A Truly New Year!

When the two days of Rosh Hashanah are followed by Shabbos—three consecutive days of holiness—it represents a qualitatively higher form of holiness. An event that recurs three times establishes a chazakah (literally: a strong fact), an established and entrenched reality. And just as the head controls the entire body, so too, Rosh Hashanah, which means Head of the Year, defines the nature of the entire year; a year of magnified holiness.

New Energy

Every Rosh Hashanah brings new energy and new hope for the future. The Chassidic classic Tanya explains that every Rosh Hashanah G-d introduces a new, unprecedented surge of Divine energy to the world.

This is true each and every year. But there are certain years where the characteristics of the year accentuate the unique quality of that particular year. This year 5768 features a convergence of significant factors.

It should be noted that the Rebbe stated that even when we discuss the uniqueness of a certain year, such as the year 5768, does not stop at this year but its influence continues on into the future. The difference only lies in the focus, whereas this year the focus is on its Shabbos dynamic, other years may have a different focus.

Patterns of Three

First, the two days of Rosh Hashanah are followed by Shabbos. Whenever there are three consecutive days of holiness it represents a qualitatively higher form of holiness. In Jewish law, an event that recurs three times establishes a chazakah (literally: a strong fact), an established and entrenched reality.

And just as the head controls the entire body, so too, Rosh Hashanah, which means Head of the Year, defines the nature of the entire year.

Second, this three-consecutive-days-of-holiness pattern repeats itself in this month of Tishrei another two times: at the beginning and the end of the Sukkot-Sinchat Torah Holiday continuum. This attests to an exponentially stronger infusion of holiness this coming year.

Additional Unique Features

Third, this year is a Sabbatical year. From the time Joshua conquered the Land of Israel the Torah commanded us to desist from agricultural work every seven years. The spirit of this law that applies in the Diaspora and in nonagricultural societies is that every seven years we must focus more on the spiritual aspects of life. A Sabbatical year is also a year of rest and peace.

Fourth, this year is also a Jewish leap year. This means that we will have thirteen months instead of the standard twelve. In Hebrew, this year is referred to as a “shanah m’uberes,” or “a pregnant year.” It is a year that is pregnant with new energy and spiritual potential.

Fifth, the number of this year is 5768. The number 68 is equivalent to the word “chaim” which means life. While every Rosh Hashanah is punctuated by our requests for life, this year of “chaim” will afford us an even greater opportunity to experience life to the fullest.

One of the features of the Messianic Age is that it will usher in an age when life will be lived to the fullest, in both the physical as well as the spiritual sense.

As we usher in the “Head-Rosh” of the three-days-ofholiness-Sabbatical-Leap-year-of-life, may we all be inscribed and sealed for a holy, good, sweet, peaceful, pregnant with life, healthy and happy New Year. And above all may it be a year of the true and complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach!

From the book Light from the Future: Rosh Hashanah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.