SURPRISE! The name “New Year” or RoshHashanah is never mentioned in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Instead, Leviticus offers two names for the observance that falls on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (in our calendar, in September or October). The biblical names for Rosh Hashanah are: the Day of Remembrance (Yom Hazikaron) and the Day of the Shofar Sounding (Yom T'ru-ah ).
A WIDE-ANGLE LOOK AT THE HOLIDAY, METAPHORICALLY
In the midrash (a commentary on the Torah), Rosh Hashanah is said to be the day on which the world was created (or finished). For that reason, the holiday came to be known as the Jewish new year or the birthday of the world.
It is said that on Rosh Hashanah, God metaphorically opens the Book of Life in which every living person’s fate is recorded. Ten days later, on YomKippur, the book is sealed. For that reason, the ten days beginning on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur have been known as the Days of Awe. This period is a time for reflection, repentence, and behavior changes.
A WIDE-ANGLE LOOK AT SIN AND REPENTENCE
In Jewish life, a sin is something that "missed the mark," whether to another person or God. To atone for a sin, Jews ask forgiveness of whomever was wronged and then work to return to the path of better behavior. At worship on Rosh Hashanah, all prayers asking for forgiveness are in the plural because "we" are in this together, and from each other we gain strength.
In Hebrew, the word for repenting is t'shuvah (literally, returning to good behavior). This process includes looking inward and becoming conscious of those areas where the mark of good behavior was missed. T'shuvah involves five steps including acknowledging one’s mistakes:
Acknowledging the poor behavior choice.
Apologizing to those who were harmed.
Making restitution, if possible.
Finding ways to make sure that these same mistakes are not repeated in the future.
Praying to God for forgiveness.
The process of looking inward, a key focus of the Rosh Hashanah prayerbook, is known in Hebrew as heshbon hanefesh, loosely translated as“inventorying” the soul.