If there is one Study Jewish thing (with a capital E) tells us, is to not take everything at face value. For some, the firm is even synonymous "I take nothing for granted"
Indeed, the eved Kenaan lives in the master's house and is subject to a number of obligations halakhic and therefore, particularly Korban Pesach sacrifice to be the day of Passover, which supreme paradox, represents the ultimate expression of freedom.
short, I personally believe and I therefore call on the rest of the course which is, I suppose, to explain this paradox. Imagine my surprise when a participant asked the exact references of the halakha. Imagine a student Terminale S Einstein ask if it is certain that E = MC ²
And what was my biggest surprise yet when the Master smiled and said with his characteristic accent, "You're right, you're right you want references, I do not of problems. "And he began to look for the precise volume of Shulhan Arukh, opened it and then show it to students who entered a discussion a few subtle attempt to show that this is not necessarily exactly the case .
is a rule of the study: what counts is the pursuit of truth. All social obligations or relationships, of course, useful for life in society, should disappear when you open a Gemara.
What relationship will you tell me with Rosh Hashana? Well this party is that sometimes feels autopilot mode: Start of the year, Chana Tova, Teshuvah, Shofar, Judgement, Fear, 10 days to catch up to Yom Kippur, etc. ... are all words used suitcases full during this period. They have the advantage of creating a special atmosphere, to realize that this is a special stage of the year (the holidays of Tishrei) during which the followers of the regime will Dukhan to execution and for which Treasurers community redoubled attention, waiting impatiently for the result of the best months of the year in terms of turnover.
But as so often, when we start asking questions, we say that frankly, we did perhaps take bladders for lanterns.
Some examples: the Talmud teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, the creator of the world judge the whole world and divided the men into 3 categories. The Tzadikkim, the Righteous, which are inscribed in the Book of Life. The Rechaim the wicked, who are enrolled in the Book of Death. And Beinonim (it looks today, those who must pass the oral, or better still September) that until Yom Kippur to catch up and eventually reach Tzadikkim in the Book of Life.
Although some rabbis are having a field day to explain that we are all Beinonim and it will whip up Kippur to be sure to spend another year on this earth.
Is there no way to exercise his critical texts on some of Tradition while taking them seriously as highly confident they convey a sense fruitful?
Well, it turns out that the guy living in my beautiful country 800 years ago obviously have dared to ask a question of pure common sense unimpressed by the establishment (OK, I added a bit on the side Besancenot of the Talmud). Still, the
Tosafists, since it is from them that it is, wonder (Rosh Hashanah 16b): "It turns out that in real life, we see lots of Tzadikim die in the year and Rechaim full of live many more years, which is somewhat contradictory to what they say on the Book of Life ". Obvious question, he to ask, which begins to make us doubt that the literal meaning is most relevant, but in return we open to interpretations more meaningful and tasty (we will not elaborate here, but for those who are interested, all the commentators conventional resume this question: Ramban the Ran , Rabbeinu Yona , etc ... and are synthesized in an article in Siftei Haim's work during the compilation of Rabbi Friedlander ).
Similarly, is it really relevant to think that on Rosh Hashanah is truly a day of trial, with God at his table surrounded by his assessors reviewed as and when each of the defendants?
I have a friend who pushed through the literal sense. Indeed, it is customary not to sleep on Rosh Hashanah so "his mazal, his luck did not sleep during the year" . Some say it is inappropriate to sleep when we will soon stand trial before the King of Kings. My friend thinks he can allow himself to sleep during Rosh Hashanah. The reason? "Ayache, it was early in the alphabet, at noon for me it is folded, I can sleep peacefully for the rest of the party!"
Beyond the joke, is it still valid to keep that image in mind? Several clues lead us
rather to get rid of it. First, the fact that the main names of Rosh Hashanah does not convey the idea:
- Rosh Hashanah, which is the common name of the party and the Talmud under the Treaty of addressing different aspects of legal means Head of the Year. Recall the creation of man and repentance after opening the fault of the Garden of Eden
- Yom Térou the day of the ringtone is the name given by the Torah, obviously related to the primary mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah, the ringing of the Shofar, indispensable tool for revival
souls - Yom Hazikaron, Remembrance Day, the name given by the sages at the party when codified format of the prayer of Rosh Hashanah
short, when the party speaks, it is called Rosh Hashanah , when the Torah speaks of is Yom Térou and pray when the day of Rosh Hashanah is Yom Hazikaron . While the festival is sometimes called Yom Hadin , the Day of Judgement. But honesty impels us to recognize that the name seems almost "non-essential", never used by the Torah and even ambiguous, as evidenced by the reluctance of halachic sages impacts to consider when it comes to value the concept of "Judgement Day". Without too much space to this subject is somewhat technical, very well covered by the Rabbi CY.Zevin in Moadim BeHalakha (note: all of CY Zevin books are pure wonders), we can cite the following examples:
- it rejects the use of a Shofar horned cow not to recall the fault of the golden calf during the day of Judgement
- we do not say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah: how Jewish people could start singing happily while the King of Kings judge?
- But on the other hand, if some Wise wanted to impose a fast on Rosh Hashana because of the Judgement Day, most makers have formally banned.
What about this? The dimension of the Day of Judgement is clearly a dimension of Rosh Hashanah and it exists in our tradition. But its almost "magical" or "folk" to us. How to resolve this paradox. It is among the
Pr Yeshayhou Leibowitz I found most illuminating answer:
"There are faith deep meaning in the distinction between repentance and Judgement on Rosh Hashanah, say between a conception of repentance as a means of obtaining a favorable ruling and the cancellation of a bad verdict, and one that sees repentance as an end in itself. The Torah has focused attention on the memory, as this is fundamental, "Remembrance Day", that is to say, of repentance, while the tradition has added this concept of Rosh Hashana when the trial is fundamental . (...)
For the believer who seeks the fullness of faith, the meaning of Rosh Hashanah is the reminder of his position before God, and the question being on trial arises every day and every moment . For cons, the unaccomplished man, that is to say most people, it is clear that we can hardly expect him to be engages in self-examination and repentance, the things he is far, every day of the year. He is awakened to these issues at the approach of "austere days," during which, he says, he is judged. However, although it is not that the perfect form of faith, this approach has its place in folk religious world. "
One recognizes the famous distinction made between Leibowitz service of God and interested selfless service of God. For the latter, Rosh Hashanah is a time of recall (from memory) of the place of man in this world before God. His life was not rhythmic by what God has to offer, but capacity and the will of man to serve God regardless of notions such as the benefits or risks of divine punishment. In this context, the notions of Térou, souvenir, existential thrill make sense.
But not everyone has the ability to reach a spiritual level totally disinterested. Hence the introduction of the concept of ruling which, if not perfect, still has its place because it may be the germ of a more robust approach in the future.
As usual, Leibowitz causes, by denigrating totally prayer of Ounetané Tokef he considered the prototype of prayer for the masses, fully making use of mythological and fears over animal rights. Let me give you an excerpt:
"A quiet murmur is heard. The celestial figures stand up, tremble and announced with anguish:" This is the Day of Judgement! "Even the Almighty is called Your front court. All creatures of the world pass before Thee as the shepherd who looks to his flock.
(...) For every creature that moves past you, you fixed the duration of its existence and the circumstances of his destiny that do not depend on his will. On the day of Rosh Hashanah, our fate is written. On the day of Yom Kippur, our fate is sealed.
It was decided:
who disappear during the year and will in the world,
those who will live and who shall die,
those who belong to end of their lives and those who still have time to live.
you determine if one will die by fire, others by water,
those who are affected by war or taken by wounds: famine, earthquake or disease.
established that you will enjoy a peaceful life, happy and worthy, will be honored and prosperous, will experience the agony of wandering, hardship, humiliation and misery.
Honestly for Sephardim, provocation falls a bit flat because this prayer is not recited routinely and it is nothing special in terms of emotional development.
But my wife, hard-Ashkenazi, was deeply outraged. For her and many of his coreligionists, he is the epitome of the Rosh Hashanah Tefillah: where Hazan crying the most, where everyone is terrified, where people have little imagining, such as Gauls of Asterix, the sky will fall on their head.
Leibowitz is very strict on this prayer because it removes the man in the true meaning of Rosh Hashanah (re) realize that the return to God is an end in itself, it passes the point of a valiant existence devoted to God and not idols (golf, working life, high society, fear of death, etc. ...) and that the concepts of rewards or punishments are incidental.
vast program for this year, I wish you smooth and happy!
