Ele moadei Adonai mikraei kodesh asher tikreu atem bemoadam

אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי יְהוָה מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אתם בְּמוֹעֲדָם

These are my appointed festivals of Adonai,
which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.

Time is important to Jewish tradition. We follow this divine commandment from the book of Leviticus 23:2 and sanctify important times.

One of the six books of the Mishnah (the oral law), Masechet Moed, the tractate of the festivals, is dedicated to Jewish time.

Annual months and Holy Days are more than rituals of remembrance. Each month and Holy Day occurs at a specific time throughout the year when there is a cosmic opening in the universe. During these periods of time, we have an opportunity to connect to the specific energy and wisdom of the month and of the Holy Day and improve all aspects of our lives.

On Friday, we will be saying goodbye to the month of Elul. After a month-long journey of looking inward, evaluating the year that has passed, and tuning our hearts and minds toward the year that is about to begin, we are ready to embark on this new exciting journey. 

When the sun goes down on Friday evening, it will be both the beginning of a new year, and also the beginning of a new month. Rosh Chodesh Tishrei.

The month of Tishrei is the first month of the Jewish year, and it is full of momentous and meaningful days of celebration, starting with Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur, then continuing to Sukkot, and Simchat Torah. Each one is filled with its own meaningful customs and rituals.

Tishrei is the “head” of the year, and the reservoir from which we draw our strength and inspiration throughout the year ahead.

In this upcoming year, we want to explore and learn together the special meaning of the Hebrew months and the Holy Days.

Rosh Chodesh literally means the head of the month and is considered to be a minor Holy Day that marks the beginning of each Hebrew month.

The beginning of the Hebrew calendar is established in the Book of Exodus, when God commanded the Israelites to mark the months of the year: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. (Exodus 12:1-2)

On Rosh Chodesh, as on other festivals, the people are commanded to be joyous and be reminded of God’s divinity.

Rosh Chodesh has long been considered a special Holy Day for women, a time for Jewish women to gather for a wide variety of activities, from reciting traditional liturgy to sharing a meal, discussing Jewish ethics, and working for social change. Starting with Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan (the Hebrew month after Tishrei), we invite all women of our congregation (and their friends) to a monthly gathering of learning, exploration, discovery, and celebration with Rabbi Lana. Stay tuned for more information and dates. 

Ecclesiastes wrote: There is nothing new under the sun, but in fact, every moment is a new beginning, and every act is our very first. We wake up! Our minds sparkle with a newness, a freshness, a small but palpable rebirth! 

May we all learn this lesson as we take each step in this New Year.

L’Shanah Tovah! Happy New Year!