However on the tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement”. And “on the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the festival of Sukkot”. And afterwards it says again, “however on the fifteenth day of the seventh month… a festival of Hashem seven days”.

The Innovation: The Seventh Month is One Great Festival of Ingathering

So actually, as we learn the verses here, it’s not that there are new two festivals which the Torah somehow included in the system, rather the seventh month is the month when one observes the ingathering.

It’s understood that the main festival of ingathering, just as we say by omer and the two loaves, at the end the main festival of harvest is certainly the fiftieth day. And here indeed the main festival of ingathering is the 15th of the month, the eight days when one goes to make the festival. But there are already two days before this which are indeed a part of this festival, which one must explain, delve into what this is exactly each day, what this is all connected to the ingathering.

And this is actually explaining the festival of ingathering which is stated in Mishpatim, “and I will establish its foundation”. So everything we have one great festival of ingathering, because this is actually the days that we see here.

Rosh Hashanah is Not the Beginning of the Year — It is the End of the Year

The Question: The Seventh Month is the End of the Year, Not Rosh Hashanah

And what I see further from this is that Rosh Hashanah it certainly cannot be, because we are holding here at the end of the year, we are not holding at the beginning of the year. We began at the beginning with the first month, and afterwards we had fifty days, and now one is holding in the seventh month. The seventh month cannot be any canonical end coming [to truly the beginning of the year].

“At the Going Out of the Year” — The Verse Says Explicitly End of Year

The season of the year says it, the year strikes. Season means that it’s a circle, says Rashi, it goes like a circle. But there is once it says explicitly “at the going out of the year”. It’s the festival of ingathering, it’s ingathering. It goes according to the crops, and ingathering is the end of the year. We have “at the going out of the year”, we have… and this is actually a wonder.

Sukkot Observes the Going Out of the Year

If we will once divide the festivals this way, we will say that Sukkot one observes the going out of the year. The festival of Sukkot which one learned in the portion the previous week, the commandment of Hakhel, “at the end of seven years”, one already said that shemittah is on the festival of Sukkot, shemittah ends, the year ends. So Sukkot one makes this, one observes the ending of the year, but the first of Tishrei one is already in the new year. In two weeks around one still makes the festival of the end of the year. Something isn’t working out here.

According to the Simple Meaning of the Verses There is No Hint of New Year

According to what it appears apparently the stature of the verses themselves, indeed there still isn’t at all any hint that we are holding here in the new year.

The Year is Only Seven Months — Like a Day

The Innovation: The Year is From Nisan to Tishrei

There is here a wondrous thing, that the year isn’t twelve months. The year is only seven months. It begins in the first month, and it ends in the seventh month. So there remain five months which one threw out. In truth, that in the Written Torah we don’t have any pilgrimage and any service in the entire winter weather, in the entire winter season there is nothing at all.

The Analogy of Day and Night

And this is actually like the day. The day can begin, one can reckon the day that it begins at the emergence of the stars until the next emergence of the stars, but one can also say that the day begins in the morning at dawn and it ends at the emergence of the stars. And what is at night? At night one sleeps. This is the Mishnah in Megillah, and after that that at night there isn’t, one cannot do any commandments because of this.

The Same Thing by the Year: Summer is Day, Winter is Night

The same thing, the year is like a day. The time of the day of the year is from the month of spring until the month of ingathering, this is the seven months, and the night of the year this is the winter.

Only afterwards, soon one will come to Rosh Hashanah, one will see that indeed the Sages, the new two festivals specifically in winter, Chanukah and Purim, this is already indeed when one drags in the night into the festival, this we will soon see. In any case, this is the order here apparently from Parashat Emor.

Parashat Re’eh — The Same Order of Festivals

The Two-and-Twenty Days of Tishrei as One System of Service

The Basic Thesis: 1st Tishrei, 10th Tishrei, 15th Tishrei — One Organic Whole

And in Parshas Pinchas there isn’t so much to see, because there it’s about the mussafim (additional offerings), everyone can learn each thing. We have once again in the Torah Parshas Re’eh, and in Parshas Re’eh it doesn’t explicitly state Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but we have made the order of the festivals, we have Chag HaMatzos, and “Shamor es Chodesh HaAviv” (Observe the month of spring), and after “Shamor es Chodesh HaAviv” comes “Shiva Shavuos Tispar Lach Meihachel Chermesh BaKamah Tachel Lisfor Shiva Shavuos” (Seven weeks you shall count from when the sickle is first put to the standing grain), “V’Chag HaSukkos Ta’aseh Lach” (And you shall make the Festival of Sukkos for yourself). So that’s the order, and this is “V’Samachta B’Chagecha” (And you shall rejoice in your festival), it says the ingathering, yes? “B’Aspecha MiGarnecha U’MiYikvecha” (When you gather from your threshing floor and your wine press). That’s the order. So essentially how did it become the end of the year, kept at the end of the year.

The Verse in Yechezkel — “BaRosh HaShanah Ba’Asor LaChodes”

The Only Verse in Tanach Where It Says “Rosh Hashanah”

So in practice there is one verse in Tanach that says in Yechezkel, it says “Asor LaChodes Rosh HaShanah.” Yechezkel has a prophecy that Chazal learn this way. That it explicitly says Asor Rosh HaShanah, the twenty-fifth chapter of Yechezkel, the long prophecy about the Beis HaMikdash, and there it says that the prophecy was, what is this? Chapter 40, verse 1, “U’Esrim V’Chamesh Shanah L’Galuseinu BaRosh HaShanah Ba’Asor LaChodes” (In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month).

Chazal say that the tenth of the month Rosh HaShanah is Yom Kippur. Chazal will only judge that Rosh Hashanah is its own [independent] Yom Tov, not Yom Kippur.

The Question: Why Do Chazal Say This Means Yom Kippur?

It’s understood that all these details weren’t used, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the ten days that begin the year. But here truly, truly, whoever can reconcile this for me. I would have said according to the simple meaning, I wouldn’t have seen anyone who says this, because the verses themselves I would have said, I would have said that this Rosh HaShanah means the month of Nissan.

From where did Chazal take that this is Yom Kippur? For me this is truly a wonder. Why?

In the Same Prophecy It Explicitly States About Nissan

Because there is here a long prophecy about the Beis HaMikdash, and in the continuation of the prophecy — it’s all the same prophecy — it explicitly states, one can look inside, whoever has a Tanach can look in, it says there in chapter 45 verse 18, it’s all one long prophecy: “Koh Amar Adonai Hashem BaRishon B’Echad LaChodes Tikach Par Ben Bakar Tamim V’Chitesa Es HaMikdash” (Thus says the Lord God: In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary). There’s a whole order. “U’VaRishon B’Arba’ah Asar Yom LaChodes Yihyeh Lachem HaPesach Chag Shevuos Yamim Matzos Ye’achel. V’Asah HaNasi BaYom HaHu Ba’ado U’V’ad Kol Am HaAretz… Shivas Yemei HeChag Ya’aseh Olah LaHashem” (And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have Pesach, a festival of seven days; matzos shall be eaten. And the prince shall prepare on that day for himself and for all the people of the land… Seven days of the festival he shall prepare a burnt offering to Hashem). In short, there’s a whole story here.

The Answer: The Prophecy Speaks About Nissan, Not Tishrei

So, someone who wants to start being profound can argue with me and say, “Look, the prophecy was on Yom Kippur and spoke about Pesach.” I have no complaints against him, I don’t want to upset him.

But seemingly, simply, both that we don’t see explicitly in Tanach that the seventh month should be a matter of the year, it’s the end of the year, and also that we have here in the prophecy itself we have a prophecy of “L’Chatas Es HaMikdash” (to purify the sanctuary).

Chitui HaMikdash — In Torah on Yom Kippur, In Yechezkel in Nissan

It’s very interesting, because in the Torah, in which month does one purify the Mikdash? Yom Kippur. In Yechezkel it says that one purifies the Mikdash in Nissan. It’s an interesting thing, perhaps soon we’ll go into this somewhat. But that’s what it says, there’s a whole purification of the Mikdash that is done in the month of Nissan.

The Resolution: Yechezkel Goes Back to the First Purification

So someone wanted to tell me, and he tells me that since the verse says “BaRosh HaShanah,” and there in the continuation of the prophecy it also says “BaChodes HaRishon,” here in the verse itself one sees that the verse has here… Fine, if Chazal say so, Chazal say so, I say it’s a wonder, one must reconcile it.

Besides this… Yes, this I want to speak about soon. Very good. The first purification of the Mikdash was in Nissan. Very good. So it’s interesting that Yechezkel goes back to the first purification.

We’re soon in this. In any case, so how does one make order here? What’s going on? The first thing I want to say, I already said before, that the truth is, first the point that 1st Tishrei, 10th Tishrei, with 15th is all one great system. This I later saw after many years, that in all the sefarim, whichever sefer one will take? Yes, when one sits here by Rabbi Yitzchak one can take all the worlds together. But I mean almost, I think I’m not mistaken. Every approach that builds on the month of Tishrei something certain about what this is, he will see that it goes 1st Tishrei, 10th Tishrei, 15th, one system.

No one will mix, except in the last generation where everyone collects, and mixes and doesn’t know. But he will take some argument of Yaakov with Eisav, he will take 1st Tishrei, he will truly be Yom Kippur, and he will end with lulav. And if it’s Kabbalah, every system that makes. That is, the thing is a simple matter. There are here twenty-two days, the truth is it’s a bit that it’s twenty-three, it’s soon present, but fundamentally this is twenty-two days from the first of Tishrei until the twenty-second of Tishrei, that one enters into a system of service. That’s why… What? That it’s all one.

Yes, I say that the Rebbe… Yes, yes, this is… Take, I say, for example, he began even a Maharsha. How the Maharsha came, he spoke correctly about the twenty-two days, twenty-two days. It’s all one great service. But this itself needs to see here several levels how to explain the chiddush. But this is certainly an agreed-upon matter.

One cannot say Rosh Hashanah is Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment) about this and that matter, and Sukkos is a joy about another thing, and it’s generally the end of the year is still spring. This is essentially what I’m saying, that this is a simple matter for everyone. But what? Truly according to what I’m now building out in the verses, that at the moment we see that it’s generally not yet spring. At the moment this is generally not Rosh Hashanah. It’s clear that one cannot reconcile that in certain matters this is indeed spring, because if one will learn Parshas Behar, that there’s a mitzvah of shemittah (sabbatical year), it’s clear that shemittah goes, one counts from… Perhaps someone argued that one can start from Cheshvan, but essentially one starts when it now comes through renewal, and not from Nissan. Yes, because one starts to sow and to reap, one cannot do it…

So certainly there’s already something that one can find there, and then “Einei Hashem Elokecha Bah MeiReishis HaShanah V’Ad Acharis Shanah” (The eyes of Hashem your God are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year), which indeed the Gemara on page 8 in Rosh Hashanah learns from there the source, this is perhaps the important source, that this is Rosh Hashanah is the verse. And soon we’ll see what the verse indeed brings out, that we’ll understand why there indeed it revolves around the image that Rosh Hashanah becomes now. Yes, but “Einei Hashem Elokecha Bah MeiReishis HaShanah V’Ad Acharis Shanah,” where the main idea of “Einei Hashem Elokecha Bah” is the rain that comes down, therefore this changes the image a bit, but in any case, one goes back to the simple level that we see in the Torah, that the beginning of the year is the month of Nissan, and one ends the year now with the seventh month, one celebrates the ingathering.

What exactly comes that Zichron Teruah (remembrance of the shofar blast) before the ingathering? What exactly comes Yom Kippur before the ingathering? One must learn, one must explain. But this is essentially the order.

The Parallel Between the First Month and the Seventh Month

Where else do I find that there’s such a thing that one takes one month and makes the first of the month, the tenth of the month, and the fifteenth important days? This is the first month, the first month when they left Egypt.

The Structure of the Month of Nissan

The first month when they left Egypt was on the first of the month was “HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem Rosh Chadashim Rishon Hu Lachem L’Chodshei HaShanah” (This month shall be for you the beginning of months, it is the first for you of the months of the year). It wasn’t just said on that day, but when one says “HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem Rosh Chadashim.” The great connection of the Almighty with Klal Yisrael is created, with all the depth that stands there, and He makes the Korban Pesach. And the Torah tells us, the Almighty tells us so, that “B’Asor LaChodes HaZeh V’Yikchu Lahem Ish Seh L’Veis Avos” (On the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves each man a lamb for the fathers’ house), and the tenth with the fifteenth is indeed the day of the offering, the day of leaving Egypt.

The Same Structure in the Month of Tishrei

The same thing is in the seventh month. What’s interesting is, and this already gives us a hint soon for the continuation, that there’s a change of connection. That is to say, the year when they left Egypt was that the first month was the important month, where the first day there’s something, and the tenth day, and the fifteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth day.

And all the years, all the years for generations, there’s only the 14th and 15th. There isn’t something on the first. There’s a matter, there are ideas, but in the explicit verses there isn’t something on the first of the month that should be something. Yes, but I’m not so correct, because I perhaps didn’t say well, because the dedication of the Mikdash was indeed on the first of the first month. It’s simple that there is indeed something, and soon we’ll see about this. But I’m speaking to the end, for generations, celebrating Pesach there’s only the 14th and 15th, before that there’s nothing.

The Difference: The Seventh Month Gets the Importance of the First of the Month

But Sukkos, all generations, is that the seventh month gets what there is in the first month. And it becomes that the first of the month is Zichron Teruah, and the tenth of the month is Yom Kippur. So the first of the month Zichron Teruah corresponds to “HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem Rosh Chadashim Rishon Hu Lachem L’Chodshei HaShanah.” The tenth of the month Yom Kippur is “V’Yikchu Lahem Ish Seh L’Veis Avos.” And Chag HaSukkos corresponds to Pesach.

The Source of Rosh Hashanah: The Book of Nechemiah

This is essentially, this is essentially the revelation of the day that we have in the Torah, why there is a tractate Rosh Hashanah. And then what is so, I’m saying it very briefly, this one could elaborate much on, the source of celebrating Rosh Hashanah in the Second Temple in the time of Ezra and Nechemiah, one sees truly that it goes in this manner.

“Ki Chedvas Hashem Hi Me’uzchem” — The Full Context

And here is truly a thing that one must shout in all communities, so many pens have been broken on this matter, why did he say that one shouldn’t cry on Rosh Hashanah? “Ki Chedvas Hashem Hi Me’uzchem” (For the joy of Hashem is your strength). Whole things are said, what is the joy of Hashem, Yom HaMishpat (Day of Judgment), one will emerge innocent in judgment, but interestingly, most of the world who know “Chedvas Hashem Hi Me’uzchem,” one doesn’t learn the whole story that stands there.

1st Tishrei — Great Joy Even for Sinners

Essentially they cried, “And the seventh month arrived,” when he came to say the Torah, they knew their situation, it was indeed a terrible situation, they were sinners, foreign wives, etc. etc. etc., they heard the Torah, they began to cry. He told them, “No, one may not cry.”

It’s not just that one may not cry alone, because today is Rosh Hashanah perhaps one should cry that it’s Yom HaDin. No, as a Yom HaDin of Rosh Hashanah one can perhaps fall in that one must cry. They cry because they are sinners. He says, “No, no, today one may not cry.” Why? “Ki Chedvas Hashem Hi Me’uzchem.” “V’HaLevi’im Machashim L’Chol HaAm Leimor Hachashu Ki HaYom Kadosh V’Al Tei’atzevu” (And the Levites quieted all the people saying, Be silent, for the day is holy, and do not be grieved). “VaYeilchu Chol HaAm Le’echol V’Lishtos” – a great wonder, the discussion in the poskim and customs, how the verse in Nechemiah truly cried out – “VaYeilchu Chol HaAm Le’echol V’Lishtos U’Leshalach Manos V’La’asos Simchah Gedolah” (And all the people went to eat and drink and send portions and make great joy).

It’s not just that one may not cry, and not just the discussion in the poskim whether there is joy on Rosh Hashanah. Yes, perhaps they did this “Mitzvah Gedolah Lihyos B’Simchah Tamid” (Great mitzvah to always be in joy), or they made great joy, they were in great joy. It’s understood that it’s simple as the joy of Hashem as the day, but it could be that it’s not obligatory. But in practice Klal Yisrael made great joy when they were sinners, “Ki Heivinu BaDevarim Asher Hodi’u Lahem” (For they understood the words that were made known to them).

2nd Tishrei — Seeking Lulavim Instead of Crying

What do I mainly want to bring out? The joy is not just 1st Tishrei. Because seemingly, if 1st Tishrei they cannot cry because by chance – not by chance, yes – because it’s now a Mikra Kodesh (holy convocation), because it’s a Yom Tov, but seemingly, 1st Tishrei is indeed the first day of the Ten Days of Repentance. Later there remain nine days of repentance, where the end of this is Yom Kippur. And if they are sinners, what should the second day be? The second day must be a great gathering of crying. There’s no problem, one has already answered all the Chedvas Hashem that everyone says, there’s no problem, one is already holding the second day. What prevents crying?

Look what it says there. “U’VaYom HaSheni Ne’esfu Rashei HaAvos L’Chol HaAm” – there’s a great argument from Brisk with the yeshiva people, yes? The Briskers already seek lulavim and esrogim from the month of Elul, even earlier he was already early, and the yeshivos say until Yom Kippur is a state of the Days of Judgment. But still, look, it says in the Book of Nechemiah, “U’VaYom HaSheni Ne’esfu Rashei HaAvos L’Chol HaAm HaKohanim V’HaLevi’im El Ezra HaSofer L’Haskil El Divrei HaTorah. VaYimtze’u Kasuv BaTorah Asher Tzivah Hashem B’Yad Moshe Asher Yeshvu Bnei Yisrael BaSukkos BaChag BaChodes HaShevi’i. Va’Asher Yashmi’u V’Ya’aviru Kol B’Chol Areihem… Tze’u HaHar V’Havi’u Alei Zayis V’Alei Etz Shamen” – I’m shortening the verse – “VaYa’asu Lahem Sukkos… VaYa’asu Chol HaKahal HaShavim Min HaShevi Sukkos VaYeshvu BaSukkos Ki Lo Asu Mimei Yeshua Bin Nun Ken Bnei Yisrael Ad HaYom HaHu VaTehi Simchah Gedolah Me’od” (And on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, the priests and Levites, gathered to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Torah. And they found written in the Torah that Hashem commanded through Moshe that the children of Israel should dwell in sukkos during the festival in the seventh month. And that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities… Go out to the mountain and bring olive branches and branches of oil trees… And they made themselves sukkos… And the entire congregation that returned from captivity made sukkos and dwelt in sukkos, for the children of Israel had not done so since the days of Yeshua bin Nun until that day, and there was very great joy).

The Great Joy Extends Through Until Sukkos

Essentially, it’s explicit in the verse that the great joy that began on 1st Tishrei extended until Sukkos. The entire Ten Days of Repentance, with Yom Kippur – it indeed says “It’s a mitzvah to rejoice on it,” why didn’t he mention Yom Kippur? This I don’t know – with Yom Kippur, with four days after Yom Kippur, until Sukkos, was a great joy for them. Certainly, Sukkos is a greater joy, “very great joy.” So “the first of the seventh month” is great joy, and this is very great joy.

24th Tishrei — The Gathering of Teshuvah Comes Only After Everything

And when do they make the gathering of teshuvah? Which day? “U’VaYom Esrim V’Arba’ah LaChodes HaZeh” (And on the twenty-fourth day of this month). One waits until eight days of Sukkos pass, still not enough, one waits another day should pass. The Yerushalmi says, the explanation of the Gra in Shulchan Aruch, this is a source for Isru Chag. Even Isru Chag of Sukkos still doesn’t fit. “U’VaYom Esrim V’Arba’ah LaChodes HaZeh Ne’esfu Bnei Yisrael B’Tzom U’V’Sakim V’Adamah Aleihem” (And on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel gathered with fasting and sackcloth and earth upon them). And there goes a whole great order of teshuvah with a gathering of confession, a tremendous gathering.

Essentially it’s explicit here, it says here explicitly, peace upon you. The second holiness is already in Tosafos.

The Innovation of Torah SheBe’al Peh in Rosh Hashanah — From Nechemiah’s Gathering Until Rabbi Akiva’s Revolution

The Time of Teshuvah — Nechemiah’s Gathering on 24th Tishrei

The Yerushalmi says, the explanation of the Gra in Shulchan Aruch, this is a source for Isru Chag. Even Isru Chag of Sukkos still doesn’t fit. “BiYom Esrim V’Arba’ah LaChodes HaZeh Ne’esfu Bnei Yisrael B’Tzom U’V’Sakim V’Adamah Aleihem,” and there goes a whole great order of teshuvah, with a gathering of confession, a tremendous gathering.

Essentially it’s explicit here, it says here explicitly, peace upon you and blessing.

[Discussion among the students]

The Question: Why Not During the Ten Days of Repentance?

In any case, here stands a tremendous thing. Here it says that if someone, we shouldn’t be so, if someone will sometime meet someone who is unfortunately a great sinner, and he was aroused, indeed here there’s a great awakening in Klal Yisrael to do teshuvah, so he thinks, when one will tell him which days are appropriate to make a great gathering of teshuvah, we would have said simply, every single person would have said, the Ten Days of Repentance. Yes?

Here in Nechemiah it explicitly says not so. Here it says that the entire year is appropriate. From the twenty-fourth of the month until over a year, the eve of Rosh Hashanah, is appropriate to do teshuvah, that sort of teshuvah. But teshuvah that we’re now going to enter into the system of 1st Tishrei, the Ten Days of Repentance, Yom Kippur, and the service of Sukkos, we’re already entering into a state where one cannot make such a… I don’t know what you’ll explain in practice, because essentially they indeed have a problem, they’re with foreign wives, with everything. All this will be done later.

“Chedvas Hashem Hi Me’uzchem” — The Foundation of Joy

What are they giving us now? “Al Tei’atzevu Ki HaYom Kadosh… Chedvas Hashem Hi Me’uzchem” (Do not be grieved for the day is holy… The joy of Hashem is your strength). The joy of Hashem is not specifically the joy of Hashem of 1st Tishrei, because precisely there’s a halachah of Mikra Kodesh. But the joy of Hashem, because one begins on 1st Tishrei days of joy and gladness, which this is from the foundations, because one enters into a whole approach, and this brings out Rosh Hashanah with Yom Kippur.

Translation

One needs to explain it, so what, yes, there is Rosh Hashanah with Yom Kippur, yes? And the truth is, that whoever truly learns the vidui (confession) with the teshuva (repentance) that Chazal (our Sages) established for Yom Kippur, this is a teshuva of vidui she’mitoch ahava (confession from love), not mitoch richuk (from distance). If someone, unfortunately, was truly a bogeid (traitor) and he became distanced, let him spend a whole year working to fix himself. Here we’re talking about something else entirely. We’re going through yamei simcha (days of joy), yamei devekus (days of cleaving to God), and in these yamei simcha there is a genuine feeling of returning in teshuva and bringing kapara (atonement), this we will see. Later we’ll see this return.

In Brief: The Order in Torah She’bichsav (Written Torah)

In any case, what we see now is what we’ve seen up to this point. Briefly, the year begins on the first of Nissan, it is the month of Nissan, it ends in the seventh month, and the order is as we see here in Nechemiah.

The Gaon’s Approach to Rosh Hashanah — Everything from Nechemiah

The Gaon, it’s a shame I forgot the years, normally I bring in the machzor once, just a nice machzor to see, from the Zilbermans, they have a machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, such a small siddur, and everything is in the machzor. The Gaon on Rosh Hashanah is very interesting, he has several halachos of Rosh Hashanah, all the things that the Gaon says about Rosh Hashanah are different from what Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) does. And everything he brings is from Nechemiah. Every Gaon had his derech bakodesh (holy way), to return to the sources.

One May Not Cry on Rosh Hashanah

What does the Gaon say? One may not cry on Rosh Hashanah. It says “al te’atzvu” (do not be sad). We all know from ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration) that there is a concept to cry, yes, during the prayers, one may not cry.

One Does Not Say Tachanun

One says “Shochev Ad Malkenu” on Rosh Hashanah, because one may not say tachanun (supplications) on Yom Tov, one may not increase them. One says “Shochev Ad Malkenu.” What else is there? Several matters, everything is in this vein.

The Text of Prayer — V’tasi’einu Like Yom Tov

To such an extent, even though he didn’t make this in the machzor itself, but on the last page there, the last page in the machzor, he brings that in Imrei Noam in Berachos there is a text from the Gaon that on Rosh Hashanah one says the same v’tasi’einu as one says on Yom Tov. We have the same prayer on the Shalosh Regalim (Three Festivals). The Gaon goes very strongly that Rosh Hashanah is nothing different from simple holy days. Zachreinu (Remember us) one says. Zachreinu yes. What does one say? And “v’chen teha parach” one doesn’t say. But it’s a… what? Everything one doesn’t say. Yes, one needs to take this a bit, but this is what the Gaon says. And I… this is in Berachos the Gaon says that one must say it this way, yes.

The Wonder About the Gaon — And It’s a Mitzva to Resolve

But the Gaon, this is really good, he gives a question for them. Seemingly… the Gaon has a strong argument. Because what we’ve now seen here in Nechemiah is so, that was the day. And I specifically want to say, no, I want to say that we must do what Klal Yisrael does, and answer here the question of where this was established, and what do I have if not for the words. But even not, all of Klal Yisrael doesn’t do this way. Actually I have a wonder about the Gaon. I will at the end of the matter bring what I will bring here, and I will bring here, it’s a mitzva to resolve the words of the Gaon.

The Chiddush (Novel Teaching) of the Mishnayos — Rosh Hashanah for Years

What do I want to say? That in the Mishnayos a great chiddush was revealed. One must explain how the chiddush is built. But in the Mishnayos there is a new approach to Rosh Hashanah, which changes the whole thing, and we will explain how it happens.

So actually we have one level, this is the simple level of Torah she’bichsav, which is established very strongly in Nechemiah, everything we’ve spoken about until now. We began the shiur (lesson) by showing that there is Mishnayos Rosh Hashanah. And in Mishnayos Rosh Hashanah it says that “arba’ah roshei shanim heim” (there are four new years). And one of the new years that exists, and certainly this is the tractate, is that “b’echad b’Tishrei Rosh Hashanah l’shanim” (on the first of Tishrei is Rosh Hashanah for years).

The Question: Where Does This Stand in Torah She’bichsav?

How is this? What is this Rosh Hashanah for years? In which verse did one see this? Where did one build such a thing? And I specifically want to say that it’s a chiddush of the Mishna, it’s a great chiddush of Torah she’be’al peh (Oral Torah), which from above one doesn’t see this. There is the depth that the Mishna comes to bring out, that the picture turns around here, and on the first of Tishrei is Rosh Hashanah for years.

Mishna 2 — At Four Times the World Is Judged

How so? On this one must learn another Mishna. Mishna 2, Tractate Rosh Hashanah, Mishna 2, actually this is Rosh Hashanah page 16a. Let’s first see the Mishna.

“B’arba’ah perakim ha’olam nidon, b’Pesach al hatevuah, ba’Atzeret al peiros ha’ilan, b’Rosh Hashanah kol ba’ei olam ovrin lefanav kivnei maron, shene’emar hayotzer yachad libam hamevin el kol ma’aseihem, u’vachag nidonin al hamayim.” (At four times the world is judged: on Pesach regarding grain, on Shavuos regarding fruit of the tree, on Rosh Hashanah all who come into the world pass before Him like sheep, as it says “He who forms their hearts together, who understands all their deeds,” and on Sukkos they are judged regarding water.)

Not One Day of Judgment — Four Days of Judgment

So the Mishna came to say, not just one Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment), which prepares us for a chiddush here, this is “b’Rosh Hashanah kol ba’ei olam ovrin lefanav kivnei maron” (on Rosh Hashanah all who come into the world pass before Him like sheep), the Mishna says four days of judgment. It’s understood that the Yom HaDin is perhaps greater, because it’s “kol ba’ei olam ovrin lefanav” (all who come into the world pass before Him), but there is truly judgment on the others.

Which four times is this? Simply Chazal had a tradition, they came to reveal that there are four times that one should know that the world is judged.

The Four Times Are the Three Festivals

What are the four times? Simply the four times are the three festivals. “B’arba’ah perakim ha’olam nidon, b’Pesach al hatevuah, ba’Atzeret al peiros ha’ilan, u’vachag nidonin al hamayim” (At four times the world is judged: on Pesach regarding grain, on Shavuos regarding fruit of the tree, and on Sukkos they are judged regarding water). But it got an extra thing here, that there is also the fourth, which actually in the three festivals is also there, because in the three festivals there is also Rosh Hashanah, well, before Yom Kippur, there is to discuss it.

But actually, the Mishna sits on the framework that stands in Torah she’bichsav. The Mishna doesn’t just come here now to tell and reveal a revelation, that a decree should come down from heaven, that you should know when there are days of judgment. This is not what the Mishna came to say.

From Where Does the Mishna Take This?

And now I will ask in general, from where does the Mishna actually take that at four times the world is judged? What stands here? But this is a remembrance that at four times the world is judged is the framework of the three festivals. The Mishna even says the order of the three festivals from the Torah: on Pesach, on Atzeret, and on the Chag.

And we already brought earlier that because of this Tractate Ta’anis goes together with Tractate Rosh Hashanah. Tractate Ta’anis goes together with Rosh Hashanah, “u’vachag nidonin al hamayim” (and on Sukkos they are judged regarding water), therefore one must mention gevuros geshamim (the powers of rain).

One Cannot Separate Rosh Hashanah from Sukkos

Here it will truly be proven what I will say with several foundations, each foundation must bring the Torah source. Here it is truly proven that what we will learn about the holidays of the seventh month will all be the same.

That means, a person cannot seemingly separate that Rosh Hashanah is entirely Yom HaDin, yes, and he will need to push himself a bit how to bring in the simcha (joy) there. And on the other hand, Sukkos he will make entirely yamei simcha (days of joy). I will say, Rabbi, the same Mishna that says that Rosh Hashanah is Yom HaDin, it also says that Sukkos is Yom HaDin. It goes together, it doesn’t exist, one cannot separate in two weeks the holidays one from the other, it’s one framework.

But the Mishna comes and gives us a new principle now on the four times. What does it mean? What is this?

The Braisa of Rabbi Akiva — A Revolution in the Three Festivals

So on this we will learn a braisa (external teaching), a braisa in Rosh Hashanah. The Tanna Rabbi Akiva came and said a general shiur in the yeshiva, and he said… he says in the braisa he said thus, it must be on the Mishna.

The Braisa

The braisa says, “Tanya, amar Rabbi Yehuda mishum Rabbi Akiva: Mipnei mah amrah Torah havi’u omer b’Pesach? Mipnei shehaPesach zman tevuah hu. Amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu: havi’u lefanai omer b’Pesach, kedei shetisbarech lachem tevuah shebisados. U’mipnei mah amrah Torah havi’u shtei halechem ba’Atzeret? Mipnei she’Atzeret zman peiros ha’ilan hu. Amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu: havi’u lefanai shtei halechem ba’Atzeret, kedei sheyisbarchu lachem peiros ha’ilan. U’mipnei mah amrah Torah nischu mayim bachag? Amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu, nischu lefanai mayim bachag kedei sheyisbarchu lachem gishmei shanah, v’imru lefanai b’Rosh Hashanah Malchiyos Zichronos v’Shofros, Malchiyos kedei shesamlichuni aleichem, Zichronos kedei she’ya’aleh zichronchem lefanai l’tovah,” (It was taught, Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Akiva: Why did the Torah say to bring the omer on Pesach? Because Pesach is the time of grain. The Holy One Blessed Be He said: Bring before Me the omer on Pesach, so that the grain in the fields will be blessed for you. And why did the Torah say to bring the two loaves on Shavuos? Because Shavuos is the time of fruit of the tree. The Holy One Blessed Be He said: Bring before Me the two loaves on Shavuos, so that the fruit of the tree will be blessed for you. And why did the Torah say to pour water on Sukkos? The Holy One Blessed Be He said, pour before Me water on Sukkos so that the rains of the year will be blessed for you, and say before Me on Rosh Hashanah Kingships, Remembrances and Shofars, Kingships so that you will crown Me over you, Remembrances so that your remembrance will rise before Me for good,) and so on.

What Is the Chiddush?

What does the braisa come to say? What did Rabbi Akiva innovate in the braisa? What didn’t I know before the braisa? Rabbi Akiva came and asks a question: Why did the Torah say to bring the omer on Pesach? Well, look into the portion. Open up, you’ll see, “Ki tavo’u el ha’aretz… u’ktzartem es ketzira vahaveisem es omer reishis ketzirechem el hakohen” (When you come to the land… and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the omer of the first of your harvest to the priest). What did he ask? What did he answer? It’s a chiddush, Rabbi Akiva is the great innovator in Torah she’be’al peh. So he reviews each holiday, what is he innovating?

The Great Chiddush — A Revolution in Service of God

He says there a very great chiddush, he makes here a revolution in the entire relationship we have with the Almighty, a relationship in general in service of God, and he gives a revolution certainly in the three festivals. And I think that the revolution comes in connection with something that happened. The revolution is, we were going toward a long, long exile, the destruction of the Temple. The mitzva of the three festivals is entirely bound with the Temple, in whatever time you look. So certainly it’s understood that the topic of a command for generations, the Ramban, I’m not speaking to do this shiur here. Fine, it can be all mitzvos remain the same thing, in exile and redemption, there’s no practical difference, all mitzvos remain the same. But how does it fit to practice the three festivals? When the Almighty sent us away from the land, there is no yevul (produce), there is no omer with no katzir (harvest) with no asif (ingathering), there is no aliya l’regel (pilgrimage), there is no simcha in Jerusalem, there is nothing. For what?

So in practice, I present you such a sort of thing, but it was clear to me it was so, that the Tannaim gathered in the Sanhedrin, where they set an assembly, and others thought that perhaps it’s fitting that the three festivals, in the time of exile, should be made like Tisha B’Av. Because the three festivals express the relationship that the Almighty has with the Jews, and now that the Almighty sent us away from the land it’s because of our sins, yes, and therefore specifically we sing thus “mipnei chata’einu” (because of our sins) a bit with the tune of Nachamu. Ah? So it was before Nechemiah. Before Nechemiah it was so? And the portion of Nechemiah we are that they brought back the whole simcha. It can be, it can be, yes, rejoice, but one can say so. It’s clear that the simcha was in a great way, you say, it stands there in the verse presented, but before that it wasn’t so. Yes, everything also. Actually there is here a question, what does one do?

Rabbi Akiva’s Chiddush: The Braisa in Rosh Hashanah

And Rabbi Akiva, who, when everyone cries, when the fox goes out from the Holy of Holies, and he laughs, Rabbi Akiva came with a chiddush, how can one truly practice the three festivals truly in the time of exile? And he says one great chiddush, “Mipnei mah amrah Torah havi’u omer b’Pesach?” (Why did the Torah say to bring the omer on Pesach?) Before Rabbi Akiva I would have answered that the Torah says to bring an omer on Pesach to give thanks for the grain that grew. What is simple? What is bikkurim (first fruits)? Thanks. Why does one bring the two loaves on Shavuos? I thought, I give thanks to the Almighty.

Rabbi Akiva says a new thing, one doesn’t give thanks, one requests. “Mipnei mah amrah Torah havi’u omer b’Pesach? Kedei shetisbarech lachem tevuah shebisados. Mipnei mah amrah Torah havi’u shtei halechem ba’Atzeret? Mipnei she’ha’Atzeret zman peiros ha’ilan, amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu havi’u lefanai shtei halechem ba’Atzeret kedei sheyisbarchu lachem peiros ha’ilan.” (Why did the Torah say to bring the omer on Pesach? So that the grain in the fields will be blessed for you. Why did the Torah say to bring the two loaves on Shavuos? Because Shavuos is the time of fruit of the tree, the Holy One Blessed Be He said bring before Me the two loaves on Shavuos so that the fruit of the tree will be blessed for you.) He turns over the picture, he thinks differently, opposite. He says, now is the time of grain, so when you bring, you will have a merit and a request for the new year. Perhaps the new year Mashiach will come, perhaps there will already be something else. Yes, I will explain it soon more.

Nisuch HaMayim (Water Libation): A Proof to Rabbi Akiva’s Approach

In any case, and another interesting thing, nisuch hamayim. “Mipnei mah amrah Torah nischu mayim bachag?” (Why did the Torah say to pour water on Sukkos?) Nisuch hamayim doesn’t stand in the Torah. There is no verse at all that one must bring water on Sukkos. It’s a great topic, both in the Bavli and in the Yerushalmi. And there is an opinion that says that nisuch hamayim is from the Torah, he says this is Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva says nisuch hamayim is from the Torah.

What stands here that nisuch hamayim is from the Torah? The foundation of the matter I heard from my teacher Rav Leib who says such a correct thing, that it’s understood that the Almighty needs nothing, and everything is a certain feeling that one expresses like earthly kingship. When you pour the two loaves, it’s fitting to give a person a gift of two loaves. It’s fitting to bring even an omer. I see this is certainly a simpler thing, but one brings. There is good grain, come, I bring you, I had it from you.

But water one cannot bring. There is no such thing one gives a gift. Wine libation one can. “V’yayin l’nesech gerunam shel,” yes, one brings in a bottle of wine for your friend. You bring him a bottle of wine, you’ve honored him. Would you bring him a bottle of water? Water is nothing, it’s not food, it’s a thing of sustenance.

So if this is actually what I add to Rav Leib’s words. If the holidays are in the first approach, which is only to come thank the Almighty, then indeed there isn’t to bring water. Would you thank for the water? Would you bring Him water? But the moment that Rabbi Akiva revealed the depth in the holidays, and he says, the holiday is not to thank, the holiday is to give recognition who is the Master and to request from Him, this is actually what we come to say. We come “ana l’chananenu” (please to our priest), we tell Him the water is from You, the sustenance is from You, so certainly it’s understood one can bring water. And it’s even more than bringing omer, two loaves, which is in the same braisa, in the same renewed approach. He noticed that there is the service which is not only thanking, but truly requesting.

Request Is a Closer Service Than Thanks

There is, lies in this much, several things, I don’t want to speak about everything now, here lies actually truly a closer service to the Almighty. Because thanking is a weaker connection than requesting. I can thank someone I don’t come to him, I can thank him. I can truly thank someone who doesn’t live. I can thank someone who did me a favor, he is far. Yes, someone tells me about someone who saved me, I never met him, I can thank him. I can thank him from afar, I can perhaps thank when he should live.

But requesting means that you have a connection, you connect with him, he will answer you, you request from him. The moment I say that I bring the omer on Pesach so that it will be blessed, this is a closer closeness.

The Order of the Year Is Turned Over

And what does this do? This truly turns over the picture of the order of the year. As long as I bring this only to thank, when does the year begin? The year begins in the month of spring. Spring comes, the grain becomes ready, I have grain, and I go to thank for it. I have grain, I have two loaves, and I have Sukkos.

But if I come to request, requesting is understood is specifically that the grain should grow well, this is the rain. It comes out actually, the same seventh month which in the simple meaning of Scripture is an end of year, in the chiddush of Rabbi Akiva it becomes a beginning of year. And this is actually a chiddush of Tractate Rosh Hashanah. It comes up from this chiddush.

The Source of Rabbi Akiva’s Chiddush

Now, from where does Rabbi Akiva know to say? The Rebbe Rav Yeshayale says to him, yes, there are many times words said, he tells you great chiddushim, one asks him, from where do you have this? What is the source for Rabbi Akiva that it should be the concept that one should be able to see that the request is the foundation of the festival, and not only the thanks? This is the secret of “b’echad lachodesh hashevi’i zichron teruah” (on the first of the seventh month a remembrance of blowing).

The Two Places in Torah Where One Finds Request

What are we to say? The service (avodah) of praying to the Almighty, in all five books of the Torah (chamisha chumshei Torah), we almost don’t find it. There isn’t a parsha in the Torah or a mitzvah where it says that one can pray to the Almighty, except for two places.

Where does praying to the Almighty appear? We have vidui maaser (confession of tithes), “hashkifa mimeon kodshecha” (look down from Your holy dwelling), which is the last mitzvah in the Torah. And indeed bikkurim (first fruits) and vidui maaser go together, as both speak of the chiddush (innovation) of speaking before Hashem. But bikkurim is praise, and vidui maaser is a request (bakasha).

Parshat Chatzotzrot: Request in Time of Trouble and Time of Joy

And the second place is in Beha’alotcha by the chatzotzrot (trumpets). Chatzotzrot is already a request to the Almighty. It’s interesting, it’s not a request with speech. One produces a sound, and one must know that the sound means a sound of request. One could be very deep here, one can’t sit a whole night and speak about all these matters.

In any case, there it says, what does the verse say? “V’chi tavo’u milchama b’artzechem al hatzar” (When you go to war in your land against an adversary), you shall blow, “v’nizkartem lifnei Hashem” (and you shall be remembered before Hashem). “V’nizkartem lifnei Hashem”, one goes to war, one has trouble, one must be remembered before Him. This is essentially a request.

A very interesting thing, the mitzvah of chatzotzrot is both in time of trouble and in time of joy. How does it fit in one parsha that it should be both? “U’v’yom simchatchem u’v’mo’adeichem… u’tka’tem bachatzotzrot al oloteichem v’al zivchei shlameichem” (On your days of rejoicing and your festivals… you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings). Essentially what it says here is that the parsha conveys that the closeness we have to the Almighty is that one can pray to Him. I have permission to be in difficulty “v’nizkartem”. Because “v’nizkartem”, I must be remembered favorably before Him. What, “v’nizkartem” means that… after the war? No, from within the war, but after, I should be after the war. I say “v’chi tavo’u milchama… al hatzar hatzorer etchem, v’nizkartem lifnei Hashem”, and one should win. Apparently.

And what do I need “u’v’yom simchatchem etc.”? Both have the same thing. Because the Ramban tells us that prayer only in time of trouble is from the Torah (d’oraita). That means, in a time of trouble you can come pray to the Almighty that He should help me. Here it says a great chiddush, here it says the chiddush of Rabbi Akiva, that in time of joy it’s not just thanksgiving (hoda’ah). And here one must know, it’s a very great foundation (yesod) in the relationship with God.

The Parable: When One Thanks Without Asking

A parable, what is this like? Someone went there to drown in the sea, and someone saved him. Someone, a passerby, he doesn’t know him at all, he passed by, he saw someone drowning there. “The poison of death, the blood of your friend” – he saved him. He goes, he makes a big party (mesiba), he calls all the family, all the friends, of course he calls that person, he’s already become a close person with him. And the one who was saved stands up to give the central speech, the central address, and he says, “Yankel saved me, and truly… there are no words to thank for this, and I ask him from now on, that from today and onwards, every time he should save us, me and my children.” One didn’t know from what, I just passed by, but you saved. I mean, what did he…

Ah yes, when one thanks the Almighty and doesn’t ask Him, you’re saying that the Almighty is that by chance He saved you. That’s not God. This is a foundation that Chazal say in several places, I haven’t had time to speak about this. Always when one goes to do some service for the Almighty of speaking, let’s say, now exactly I want to come ask something, or I want to come thank, I must say both things, because then I’m telling Him I’m dependent on Him. It’s not by chance, exactly I’m asking You now, because now You are

Rosh Hashanah in the Time of Exile: From Request to Yom HaDin

Request and Praise – The Foundation of Prayer

I go ask the banker something that I need help, because he is the address for me to give the money in the bank. One goes to ask the carpenter that he should make the closet. No, you come to God? Always, whether when you ask, whether when you thank, you say both things, you say You are dependent on Him. Sometimes it’s more the emphasis to praise, things went well for me, but I tell You further, I ask You that I should continue to go well. Sometimes one comes to ask You, I thank You that there were times that were good.

This is essentially what Rabbi Akiva establishes here.

The Source in Chatzotzrot – Ba’echad LaChodesh HaShevi’i

But where does he find it? In chatzotzrot. He finds it in the mitzvah of chatzotzrot. We spoke about the first approach of the verses, we said that everything is Chag HaAsif (Festival of Gathering). But we haven’t yet explained what is the connection and relationship to the asif. By Zichron Teruah is the parsha of the chatzotzrot.

Ba’echad lachodesh hashevi’i (On the first of the seventh month) is essentially one day, and one must be more lengthy on another occasion, what exactly is this day? But there is this first day of the seventh month when one comes to try the request, comes to be remembered for the sake of Chag HaAsif. Zichron Teruah.

Rabbi Akiva drew from this, from this echad lachodesh hashevi’i, the entire new approach to the three festivals (shalosh regalim).

Masechet Rosh Hashanah – Four Periods and the World is Judged

Therefore, in Masechet Rosh Hashanah, what is the long tractate? The long tractate is Rosh Hashanah that we’re going to do now, the whole world is judged. But essentially the beginning, two mishnayot, is not only about Rosh Hashanah, it speaks about all four periods (arba’ah perakim). The understanding of the four periods and the new approach that the world is judged, is taken from this source.

One asks, “If this is in the Torah, was it such a wondrous innovation?” No. This is “yalel v’yavav” (wailing and crying). As the Ramban says, “yalel v’yavav” is request, “yalel v’yavav” is the chatzotzrot. Yes? There is a side to say that “yalel v’yavav” was originally established on Rosh Hashanah, and it was taken to all the others. There are such statements that in the blessing of Zichronot (Remembrances), there is “yalel v’yavav”.

Request Within Praise – Hallel and Hoshannot

Now, for example, Hallel, we had the same thing yesterday. One says Hallel, one says “ana Hashem hoshi’ah na” (please Hashem, save now). We have another wonder, how does “ana Hashem hoshi’ah na” come? Yes, because you’re going to praise God. But of course “ana Hashem hoshi’ah na” is one verse, and Hallel is many verses.

Or for example, when Sukkot comes, and one tries the joy (simcha), but when one makes the waving motions with the hoshannot, because later there is the same thing, “and the festival depends on the water,” there will be the place where one will ask. By the hoshannot there, the waving motions are truly for the matter of the request, truly for the matter of the festival.

The Innovation of Masechet Rosh Hashanah

And this is essentially an innovation of Masechet Rosh Hashanah. And once this innovation was innovated, one can no longer go back. It doesn’t go back, one cannot erase any Masechet Rosh Hashanah.

The Shofar Blast of a Fast Day, Not of Joy

And therefore I am puzzled by the Gaon here, I won’t begin to say all the proofs. And when one learns Masechet Rosh Hashanah properly, the shofar blast of Rosh Hashanah is not a shofar blast of joy, as the Gaon wants to learn it in the Gemara. It’s the shofar blast of a fast day. “The shofar of Rosh Hashanah should have a straight mouthpiece, the fast day shofar should be curved”. And in this itself there is a change.

But essentially, Masechet Rosh Hashanah indeed came to say what Klal Yisrael does. And ultimately it was established that the day is colored more in the approach of Masechet Rosh Hashanah, when it speaks of Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment). The Yom HaDin comes, and it revolves around the work of Satan on that day, and essentially this is the approach that one now looks at this.

Rosh Hashanah Like a City That Blows But Doesn’t Fast

Very interesting that in Masechet Ta’anit it says that where will it be that trouble comes upon a city? And there are cities around that city, the trouble hasn’t yet come, it’s already close to it. There’s a dispute between two Tannaim whether one fasts or blows, or both.

The Yerushalmi says that the one who says that all those around blow but they don’t fast, this goes like Rabbi Akiva. Just like Rabbi Akiva regarding Rosh Hashanah. Essentially there stands the entire foundation.

Rosh Hashanah is essentially in exile. Yes, not one, God forbid. But when one was in exile, there is a great side to understand, not about the matter that one will now speak certainly not, there is a great side to say that the beginning will be a beginning of fear. One goes strongly to come before, and that. But what? It’s still before the trouble. So this is Rosh Hashanah. This is a situation of a city that blows and doesn’t fast. And what does one do? What does one do if the winter has already come in, and truly one sees that it’s really not coming anywhere, then one fasts.

Two Orders in Seder Moed

Therefore it’s truly very understandable the order of the tractates. That is, Pesachim, Shekalim, Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah, what is the order of the festivals from the perspective of Scripture, from the basis, there is an order, and this ends in Masechet Beitzah. And in this matter Rosh Hashanah didn’t have its own tractate. “Bachodesh hashevi’i zichron teruah” (In the seventh month, a memorial of blowing) is an appendage to Sukkot, it’s not a festival in its own right.

But after the great innovation that turns over the festivals, and another time I will show and prove that there is here another order in Moed. Moed has two orders: one order that ends with Beitzah, which is the festivals, let’s say, the same as in the time of the Temple, and Masechet Rosh Hashanah, Ta’anit – the Bavli actually says it’s one tractate, and there is more, I won’t begin to say all the examples of how this is one tractate – and Masechet Megillah, and after Masechet Megillah goes Masechet Moed Katan.

Masechet Moed Katan – Laws of Mourning in the Time of Exile

So what’s in Masechet Moed Katan? Who remembers what are the main laws of Masechet Moed Katan? Chol HaMoed (intermediate days of festivals), yes? And which laws of Chol HaMoed are there? Laws of mourning (avelut).

It reminds me of the story, they say that always one found the Lithuanian Jew in Ramat Shlomo in shul, how he sits on Chol HaMoed and he learns the laws of Tisha B’Av. The other asks him, “What’s the order? Did you just arrive now?” He doesn’t know, it’s exactly now Chol HaMoed, he just arrived now.

But the question is on Rabbeinu HaKadosh: In Masechet Moed Katan do you need to tell me the laws of “A person should not mourn excessively for his dead and should not eulogize him, and one doesn’t dig burial niches and graves on the festival”, and so go into all kinds of laws of mourning, yes festival, not mourning. Of course, it’s laws of the festival. But what is this?

And further, and with this I just want to show one more conclusion, the Mishnah included the details. When one learns the tractate well, one sees that it speaks here in the time of exile, the festival has already greatly reduced its entire burden, the awakening of Jerusalem, the joy is there, as you said, by Nechemiah it returned.

After the Temple Was Destroyed – Atzeret Like Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah Like the Festivals

For example, there is even a practical halachic consequence, Rabbi Eliezer says, after the Temple was destroyed, Atzeret (Shavuot) is like Shabbat, yes? And Rabban Gamliel says, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like the festivals. There is a great discussion in all the commentators, I’m saying here an innovation, but I think it truly fits with this.

Rabbi Eliezer – Atzeret Like Shabbat

Rabbi Eliezer says, after the Temple was destroyed, Shavuot became such a weak festival that it doesn’t suspend the joy. It doesn’t suspend the mourning. The suspension of mourning isn’t a purely halachic thing, certainly it’s the halacha, the halacha is drawn from the reality. When a festival comes, and everyone goes up to Jerusalem, and there’s great joy, and you should later have to go back into mourning, you’re already out of the mourning, it suspends it.

But Atzeret after the Temple was destroyed, all in all one day of festival, it’s almost similar to a combination of Shabbat. Just as Shabbat doesn’t suspend the mourning, why should Shavuot suspend the mourning? The answer, he went to the Atzeret festival, and he goes back.

Rabban Gamliel – Rosh Hashanah Like the Festivals

Rabban Gamliel says, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like the festivals. I want to prove, I want to make with this the proof that I’m saying, I want to say that Rabban Gamliel speaks truly after the destruction. He goes up on the words of Rabbi Eliezer. It’s not that he’s adding here a question, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which law does it have in general?

In the time of the Temple, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were not like the festivals. Why? Because in the time of the Temple, the main festival was Sukkot. Chag HaAsif, one sees that… But the fact was, one had to be before that a very elevated Jew to already leave home before Rosh Hashanah. Since he wanted to arrive for Sukkot, Ezra was an extreme reason. Because there he had to gather everyone… I’ll tell you a secret. No, no.

Now, a normal Jew, you know, a normal Jew, where was he on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? He was on the way. He was on the way. There he waited for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Yes? He was on the way, it wasn’t such a big deal that it’s already Yom Kippur. Yes? In the Temple, Yom Kippur was a big deal. Of course, it’s understood that a Jew had more feeling, so he already ran earlier, he already went two weeks before Rosh Hashanah. But yes, Rosh Hashanah and Kippur didn’t have any mourning issue.

The Innovation of Rabban Gamliel

Now, Rabban Gamliel says a tremendous innovation, that in the time of the destruction, Rosh Hashanah became a stronger festival. That it suspends like the festivals, and it’s stronger than the three festivals. How is it stronger than the three festivals? Because Atzeret Shavuot won’t be like the festivals. He wants this from Rabbi Elazar, he argues with Rabbi Elazar, he adds to Rabbi Elazar. After the Temple was destroyed, he holds Atzeret is like Shabbat. And Rabban Gamliel tells him, you should know however, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur received more of a reality that made it a special day. Yes?

The Sages say neither like this nor like that, it remains the same, Atzeret is like the festivals, and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like Shabbat.

The Midrash – “Write This for a Later Generation”

Now, I want to bring a proof to this Rabban Gamliel, a beautiful thing. The Midrash says a tremendous thing. The Midrash says that “Write this for a later generation, and a people yet to be created will praise God, He has regarded the prayer of the destitute and has not despised their prayer when they have”, “write this for a later generation”. It’s for a later generation that already goes out into exile, as one says. They have neither Temple, nor king, nor priest, nor prophet, but the prayer of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur has remained. One sees in the Midrash that it notes that the prayer of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,

The Change from the First Month to the Seventh Month – From Nadav and Avihu to Parshat Emor

The Midrash on Prayer in Exile – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as a New Order

The Midrash says that “Write this for a later generation, and a people yet to be created will praise God, He has regarded the prayer of the destitute and has not despised their prayer”. When they have, “write this for a later generation,” it’s for a later generation that already goes out into exile, as one says, they have neither Temple nor king nor priest nor prophet, but the prayer of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur has remained. One sees in the Midrash that it notes here for the prayer of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, this is an innovation that is added in the destruction. This is as was brought here from Rabbi Akiva, that even prayer becomes an even stronger service, so this is essentially, and this is Moed Katan, and Chagigah is truly connected to this. How Chagigah, another time to speak.

It comes out two orders: here one order that ends in Beitzah, and one order that ends in Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and this is a new order. And this is the Rosh Hashanah that we have today, which is essentially the principle.

Now that one has returned to Eretz Yisrael in a great way, one will need to find a service where one can truly make the old approach, and truly the new approach. There’s no contradiction, it’s something of difficult work to make the approach between the two. So when will one be able to go up for the festival? Will already be the… Yom Kippur will become, but truly more wishful, that’s what was meant. It becomes mainly, you don’t need to say. The Jews’ points when we speak about Sukkah from Sukkah from Sukkah. It already becomes so. I mean people to the nations.

The First Month – Ba’echad LaChodesh and Its Meaning

Now, if the people have patience to hear, I want now to say another point that isn’t specifically what was spoken, but it’s entirely another additional matter, but it’s another thing. We spoke that in Parshat Emor, there is the main parsha of the festivals, and in the parsha all the details are stated, and now it was given from above to arrange the tractate with the verses. But here there is another very important point in the matters that we’re now going to the seventh month.

We said that the year when they left Egypt was the first month. It had within it an echad lachodesh (first of the month) with an asarah lachodesh (tenth of the month) with fifteen. And specifically for generations we don’t have it. For generations there is Pesach, Pesach, there’s nothing at all echad lachodesh with asarah lachodesh. But specifically the seventh month, it received this. It’s much more than this.

The Hint in “And This Day Shall Be for You a Memorial”

And essentially, R’ Yeshaya already mentioned earlier, that seemingly it would have been in the beginning, at the start of our history, that the first month had significance. In any case, the first of the first month I certainly have, and therefore I can say that this is the first of the month. Where do I have it? It’s in Parshas HaChodesh, the first month, because it’s there, but it changes at a certain time.

What is a “first”? Because in “HaChodesh hazeh lachem rosh chadashim rishon hu lachem l’chodshei hashanah”, it says there in the verse, the language states, “V’hayah hayom hazeh lachem l’zikaron v’chagosem oso chag l’Hashem l’doroseichem chukas olam t’chaguhu”. It’s understood, it’s certainly understood that in the simple meaning, which holiday is being celebrated? Chag HaMatzos, Pesach. But one can truly hear in this verse that there will be another reason, another matter, for which I will need to make a chag l’Hashem. What a chag l’Hashem means, certainly in simple terms, is when everyone comes together to the Beis HaMikdash, and brings sacrifices, and establishes – I won’t get drawn into the exact translation, but I’m saying, you could have heard that when is it fitting to do this? The first month.

Chanukas HaMishkan on the First of the First Month

In any case, if I find that it was done this way, I will certainly say that it’s already in the verse. I don’t mean to say, not that this is absolutely proven, right? “V’hayah hayom hazeh lachem l’zikaron, chagosem oso chag l’Hashem”. They see that he now has a reason to go celebrate a chag l’Hashem, I tell him, if you can do it in the first month, you do it in the first month.

It was indeed done this way. This was the chag l’Hashem of Chanukas HaMikdash, of the Mishkan. The Mishkan, at the end of Sefer Shemos, it states explicitly, in the verse it emphasizes this, that “B’yom hachodesh harishon”. “B’echad lachodesh tukam es Mishkan Ohel Moed”, and Vayikra begins, until Shemini, there is a great chag l’Hashem. Why was this chag l’Hashem made on the first of Nissan? Because then it was fitting, the same reason as when there was the Korban Pesach, we left Egypt, now comes another level in this, that there will be Hashraas HaShechinah, so it’s done on the first of the first month.

This is already a hint that Chazal say, that Chanukah was discussed, but this was even more special. This strengthens the matter. True, true, yes, yes.

Nadav and Avihu — The Change from the First Month to the Seventh Month

Now, a terrible thing happens, the story of Nadav and Avihu. And Nadav and Avihu happened, a great tragedy occurred essentially on the first of the first month, and there is an order, a new order. Essentially, one explains to discuss this, which is a preparation for Yom Kippur that will now be discussed. So comes Parshas Shemini, after the incident of Nadav and Avihu, there is a whole series of parshiyos where the Almighty tells Aharon etc. etc., Shemini, Tazria, Metzora, and comes Parshas Acharei.

Comes Parshas Acharei, the Almighty tells Moshe, “Acharei mos shnei bnei Aharon b’korbosam lifnei Hashem vayamusu”, there is a new order. What is the order? The order of sacrifices.

“B’zos yavo Aharon el hakodesh” — The New Date

But perhaps you could say, it’s not just a new order of sacrifices, there is also a new date that is fitting to do what Nadav and Avihu did. The Almighty tells us, that Nadav and Avihu entering on the first of the first month, this is very dangerous, this will be “b’korbosam lifnei Hashem vayamusu”. But “B’zos yavo Aharon el hakodesh”, I want to learn, because I will establish it more, that “b’zos yavo Aharon el hakodesh”, the change that occurs here is not only the order of the sacrifice how he does it, but also which date he goes in. The date is part of the matter.

And that “V’haysa lachem l’chukas olam, that bachodesh hashvi’i ba’asor lachodesh”, this changes over from that first month. If one does it in the seventh month, and correctly indeed on the tenth of the month, then one can indeed enter and do that part of the Mikdash. The Gaon says that Aharon could enter. What? It’s not a contradiction to what we’re saying. But certainly there is something. The Gaon truly learns that Aharon was obligated in the month of Marcheshvan. Yes.

Parshas Emor — The Main Holiday Changes from Pesach to Sukkos

Now, and the verse in Parshas Emor, this is truly a wondrous thing. Parshas Emor where comes the order of the festivals. I already said earlier, at the beginning of this shiur we said that in Mishpatim, “V’lo yera’u fanai reikam”, there is length on Chag HaMatzos, although Chag HaMatzos is stated explicitly in Parshas Bo, and the Torah is brief on Chag HaKatzir and Chag HaAsif, although we don’t yet know anything about Chag HaKatzir and Chag HaAsif. But this tells us that where is the main holiday? The first holiday. All three festivals are truly one unit. We come three times a year to the Almighty. The first one, it is the main holiday. To the extent that “lo yera’u fanai reikam” applies only to the first one, which is still in the first one.

The Innovation in Parshas Emor — “Ba’asor lachodesh hashvi’i”

But now a great innovation has been innovated, that the true holiday is “ba’asor lachodesh hashvi’i”, then one can enter into the place “ba’asor lifnei Hashem”, which cannot yet happen in the first month.

And comes Parshas Emor, this is a remarkable interesting thing. Parshas Emor is the parshah where all the laws of the festivals are stated, this is the main parshah of the festivals. Regarding Chag HaPesach it is the weakest. Chag HaPesach appears in very many places in the Torah. Chag HaPesach in Parshas Emor has the fewest words about Chag HaPesach, fewer than all Chag HaPesach in the Torah, and fewer than all the holidays that are in Emor. Many words are missing there that are removed from the first thing. Missing there is “b’etzem hayom hazeh”, missing there is “b’chol moshvoseichem”, missing there are several things.

What is Missing by Pesach in Emor — Yetzias Mitzrayim

But the main thing that is missing is, why do we make Chag HaPesach? Why do we make Chag HaMatzos? Yetzias Mitzrayim. And the Torah repeats it every time. In Mishpatim it’s repeated, in “Shamor es chodesh ha’aviv” it’s repeated, “Ki vo yatzasa miMitzrayim”. You should look in Parshas Emor, chapter 23 verses 4 through 8, there is no Yetzias Mitzrayim. What then? Nothing. It says that one must make matzos. Why? It doesn’t say.

It’s not difficult, because there it was already from always why one does it. Essentially the question should be in all places why must one repeat it. But essentially there is an interesting thing, it doesn’t say why must one sit in the sukkah? Because of Yetzias Mitzrayim. But where does it say this? In Parshas Emor. It doesn’t say in Parshas Re’eh, it doesn’t say in Mishpatim, but in this parshah Chag HaSukkos ends “L’ma’an yeid’u doroseichem ki vasukkos hoshavti es bnei Yisrael b’hotzi’i osam mei’eretz Mitzrayim”.

I caught this, I caught that here is stated something much stronger. It’s not that it now says that Sukkos truly has to do with Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The Foundation — The Main Holiday Changes from Pesach to Sukkos

Parshas Emor has a remarkable foundation that continues Parshas Acharei, that the Torah tells you that the main holiday, which certainly is connected to Yetzias Mitzrayim, switches over from Chag HaMatzos to Chag HaSukkos. Because if you make it Chag HaMatzos there is the problem of Nadav and Avihu. I will explain this, I will explain soon the explanation, first I bring out the picture.

Regarding Chag HaMatzos, certainly there is Chag HaMatzos, you haven’t eliminated it. And then the strength of “echad mitatur” went down, which transferred to the seventh month. This we also said, we spoke about this in the shiur. The “echad mitatur” is that there is a great month, Chag HaSukkos appears in the yotzros specifically of Shabbos HaChodesh one says this. What is this “echad mitatur” the 15th? That the entire month is the Yom Tov, so the middle of the month is the center, and the first day of the month is certainly an important day of the month, and a third of the month. It’s simply divided the first day, a third of the month, and in the middle of the month. And so it was when we left Egypt, and so was the chag Hashem.

“V’chagosem oso chag l’Hashem bachodesh hashvi’i t’chogu oso”

Now look how wonderfully it says here. Regarding Chag HaSukkos it says, the verse says the same words from “HaChodesh hazeh lachem”: “V’chagosem oso chag l’Hashem shiv’as yamim bashanah chukas olam l’doroseichem bachodesh hashvi’i t’chogu oso”. I learn this verse today I hear a different ring. It’s not just that he’s saying in which month one must do it, it’s already stated earlier in which month one must do it.

The Exchange from the First Month to the Seventh Month: The Practical Law of Chag Hashem

The Law Reverses: When Does One Make a Chag Hashem?

And what will I learn from the reversed law? That when there will be something else that will be a chag Hashem, when will I do it? Just as when there was Chanukas HaMishkan it was the first of Nissan, I say that it has to do with the verse in a month. Here I learn a great innovation, that from now on, if I want to make a chag Hashem, when do I do it? I do it in the seventh month.

Proofs from Tanach: King Shlomo and Ezra

When was this? Twice. King Shlomo when he builds the Mikdash. Very interesting, he builds the Mikdash, when do you do it? In the seventh month. You should do it like the Mishkan. No, he won’t do it like the Mishkan, because then… He wanted Hakhel. It doesn’t say Hakhel. But he said Hakhel comes from the same place. Hakhel in the seventh month, if there hadn’t been Nadav and Avihu, Hakhel would have been in the first month. It’s reversed.

There are three festivals. It’s understood that the first and the last have in them something of extra importance. From the beginning of the way the first was the main one. Immediately happened the tragedy of Nadav and Avihu, and it was revealed that the last is the main one. And therefore, truly King Shlomo does it in the seventh month.

Who else did it in the seventh month? Ah? Yes. Truly in Ezra it’s twice, truly at the beginning of Sefer Ezra, which is Zerubavel, and truly Ezra does the seventh month. Essentially they all understood that the date switched from the first month to the seventh month. Yetzias Mitzrayim was from the first month to the seventh month.

The Deeper Content of the Exchange

We won’t elaborate further, but will say one word and then we will conclude. What is this? What is this? What lies in this exchange?

The First Month: Coming Without Work — The Danger of Closeness

That I come in the first month means I come without any work. It’s a certain aspect of Yetzias Mitzrayim, “Medaleg al heharim”. And then there is a danger of closeness before Hashem.

The Seventh Month: Coming After the Cycle of Work — Sukkos

If one comes properly, one comes after the cycle of work, one finishes the three festivals, one finishes the entire order of work. And then comes an awesome Yom Kippur where one purifies the Mikdash specifically in the seventh month, and then can be the covering that makes it before Hashem. But this is Sukkos.

This is essentially the order.

Conclusion

Yasher koach to R’ Yitzchak who gave me the opportunity that he should be able to prepare together, and I hope that it was an elevation of the month for everyone. Although probably some have already heard this matter, but it’s still an elevation of the month, and one can still make a Shehecheyanu, it should come in a few friends in the middle. This is “Baruch Atah Adon nolad inu malachei ha’olam shehecheyanu, v’kiyemanu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh”. What is stated in “HaChodesh hazeh” which states that earlier…