B"H
Tuesday, Elul 24, 5779 / September 24, 2019
This will be the last Shabbat of the year, 5779. We will read Parshat Nitzavim.
Parshat Nitzavim and Vayeilach are read together, whenever the first day Rosh Hashana falls on Saturday or Thursday. But this year, when the first day Rosh Hashana falls on Monday, they are read separately.
The first day Rosh Hashana can only fall on one of four days; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Shabbat. It cannot fall on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday.
Q. What is the reason that Rosh Hashana cannot fall on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday?
A. When the Hebrew calendar was set up, two thousand years ago, the sages made sure that the fast day of Yom Kippur shall never come on a Friday or Sunday. Their reason was, because the prohibition of work on Yom Kippur is the same as on Shabbat, when cooking and many other food preparations are prohibited, thus it would be very difficult and maybe even dangerous for many people, especially the poor, if they couldn’t get their food staples for two days one after the other.
Yom Kippur is ten days after Rosh Hashana. If Rosh Hashana was allowed to be on Wednesday then Yom Kippur would fall on Friday; and if Rosh Hashana will come on Friday then Yom Kippur would be on Sunday. In order to avoid this situation, when Shabbat and Yom Kippur fall one day after the other and one wouldn’t be able to prepare food two days, they made sure that Rosh Hashana shall not be on Wednesday or Friday.
The reason they didn’t want Rosh Hashana to be on a Sunday is so that Hoshana Raba, which is the seventh day of Sukkot, when we do the special mitzvah of Arava, should not come on Shabbat, for then we would not be able to perform this one-time-a-year mitzvah.
Q. Traditionally, on Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh, we announce when Rosh Chodesh begins and bless the new month. Yet, this Shabbat, before Rosh Hashana, we do not recite the blessing for the new month nor announce the day of Rosh Chodesh. Why?
A. Rosh Hashana is called Ba'keseh - "Hidden." Rosh Hashana is the only Biblical holiday that occurs on Rosh Chodesh - a day when the moon is not easily visible. Since the holiday is referred to as "hidden," we don't announce this Rosh Chodesh.
The Baal Shem Tov gives another reason. He says that the month of Tishrei does not need our blessing, because G-d blesses it. In fact, says the Baal Shem Tov, our ability to bless all the Rosh Chodesh of the rest of the year, derives from the power which G-d blesses the month of Tishrei. May it indeed be a blessed month and a blessed New Year. Amen.
HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & A SWEET NEW YEAR