Rosh Hashanah, whose literal translation from Hebrew is the “head” or “beginning” of a new
year, is connected to b’reshit, “in the beginning,” the first word in the Hebrew Bible that begins
the story of Creation. Rosh and Reshit have the same Hebrew consonantal root (reish-alef-
shin). This holiday celebrates the creation of the cosmos and of humankind within it.
Furthermore, it is the moment when God judges each individual, all peoples, and all humanity.
According to the Jewish tradition, the verdict issued by the Heavenly Tribunal can be mitigated
through prayer, contrition, and acts of charity (y.Taanit 2:1-65,b; Bereshit Rabbah (Vilna) 44:2).
This means that through deep introspective reflection, which allows us to confront those
personal habits that inhibit us from acting with justice, kindness, and mercy, we can change
God’s judgment. Moreover, by acting with renewed resolve, we can start a new beginning for
our lives.
As Naomi Shemer, one of the most significant poetic voices in Hebrew of the last century, says
in her song, The Celebration Is Ending (1976): To wake up tomorrow morning with a new song
in our hearts / to sing it with strength, to sing it with pain / to hear flutes in the free breeze /
and to start from the beginning (mi-b´reshit). From the beginning / recreate your world in the
morning. . .
The Jewish vision of humanity is that every individual, and every people, can recreate
themselves by overcoming everything harmful to the physical and spiritual continuity of their
existence. This is the profound message of the story of the prophet Jonah, which describes the outreach of divine mercy in helping the inhabitants of Nineveh turn to God, eliminating the
iniquities and injustices committed by them, creating a new reality.
Examples of the urgent need for self-examination, both individually and collectively, abound in
our world. Conflicts multiply, bringing death and devastation with them. Addictions of many
types are on the rise because people are trying to escape to other realities because theirs is
absolutely dark and without any hope of a different future. Many resort to fanaticism by failing
to examine their own motivations. Leaders, especially, must constantly review whether they
are deluding themselves into thinking that their own self-interests are paramount.
Technology overwhelms modern humans, frequently filling their minds with falsehoods and
subtly manipulating their desires through the questionable use of psychological insights into
human behavior. Artificial intelligence opens up endless possibilities for technological and
scientific progress. But will those who use it be sufficiently self-aware to use it for constructive
purposes or as a means to dominate and destroy?
The account of the creation of humanity in Genesis 1 begins with a strange utterance from
God: “Let us make humans.” There are all sorts of interpretations of this. The sages of the
Midrash offered their own: God proposed the creation of human beings to the angels who
serve God. God had already decided to create them, but wished to model that leaders should
not impose their own wills but rather to consult with advisors. The Angel of Charity said: Let them be created, for they know how to act charitably. The Angel of Truth said: Let them not be
created, for they are full of lies. The Angel of Justice said: Let them be created, for they know
how to dispense justice. The Angel of Peace said: Let them not be created, for they are full of
quarrels. God banished the Angel of Truth and created the human being. (Bereshit Rabbah,
Parashat Bereshit 8:5, Vilna ed.) Perhaps this should be understood because of uncertainty
about human behavior. Even for the omniscient God, human behavior is not an inevitability
since human free will can change everything. (This question was masterfully analyzed by
Maimonides in Hilchot Teshuvah, chapter 5, halakhah 5)
From this, it is clear that God took a risk? at the moment of creating humankind, equipping
them with capabilities that allow them to create weapons to destroy God’s creation or to
complete and beautify it. In the Jewish tradition, every beginning of a new year is an
opportunity to rethink the risk God took on when creating humankind, which is, at the same
time, the central question of our existence.
May we all together find a response of true peace, understanding, and dialogue, for ourselves
and for those to come.
May it be Shanah Tovah, a good year for all.
Written by Rabbi Avraham Skorka, October 2025