Rosh HaShana - Core Concepts

There are four New Years:
On the first of Nissan, the New Year for Kings and for Festivals.
On the first of Elul, the New Year for tithing animals (R. Eliezer and R. Shimon say: on the first of Tishrei).
On the first of Tishrei, the New Year for years, and for the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, and for planting and for vegetables.
On the first of Shevat is the New Year for the Tree – according to Beit Shammai; Beit Hillel say, on the fifteenth of it.

And in the seventh month, on the first of the month, it should be a sanctified invocation for you; all creative work you shall not perform; a day of trumpets it shall be for you.

Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: in the seventh month, on the first of the month shall be for you a cessation, a memory of trumpets, a sanctified invocation.

For you, God, are Truth, and Your word is truth and upheld forever. Blessed are You, God, King of all the earth, Who sanctifies Israel and the Day of Memory.

Rabbi Kruspedai said that Rabbi Yochanan said: Three books are opened on Rosh HaShana before the Holy One, Blessed is He: One of wholly wicked people, and one of wholly righteous people, and one of mediocre people whose good and bad deeds are equally definitive in their life. Wholly righteous people are immediately written and sealed for life; wholly wicked people are immediately written and sealed for death; and mediocre people are left with their judgment suspended from Rosh HaShana until Yom Kippur, their fate remaining undecided. If they merit, through redefining their focus in life, they are written for life; if they do not so merit, they are written for death.

“They are sealed immediately for death” – all of this which we are calling here, “death” for the wicked, and “life” for the righteous, this refers to Life of the World to Come.

Halacha 1
Each and every human has merits and transgressions. One whose merits and more than his transgressions – [this is] a Tzadik. One whose transgressions are more than his merits – [this is] a Rasha. Half and half – Mediocre.
Halacha 6
Just as they weigh man’s transgressions and merits at the time of one’s death, so too each year they weigh each inhabitant of earth’s transgressions with their merits during the holiday of Rosh HaShana: one who is found [to be] a Tzadik is sealed for Life; one who is found [to be] a Rasha is sealed for Death. And the Mediocre, they suspend him until Yom Kippur: if he does Teshuva, he is sealed for Life, and if not, he is sealed for Death.

And in the seventh month, on the first of the month, it should be a sanctified invocation for you; all creative work you shall not perform; a day of trumpets it shall be for you.

Even though the blowing of the ram's horn on Rosh HaShana is a decree, there is a hint in it, as if saying: "Sleepers, wake up from your sleeping! Those who slumber, awaken from your slumber! Examine your actions, return in Teshuva, and remember your Creator! These are they who forget the truth in the vanities of time, who err all of their years in vanity and emptiness, which do not benefit nor provide salvation. Look into your souls, and improve your ways and your tendencies! Let each one of you abandon his evil path and his thoughts which are not good!
Therefore, every person must see themselves the entire year as if they are half meritorious and half liable – and, likewise, the entire world as half meritorious and half liable. If he commits one mistake, he will overbalance himself and the whole world to the side of liability, and cause its destruction. But if he perform one commandment, he will overbalance himself and the whole world to the side of merit, and bring about his own and their deliverance and salvation, as it says, "And the Tzadik is the foundation of the world" (Prov. 10:25) – he who becomes righteous overbalances the whole world to virtue and saved it.
And, because of this idea, the whole house of Israel is accustomed to increase in charitable acts and in good conduct, and to engage in Mitzvot from Rosh HaShana through Yom Kippur, beyond what they do during the whole year. And all are accustomed to rise in the night during these ten days, and to pray in the synagogues with words of supplication and ardor until dawn.

How elevated is the level of Teshuva! Just yesterday, this person was separated away from the God of Yisrael, as it says (Is. 59:2), “Your transgressions cause separation between you and your God”. He cried out [in prayer] and was not answered, as it says (Is. 1:15), “As you increase in prayer, I am not listening”; he performed Mitzvot but they were torn up in his face, as it says (Is. 1:12), “Who asked of you to trample My courtyard?”, “Who among you would just close My doors already?”.
Whereas today, he is clinging to the Shechina, as it says (Deut. 4:4), “And you are clinging to God your Lord, all alive today”; he cries out and is immediately answered, as it says (Is. 65:24), “Before you even call out, I will answer”; he performs Mitzvot and they accepted calmly and happily, as it says (Eccl. 9:7), “For God has already desired your actions”. Not only that, but they are desirable, as it says (Mal. 3:4), “And the flour-offerings of Yehuda and Jerusalem will be pleasant to God as in the days of yore and earlier years”.

1.And the entire nation gathered as one man into the street before the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of Moshe’s Torah which God had commanded Israel.
2.And Ezra the Kohen brought the Torah before the congregation – from man to woman, and all who understood – to listen on the first day of the seventh month.
3.And he read before them in the street which was before the Water Gate, from daybreak until midday, facing the men, women and those who could understand; and the ears of the entire nation were towards the Sefer Torah.
4.And Ezra stood upon a wooden tower which was prepared for this [event]; and standing next to him were Matitya, Shema, Anaya, Uriah, Chilkiya, and Ma’aseya on his right; and on his left, Pedaya, Misha’el, Malkiya, Chashum, Chashbadana, Zecharya and Meshulam.
5.And Ezra opened the book to the eyes of the entire nation – for he was [elevated] above the entire nation – and, as he opened it, the entire nation rose.
6.And Ezra blessed God, the great Lord, and the entire nation responded “Amen, Amen” with their hands elevated. And they prostrated and bowed to God, with their faces to the ground.
7.And Yeshua, Bani, Sherevya, Yamin, Akuv, Shabtai, Hodiya, Ma’aseya, Kelita, Azarya, Yozavad, Chanan, Pelaya and the Levi’im explained the Torah to the nation, while the nation stood in their places.
8.They read from the scroll of the Teaching of God, translating it and giving the sense; so, they understood the reading.
9.And Nechemia – who is Hatirshata – said, along with Ezra the Kohen scribe and the Levi’im who were explaining to the nation, to the entire nation, “Today is sacred to God your Lord! Do not mourn nor cry” – for the entire nation were crying as they heard the words of the Torah.
10.And they said to them, “Go, eat fatty foods, and drink sweet drinks! Send gifts to whoever has nothing prepared – for the day is sacred to our Master! And do not be depressed – for your rejoicing in God is your source of strength.”
11.And the Levi’im quieted the entire nation, saying, “Silence! For today is sacred; and do not be depressed.”
12.And so, the entire nation went to eat, drink and send gifts, and to make a great celebration, for they understood the words which were informed to them.