Sunday, September 5, 2010
A Necessary Belief?
There is an astonishing discussion by Meiri here (link is to PDF at HebrewBooks). If I understand it correctly - and it is a little cryptic, so I may well be mistaken - he is saying that Rosh HaShanah is not really a time of judgment (which takes place constantly, not at a particular time), but Chazal declared it as such in order to have a season that would stimulate people to repent. If that is what he is saying, it would be a fascinating application of Rambam's idea of "necessary beliefs." But wouldn't it spoil it to say that it isn't actually true? (Which would also mean that I shouldn't be writing about it.) Presumably, if one is reasonably confident of one's audience, it would be acceptable if they are the sort of people for whom the facts are more helpful.
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17 comments:
He doesn't say that "Chazal" declared it as such. He was referring to G-d.
However it would fit with what the Chumash itself tells us about Rosh HaShanah which is very limited - you blow a shofar, that's about it.
Interesting little piece. The critical phrase refers neither ot Chazal or HaShem but rather says 'וזה מהשתדלות דרכי הדת'.
It would indeed be a curious statement on the Meiri's part for his time to suggest that Chazal is consciously spinning a story to manipulate the people. The only other way I can see of reading it is to say that דרכי הדת is somehow a collective subconscious process. Religion develops narratives that serve social ends. But that would also be very progressive for the Meiri's time.
Thank you for this tidbit, I'll have to read a bit more of it.
That's what I always thought and it never occurred to me that this would be controversial outside of gan yeladim.
"However it would fit with what the Chumash itself tells us about Rosh HaShanah which is very limited - you blow a shofar, that's about it."
It also fits the passages in Nehemia 8 which refer to RH as a day of celebration and joy, nothing about teshuva or judgement.
I wholeheartedly agree with Rafi. I have viewed R"H as a time for reflection since adolescence. However, I would point out that in what I call "spiritually psychsomatic" terms, thinking of R"H as a time of judgment in any way, and experiencing it together with the hamon am actually makes R"H a more significant time of change. This means R"H is also a greater opportunity, and I suppose God judges us more when He can expect more. As for consequences of sincere repentance, they are naturally greater during such a time of reflection. This also explains the true meaning of all those start of the year customs that supposedly affect the entire future year.
As for Chazal vs God as the author of Yom HaDin, I would very much like to think of God as responsible. After all, what would a Biblical Yom Teruah really mean by itself?
Actually, in Nehemiah it's davka *not* a day for teshuva. In fact, teshuva is postponed even past Yom Kippur (which is not mentioned) and Sukkot.
It's also clear that the people had never heard of Rosh Hashana, a day (like Yom Kippur) unmentioned (outside of possible references only) in Devarim or the Neviim.
I am a bit confused by the comments here regarding the references in Tanach in regards to Rosh Hashana.
Rosh hashana davening has three themes. Malchut, Zichronot, and Shofrot.
I am uncertain as to which of these themes relates specifically to "teshuva"
Perhaps there is a confusion between the selichot services and it's connection to Yom Kippur and the interruption of slichot with Rosh Hashana. Which as the Solvetchik Machzor puts it, is "coronation day."
I think this is a case where Rambam indicates that one must be sensitive to contradictions (he says it in reference to his own work, but also in reference to Chazal) and be able to understand what is being said for the sake of the vulgar, and what is actually true.
In response to Anonymous, who wonders what a Biblical Yom Teruah means by itself, this is actually quite obvious. Read Shofarot, it's talking about Matan Torah. Zichron Teruah is also not referring to when RH falls out on Shabbos, btw.
You're mostly right but a bit off
According to Meiri, the books are always "open" (the whole thing is, of course, a metaphor).
It's the way of religion to only focus on these perpetual truths from time to time, at prescribed intervals. Presumably, people couldn't handle non-stop awareness, as they would just stop paying attention altogether.
They way to best keep in mind these truths always is to focus on them from time to time. That's what religion does.
I always was bothered by the whole "king is in the field" thing-doesn't HKB"H desire tshuva all year long. I always assumed it was more a way to get people to focus and hopefully raise the level of "their game" through this short term focus.
KVCT
Joel Rich
The Meiri is saying as follows:
Hashem's judgment of the world is constant, and there is no special day where it is more intense. However, complacent beings that we are, to ensure we don't drift too far, WE need a time of year where tshuva is "in the air." Therefore, chazal(/Hashem) designated this specific time (for rather strange philosophical reasons, but that is not intrinsic to the Meiri's thesis). Now that everyone's feeling aimas hadin, if you don't do tshuva, you're in trouble--after all, if you're not doing tshuva now, kal vechomer you won't any other time. The same applies even if you know about this "ruse." After all, Elul does feel different. The niggunim and tfillos of Rosh Hashan DO inspire reverence, contemplation, and tshuva.
Of course, there are several interesting nafka minas. A Jew who for no fault of his own doesn't know about Rosh Hashana is not judged! Same goes for all the non-Jews (which runs against some passages in Zichronos--albeit later additions). Even more shocking though, according to the Meiri, if someone belongs to a cult which believes that man is judged every February 29, that is indeed when G-d will judge him! Therefore, no matter what your beliefs about the Zohar, if I belive my din finishes hoshana rabba, it does! If a chassid believes the din extends till chanuka, it does!
From my hotspot outside the Mir,
Ksiva Vachasima Tova
The Rabbanim are given control over zmanim. Usully this is interpreted to mean they can determine whether the month is 29 or 30 days (indirectly determining when the holidays fall out). However, might it mean that they could determine RH and YK (and Shemini Atzeret) as being the time of Teshuva?
If you look at Meiri on the Talmud 16b, he implies the idea that the 3 books are just a parable to teach us that you are judged based on your actions, but he does say that the "Hitorarot" to do Teshuva on RH is so great that if one is passive and does not use the time wisely "he has no part in the God of Israel".
As I -- LAWRENCE KAPLAN -- understand it, for Meiri RH is chosen as the time for reflecting about divine judgment, though, in truth, judgment takes place every day, because the astrological sign for Tishrei is the sign of scales, and scales cause peolpe to think about judgment.
An "enlightened" idea, but not really, IMO, a case of necessary belief.
I'm surprised no one brought up Psalms 81:4
"Blow shofar on the moon's renewal...because chok l'Yisrael hu - it is a decree for Israel - mishpat l'Elokai Yaakov - a judgment for the G-d of Yaakov."
I noticed that some translations add the word "day" after the word "judgment."
I think all he may mean is that the rbs"o is above time. he says that אין ב״ד של מעלה נכנסין לדין אלא אם בן קדשו ב״ד של מטה את החדש, mitzad the rbs"o actions are always known. I think he is just explaining the mashal of sefarim, how does the rbs"o really open sefarim, judge in time. mitzad us we are really given a day of din, even though to the rbs"o, our actions are always known. וכבר העיד וגלה האמת ר׳ יוסי
ע״ה באמת ט, אדם נדון בכל יום, ועל צד משל להיות המעשים ידועים
but this doesn't nec. imply that the yom hadin is not real din and just a necessary truth
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