Statement: The name d ̈p ̈X©d W`Ÿx does not appear in the Torah, yet throughout the millennia, it is the name our sages have used to mark the beginning of the Jewish year. However, they could have called these days, d ̈p ̈X©d z©li¦g§Y - “The beginning or start of the year”, or even ©g¥n©W d ̈p ̈X - “Happy New Year”. Yet we have always referred to this holiday as “d ̈p ̈X©d W`Ÿx - The Head of the Year”. Why?
The reason is that just like the head is the source where the life force is distributed to each individual organ of the body, so too does Rosh Hashanah have hidden within it the life force of the entire year. This is then spread out to each and every individual day throughout the year. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe says, “Just as the head controls all the organs of the body, so Rosh HaShanah, the head of the year, exerts an influence over all the days of the coming year.”
Question:
Since the word d ̈p ̈W can also mean “change” using the above explanation on the word W`Ÿx we can explain the two words of d ̈p ̈X©d W`Ÿx to mean, “A head that (influences) changes”. What can we learn from this?
Answer:
Naturally, the shape of our eyes should cause us to see everything upside down and reversed. Even though the lens of your eye projects an upside down, you see everything right-side up. This is because our brain decodes this image so that we perceive it the right way up.
Throughout the annals of scientific discovery, there have been countless ingenious experiments that have challenged our perception of reality. Among these experiments, one curious and visually disorienting phenomenon stands out: the use of “upside-down goggles” to invert a person's vision. This intriguing exploration of the human mind and perception has a fascinating history that dates back over a century.
The concept of inverted vision experiments can be traced back to the late 19th century. One of the pioneers in this field was the psychologist and philosopher George Stratton. In 1896, Stratton conducted a groundbreaking experiment in which he wore specially designed goggles over a period of three days that flipped his vision upside down. Over time, his brain adapted, and he gradually regained the ability to perceive the world in its normal orientation!
Inverted vision experiments and upside-down goggles have played a remarkable role in advancing our understanding of human perception and the adaptability of the human brain. These experiments, ranging from George Stratton's early investigations to NASA's space research on disorientation and visual disturbances, have demonstrated the remarkable ability of the human mind to adapt to the most perplexing visual distortions.
Lesson:
In our times, there is no bigger distortion and reversal of reality than our present Golus. Unfortunately, just like our brains have been able to adapt and reverse what we see, we also have adapted to the distortion of exile and believe it to be the only reality. But this is far from the truth. May this d ̈p ̈X©d W`Ÿx influence the change needed and provide us with the ultimate ability to alter our view to see the true reality. And may this bring us all into the Era of Redemption in good health, wealth, and time to spend it with those we love.
On the next page, see how easily one can reverse the meaning of things. Sometimes, all it takes is to turn things upside down.
According to the Shulchan Aruch HaRav: One who does not innovate their Torah learning and merely reviews, even 101 times, has not fulfilled his obligation to study Torah. (Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:1; 2:2, based on Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe - Eve of the 12th Day of Sivan, 5743; cf Chagigah 3a)
Supernal beings come to hear the novellae of Torah from those who dwell in this lower world . . . and every Jewish person is capable of revealing hidden wisdom and to introduce new ideas . . . and he is obligated to do so, in order to fulfill the mission of his soul (Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh 26, 145b)
- The words d ̈p ̈X©d W`Ÿx§A do appear in Yechezkel 40:1 but refers beginning of Yovel (the Jubilee year).
- Likkutei Sichos, Vol.4, p. 1145 ff.; Sichos In English Volume 28 2nd Day of Rosh Hashanah, 5746 (1986)
- Qal - d ̈p ̈y “he changed”. Cf. Tehillim 34:1.
- See Stratton G. M. 1897. Vision Without Inversion of the Retinal image. «Psychol. Rev.», 4, 341—360.
