CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW
September 16, 1960
THE JEW FACES THE WORLD
BY RABBI MENDELL LEWITTES OF YOUNG ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE, OF MONTREAL
After each sounding of the Shofar during the chanting of the Mussaf service on Rosh Hashonah, we proclaim, "Today is the birthday of the world." Indeed, it is commonly accepted that Rosh Hashonah is the anniversary of Creation. For this reason, Rosh Hashonah, from amongst all Jewish holidays, is distinguished by its universal tones.
Every other holiday centers about the historical experience of the Children of Israel. Our prayers on those occasions concern our hopes for the future of the Jewish people. Rosh Hashonah, however, marks no event peculiar to the Jewish people. It goes back to the very beginnings of humanity, long before men were divided into races and peoples and tongues. Thus we open our petition in the Amidah with a plea that concerns all of God's creatures. "May all Thy creatures worship Thee and join in one union to do Thy will with a perfect heart."
One would therefore assume that here there is no difference of opinion amongst our religious teachers ; all agree that the world, or, more properly, Man, who is the apex of Creation, was created on the first day of Tishri, the day on which Rosh Hashonah is cele-
brated. And yet, strangely enough, we find two Tannaim, teachers of the Mishna, maintaining opposing views concerning this tradition.
Rabbi Eliezer says, "The world was created in the month of Tishri." Rabbi Yehoshua says, "The world was created in the month of Nisan." What is even more remarkable is the fact that their views concerning the date of the world's creation determine their respective views concerning the time of the future redemption of Israel. R. Eliezer, who maintains that the world "was created in Tishri, asserts that redemption also will take place in Tishri. Whereas R, Yehoshua, who maintains that the world was created in Nisan, asserts that redemption will come to pass in Nisan.
What is the significance of this Talmudic disputation? What difference does it make whether the world was created in the month of Tishri or in the month of Nisan? And why should that, make a difference as to when the future redemption will come about?
Before we attempt to answer this question, may I present another statement from the Talmud, as follows: "When we say in our Rosh Hashonah prayers: 'This day is the beginning of Thy
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works1, we are following the opinion of R. Eliezer." Whereupon the Tosafot commentary asks: "Then why, in our Passover prayers, do we say that the world was created in Nisan? How can we on Rosh Hashonah follow one opinion and on Pesach follow the contrary opinion?" And the answer given is that both views are valid, and are reconciled in this way.
Tishri was the month when the idea of creation was first conceived by the Creator, but Nisan is the month when the world was actually created. That is to say that the plan, or original design, came six months earlier than the actual execution of the plan. The change in time, we must conclude, represented a change in the original design. For some reason, which we shall attempt to discover, the world "when created did not measure up in all respects to God's original intention.
We find in the Mishna that both the first day of Nisan and the first day of Tishri are considered to be Rosh Hashonah, the first day of a new year. The former, Nisan, is Rosh Hashonah for Israel's kings, whereas the latter, Tishri, is Rosh Hashonah for the kings of all other peoples. Thus Nisan represents the beginning for the Jewish people and Tishri represents the beginning for the world at large. Nisan is the symbol for a unique people, chosen from amongst the family of all peoples; Tishri is the symbol of the community of all nations and the brotherhood of all mankind.
Thus R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua are engaged not in a purely theoretical question, but are positing their particular views concerning the basic ideals of humanity and its aspirations to achieve a perfect society. Though
both subscribed to the basic tenet of Judaism that God chose the children of Israel to be, an "am segulah", a precious people, the question in their minds was this: which fact is more basic and requires more emphasis, what ideal can more readily enable us to achieve the perfect society, the universality of mankind or the chosenness of Israel? ..- -
R. Eliezer maintains that Tishri is supreme, that the world was created for the sake of universal brotherhood. The distinctions between one people and another, the classification into different races and creeds, are incidental to the greater purpose of achieving one indivisible humanity wherein all individuals will subscribe to the same creed of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Only through the constant emphasis upon the essential unity of all men will we be able to bring closer that Messianic era so strikingly described by the prophets of Israel, the era of universal disarmament and peace.
R. Yehoshua, on the other hand, maintains that Nisan is supreme, that the world will attain its true character only after there is born, a people which is ready to enter into a special covenant with God to be the bearers of His truth. Social and ethical progress in this world cannot be achieved through an anonymous humanity, where everyone shares an equal responsibility for the moral level of society.
There has to be a special segment of humanity which will take upon itself a special responsibility for human brotherhood; a unique people that will consecrate itself to the ideals of justice and peace; a society within world society which will strive to incorporate these ideals into its own social pattern
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SEPTEMBER 16, 1960
VOL JUL No, 51
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