Rosh Hashana

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Rosh Hashana resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

Mishnah Rosh Hashanah: A New Look at an Ancient Calendar (Part 4)

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish

Audio

Mishnah Rosh Hashanah: A New Look at an Ancient Calendar (Part 3)

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish

Audio

Mishnah Rosh Hashanah: A New Look at an Ancient Calendar (Part 1) 1

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish

Audio

Mishnah Rosh Hashanah: A New Look at an Ancient Calendar (Part 1)

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish

Audio

e-TiM: Mishnah Rosh Hashanah: A New Look at an Ancient Calendar

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish

This four-part series will take place on Mondays at 1:00pm Eastern, 8:00pm in Israel, August 29 to September 19 The Mishnah tractate devoted to Rosh Hashanah presents a multifaceted view of a festival presented enigmatically in the Bible as…
Program

Rosh Hashanah 25: When is Yom Kippur?

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In the year 922CE a debate broke out that threatened to irrevocably cause the Jewish people to split apart. Pesach that year was scheduled to begin on Monday night. However, Aaron ben Meir, the leading Gaon in the land of Israel, declared that…
Article

Rosh Hashanah 14: Walking in the Dark

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“There are four New Years…on the first of Shevat is the New Year for trees, according to the words of Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel says [it is on] the fifteenth [of Shevat]” (Rosh Hashana 2a).  As to why Shevat is the New Year for trees, the…
Article

Rosh Hashanah 2: Out of Order

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the fundamental debates in Biblical interpretation is whether the Torah is written in chronological order. Rashi often employs the notion of ein mukdam umeuchar baTorah, that literally there is no before and after in the Torah, with the…
Article

Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Rosh Hashanah

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The last Mishnah in Masechet Rosh Hashanah quotes a debate between the Sages and Rabban Gamliel on a fundamental aspect of prayer. "The same way the shaliach tzibbur, congregational messenger, is obligated [in prayer], so, too, is each and…
Article

Rosh Hashanah 29: Crying on Yom Tov

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The fourth and last chapter of Masechet Rosh Hashanah focuses on the mitzvah of shofar and the special davening—malchiut, zichronot and shofarot—for this special day. These two mitzvoth were joined together with the blowing of…
Article