3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Wednesday September 28 is what we call "Erev Rosh Hashana", or New Year's Eve.  But unlike December 31, we won't be revelling and drinking champagne, putting on masks or watching a ball drop in the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem.

Nope.  Many Jews will be in their synagogues, praying for redemption and forgiveness for their sins and transgressions(yes, that is done on Rosh Hashana as well as Yom Kippur - more on that later).  

I, personally, will be with my family having dinner at my aunt's house.  It's a tradition and if I were to go to shul, I would miss out on the family dinner.

This year we will likely go to my inlaw's shul for the first day and our shul for the second day.

The theme of Rosh Hashana, besides being one of asking forgiveness is roundness.  By that I mean, we eat a lot of round stuff - apples, round challahs.  This symbolizes fullness and completion - we have live through and completed the last full year - we are ready for the next one!

Why two days?

Why two days? I used to ask this all the time - but now I know. 

We observe two days in the Diaspora (anywhere that is not Israel) because of the possibility of misinterpretation of dates.  The times are different, the planets have aligned differently than they did 5700 some odd years ago (5772, by the way). We want to make sure we don't miss the boat and celebrate the wrong day.  Therefore, we celebrate/observe for two days (only one for Yom Kippur - thank goodness! 27 hours of fasting is more than enough for me, thankyouverymuch!)

Rosh Hashana, "The New Year" in Hebrew, is a deeply spiritual holiday. The New Year commemorates the creation of the world (Adam and Eve were created on Rosh Hashana) and each year the world's existence is extended for another year, created anew, as it were. Mankind is also included in this new creation every year.

The New Year is an obvious time for judgment (which is why Rosh Hashana is also called Yom HaDin, literally "Judgment Day"). Every creation we make, whether it is in art, business or even cooking, is judged by us. At some point we will step back and evaluate our creation. Does it live up to expectations? Are we pleased with it? What are its faults? On this, the anniversary of our creation, God does the same with us. We are evaluated, hence the "Day of Judgment".

This day is deeply spiritual because on judgment day, not unlike what happens when a person is waiting to hear a court sentence, we are forced to reflect on ourselves. Did I live up to God's expectation of me? Is God pleased with me? What are my faults? Because of the intense mood of the moment this day presents the most powerful spiritual opportunity available -- the opportunity for us to reflect on how we can elevate ourselves to a higher plane. What does God want from me? He wants me to be on His team. How am I judged? Have I lived my year pursuing self-gratification, or have I grown closer to God in thought and deed? Am I making this world a better place to live in?

This is the judgment on Rosh Hashana, these are the questions, and with this understanding the opportunities for spiritual growth are unparalleled. Dig in and enjoy the potential. Rosh Hashana is the spiritual world's prime time (from Aish.com)

So yeah - no revillrie until after midnight.  No glowing ball of  lights dropping in a public square.  But lots of friends, family, food and fun.  (hee hee - f-words!! HA HA HA!!) And some praying just to let G-d know we thank and appreciate him for all that he has given us and that we promise to do better throughout the coming year.