Waiting for Rain: Reflections at the Turning of the Year

Chapter Three A Voice on High

Chapter Three
A Voice on High
As is the case on Sabbath and holidays, the scriptural readings for Rosh Hashanah consist of Torah passages, followed by selections from the Prophets. In the Torah portion for the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read of the birth of Isaac, and on the second day we read the story of Akedat Yitzhak—his near-death experience. These dramatic choices portray the inexplicable nature of God’s judgment. As Master of the Universe, He grants a son to the elderly Sarah and Abraham, and then paradoxically threatens to take him away. Perhaps, the Rabbis chose these passages to give expression to our own lack of clarity regarding fate and destiny. It is not readily apparent how the concomitant prophetic narratives , the haftarot, that we read on Rosh Hashanah relate to these stories of the perplexing judgment of Abraham and Sarah. In fact, an alternate tradition—reading chapter 2 of the book of Joel as the prophetic selection on Rosh Hashanah—places this question in stark relief. The prophet Joel proclaims, “Blow a shofar in Zion, sound an alarm on My holy mount. For the day of the Lord has come, it is close” (Joel 2:1) [author’s translation]. This chapter relates directly to repentance performed by the entire nation, from commoners to priests. Joel poignantly implores the peo47 ple: “Rend your hearts rather than your garments, And turn back to the LORD your God . . .” (2:13). Such a haftarah coalesces with the theme of Rosh Hashanah, expressed in the Pentateuchal passages. Rosh Hashanah is the awesome day of the Lord, on which we appeal to the Judge of all mankind to be merciful. In the words of Joel: For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in kindness, And renouncing punishment. Who knows but He may turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind . . . (Joel 2:13) We pray that His mercy upon which we rely might be evoked in our case as well. As a commentary on God’s judgment and our dependence upon His compassion, the haftarah from the book of Joel builds upon themes found in the Torah portions. However, Joel, chapter 2, did not gain widespread popularity as the haftarah of the day. The Rabbis looked elsewhere for religious inspiration. The haftarah they chose for the first day of Rosh Hashanah was the story of the barrenness of Hannah and the long-awaited birth of Samuel. As for the haftarah of the second day, they chose Jeremiah’s prophecy of consolation, which contains a poignant reference to the comfort Jeremiah offered to the Matriarch Rachel about the restoration of her children. Why were these scriptural texts selected as the pivotal readings of Rosh Hashanah? Ostensibly, their inclusion emanated from the common fate of the three women involved. The following reason is found in the Talmud: “On Rosh Hashanah, God took account of Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah” by blessing them with children (B. Yev. 64b). This explanation of why we read what we read has become standard fare. However, it is nowhere mentioned in Scripture that these notable conceptions had any connection with the first day of Tishrei. This rather weakens the force of the Talmud’s contention. In fact, it 48
Waiting for Rain is tempting to suppose that the notion that these noble women were redeemed from barrenness on the same special day arose from these stories being read on Rosh Hashanah, rather than motivating their selection. What then was the substantive reason for the Rabbis preferring these passages to all others for the lectionary of the day? The simplest explanation is that the three stories about Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah are tales of birth, life and renewal. Rosh Hashanah is the day the world was born—Ha-yom harat olam, says the mahzor, and the day we are remembered for life. This vital theme reverberates throughout the liturgy. What could be more appropriate than to include the joyful stories of women who suffered childlessness for so many long years only to be rewarded for their faith and forbearing with the gift of life? The long road from barrenness to motherhood is truly a form of redemption, a reawakening of dreams long put to rest. These profound accounts of longing and fulfillment strike responsive chords in our own lives. Moreover, Rosh Hashanah is the day we lift our voices in prayer. These stories...