Why Rosh Hashanah Is Called So?
The name given to each Yom Tov is intrinsically linked to the theme of the day. As such, it is curious to note that the upcoming Yom Tov is called Rosh Hashanah (“Head of the Year”). Why was this name selected to encapsulate the essence of the day instead of a seemingly more appropriate name, such as Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment) or Yom Teruah (the Day of Blowing the Shofar), the name by which it is referred to in the Torah (Bamidbar 29:1)?
Rav Shimshon Pinkus explains that Rosh Hashanah is the most crucial day of the year, as everything that will happen to us throughout the upcoming year is determined on this day. Every important event in our personal lives and Jewish history – both triumphs and tragedies – was conceived on Rosh Hashanah, regardless of the calendar date when it actually took place.
This unparalleled significance is alluded to by the name “Rosh Hashanah,” as the head differs from every other limb and organ in the body. If a person stretches his hands skyward, he can extend his reach by approximately two feet. If he raises his legs by climbing to the top of a tall building, he can add several hundred feet, but all parts of the body have finite power, with one exception: The head is effectively unlimited in its abilities.
The nose can perceive distant scents, the ears can hear sounds like thunder from many miles away, and the eyes can see the light of distant stars thousands of light years from Earth. Even more powerful is the brain, which can produce thoughts that reach the Kisei Hakavod (Throne of Glory). Even while standing on Earth, a person’s mind can be completely connected to Hashem. Thus, just as the head is more far-reaching than every other part of the body, so too Rosh Hashanah – the Yom Tov named for the head – is more influential than every other day of the year. Like the head, the potential inherent in Rosh Hashanah – which we can tap into – is boundless and infinite.
While this explanation is inspiring, it begs the question: Why is this Yom Tov so powerful? Rav Pinkus explains that Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of Adam. Adam was so spiritually great that he could alter the future of the entire world through one transgression. In the positive direction, had he refrained from sinning, he would have brought the universe to its ultimate rectification, and the final redemption would have arrived immediately. On Rosh Hashanah, the entire universe is recreated, and just as at the time of the original Creation, Hashem’s Omnipotence is on full display, with no limitations, and just like Adam, each of us possesses the ability to build worlds or destroy them.
The name of the Yom Tov alludes to this phenomenon by telling us that just as the reach of the head is unbounded, so too on Rosh Hashanah – the “head” of the year – anything is possible. The Gemara (Yevamos 64b) says that Sarah was not only barren, but she did not even have a womb. Nevertheless, her prayers were miraculously answered and she conceived and gave birth to Yitzchak. When were Sorah’s supplications answered? On Rosh Hashanah (Rashi Rosh Hashanah 11a), the day when the world is recreated with no restrictions. Just like Sarah, we have the opportunity on Rosh Hashanah to reinvent ourselves with new abilities for which we have always longed, no matter how impossible it may seem.
Unfortunately, Rav Pinkus notes that most people do not take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity to change because we do not truly believe that it could happen, and we limit our prayers to things we view as within the realm of possibility. As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah, one of the key tasks we must work on is internalizing that for one day, there are no laws of nature and the sky is the limit. Just like the force possessed by the head, the “head” of the year is a day of unlimited potential, just waiting for us to recognize and utilize it as we begin life anew.
Rav Pinkus adds that just as Hashem created the world through ten utterances (Avos 5:1), our mission is to use the ten days from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur to fashion our lives. Unlike the original Creation when Hashem laid the framework, this time it is up to us to determine the paths that our lives will take as we are given a clean slate and fresh start.
However, together with this tremendous opportunity comes tremendous responsibility. Rav Pinkus illustrates this idea by comparing it to a person who owns a worn-out, decrepit table. If it still serves its basic function, he will often elect to keep it, but once he decides to buy a new table, his standards go up immeasurably. He expects the best and will not even consider purchasing a table that is slightly damaged or defective.
Similarly, throughout the year, we periodically become run-down and deficient in our service of Hashem, yet just like the table, He elects to continue tolerating us. On Rosh Hashanah, when Hashem recreates the world, He seeks the same superior “merchandise” we look for when shopping. Accordingly, we must strive to uplift ourselves to a level that will satisfy the requirements to warrant being retained for another year. The absence of grounds for a death sentence is insufficient. Through our prayers and teshuvah, we must demonstrate to Hashem our intention to take advantage of this opportunity to remake and elevate our lives and provide Him with affirmative justification to grant us another year. (R’ Ozer Alport)
