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A Rosh Hashanah Guide for the Perplexed — 2024
The evening of October 2, 2024, will launch the Jewish New Year of 5784. Rosh Hashanah underscores the fallibility of human beings, and the potential of universal self-enhancement through the commemoration of critical precepts of Judaism:
1. Self-examination. Rosh Hashanah initiates a wake-up call of 10 days of self-examination and repentance, which are concluded on Yom Kippur (the Day of Repentance). The holiday teaches us that we should never underestimate the capabilities to enhance our fortunes, when guided by morality-driven tenacity, determination, humility, and faith.
The root of the Hebrew word Shanah (שנה) is both “repeat” and “change.”
Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה) constitutes an annual reminder of the need to enhance one’s behavior through systematic self-examination, re-studying moral values, and avoiding past errors.
The New Jewish Year is the only Jewish holiday that is celebrated upon the (monthly) appearance of a new moon — signaling our emergence out of the darkness.
2. Genesis. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the sixth day of Creation, when the first human-being, Adam, was created.
Adam is the Hebrew word for a human-being (אדמ), which is the root of the Hebrew word for “soil” (אדמה) — a metaphor for humility. The Hebrew word for Adam is, also, an acronym of Abraham, David, and Moses, who were role models of humility.
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei — “the month of the Strong Ones” (Book of Kings A, 8:2) — when the three Jewish Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and the Prophet Samuel were born.
Tishrei means beginning/”genesis” in ancient Acadian.
The Hebrew letters of Tishrei (תשרי) are included in the spelling of Genesis (בראשית). Furthermore, the Hebrew spelling of Genesis (בראשית) includes the first two letters in the Hebrew alphabet (אב), a middle letter (י) and the last three letters (רשת) — representing the totality of the Creation.
3. Responsibility. The late Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, the iconic Talmudic scholar, compared the calendar year to a human body, consisting of the head/brain (the epicenter of the thought process), the heart (the intersection of blood supply), and the liver (the crux of the digestion process).
Thus, on Rosh Hashanah (the head/brain of the year), one contemplates the vision, strategy, tactics, and norms/values of the coming year. The rest of the year facilitates the implementation of this vision.
4. The Shofar. Rosh Hashanah is announced and celebrated by the blowing of the (bent, thus humble) shofar, the horn of the humble and determined non-predator ram. The roots of blowing the Shofar are in the book of Leviticus 23:23-25 and the book of Numbers 29:1-6: “a day of blowing the shofar” and “the day of commemorating the blowing of the shofar.”
The Hebrew spelling for Shofar שופר)) is a derivative of the verb to enhance and improve שפר)), enticing people to persist in the eternal voyage of improved behavior.
The sound of the Shofar was used to alert people to physical challenges (e.g., facing military challenges). On Rosh Hashanah, the Shofar alarms people to spiritual challenges and enhancement. It serves as a wake-up call for the necessity of cleansing one’s behavior.
5. Commemoration. The 100 blows of the Shofar commemorate:
The creation of Adam, the first human-being;
The almost-sacrifice of Isaac, which was prevented by a ram and an angel;
The receipt of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai;
The tumbling of the walls of Jericho upon re-entering the Land of Israel, which was facilitated by the blowing of the Shofar;
Judge Gideon’s war against the Midianites featured the blowing of the Shofar;
The reaffirmation of faith in God, the Creator (“In God We Trust”); and
The path of our despondency (the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem and the resulting exiles) to fulfilled optimism (the ingathering to the Land of Israel);
The 100 blows of the Shofar are divided into three series, honoring the three Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the three parts of the Old Testament (the Torah, Prophets, Writings) and the three types of human beings (pious, mediocre, and evil).
6. Pomegranate. On Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to eat seeds of a pomegranate, which is one of the seven Biblical species of the Land of Israel (wheat, barley, grapes, dates, figs, olives, pomegranates).
This fruit representing health, righteousness, fruitfulness, fertility, learning, and wisdom.
7. Honey. Rosh Hashanah meals include honey, for sweetening the coming year. The bee is the only insect that produces this essential food. It is a community-oriented, constructive, and diligent creature.
The Hebrew spelling of bee (דבורה) is identical to “the word of God” (דבור-ה’), and Deborah דבורה)) who was one of the seven Jewish prophetesses, as well as a military leader.
May this be a year of victory and liberation of the Gaza hostages.
The author is a commentator and former Israeli ambassador.
The post A Rosh Hashanah Guide for the Perplexed — 2024 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Six Killed in Jaffa Terror Shooting
Illustrative: Israeli troops guard, at the scene of a shooting, near Hebron, in the West Bank, August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
JNS.org — Six people were killed in a terrorist shooting attack on Jerusalem Boulevard in Tel Aviv-Jaffa on Tuesday night, according to the Israel Police and Magen David Adom emergency response service.
Earlier, Hebrew media reported that eight victims died in the attack.
Three victims are in serious condition and additional people sustained wounds to “varying degrees,” Israel’s Magen David Adom medical emergency response group said in a statement on the incident.
United Hatzalah first responder Rom Ella said, “We were informed that there were injured people near the train station on Jerusalem Boulevard. Passersby told us that there were also injured people on nearby streets, and additional medics were there and continued to other scenes. Some of the injured people we treated were unconscious.”
Three Arab terrorists were reportedly killed at the scene.
The victims were evacuated to Wolfson Medical Center in the nearby city of Holon and Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital).
A police officer on the scene said the terrorist attack involved at least two gunmen who exited a train car and opened fire at people waiting at one of the light-rail stations on Jaffa’s Jerusalem Boulevard.
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Only Casualty of Mass Iranian Missile Attack is Palestinian Man in Jericho: Reports
A man was killed by missile shrapnel in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho, amid the Iranian attack on Israel, according to Palestinian and Israeli media.
A Palestinian man in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho was killed by missile shrapnel, possibly from an Arrow Missile or Iron Dome interceptor, during a massive Iranian missile attack against Israel, according to Israeli media outlet GLZ.
The man, whose name or age has not been released by Israeli or Palestinian authorities, is currently the only reported casualty of the Iranian attack against Israel.
Israeli rescue services said that only two people were lightly wounded by shrapnel in Tel Aviv amid the Iranian missile attack, while several others were treated for minor injuries after falling over while running or for acute anxiety.
Iran fired an unprecedented salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, forcing the Jewish state’s entire civilian population to take cover in bomb shelters.
“A short time ago missiles were launched from Iran into the territory of the State of Israel,” a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. “You are asked to be vigilant and act exactly according to the instructions of the Home Front Command. The IDF is doing and will do everything necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”
The IDF posted on X/Twitter that “all Israeli civilians” were sheltering from the Iranian attack.
Alarms sounded across Israel and explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley. Reuters journalists reported seeing missiles being intercepted in the airspace of neighboring Jordan.
According to initial Israeli Hebrew-language media reports, as many as 100 missiles had been launched.
“The air-defense system is fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats wherever necessary, even at this moment,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman. “However, the defense is not hermetic.”
Iran had initially vowed to retaliate for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July. The Israeli government has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the assassination, although the Iranian regime blamed Jerusalem.
It was widely expected that Iran would launch a direct attack on Israel; however, no such attack ever came.
The post Only Casualty of Mass Iranian Missile Attack is Palestinian Man in Jericho: Reports first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Launches Barrage of Ballistic Missiles at Israel
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 1, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, forcing the Jewish state’s entire civilian population to take cover in bomb shelters.
“A short time ago missiles were launched from Iran into the territory of the State of Israel,” a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. “You are asked to be vigilant and act exactly according to the instructions of the Home Front Command. The IDF is doing and will do everything necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”
The IDF posted on X/Twitter that “all Israeli civilians” were sheltering from the Iranian attack.
Alarms sounded across Israel and explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley. Reuters journalists reported seeing missiles being intercepted in the airspace of neighboring Jordan.
According to Israeli army radio, nearly 200 missiles had been launched into Israel from Iran.
“The air-defense system is fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats wherever necessary, even at this moment,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman. “However, the defense is not hermetic.”
Israel‘s military later said Israelis were free to leave their shelters.
“Following the situational assessment, it was decided that it is now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country,” the military said.
According to Hagari, the IDF was not immediately aware of any injuries resulting from the Iranian missile attack.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an Iranian military force and internationally designated terrorist organization with significant political and economic influence, said Iran had launched “tens of missiles” at Israel and that if Israel retaliated, Tehran’s response would be “more crushing and ruinous.”
Iran had initially vowed to retaliate for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July. The Israeli government has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the assassination, although the Iranian regime blamed Jerusalem.
It was widely expected that Iran would launch a direct attack on Israel; however, no such attack ever came.
Then Iran said it would retaliate following Israeli airstrikes over the last two weeks that killed the top leaders of its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, including longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. IRGC deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan was also killed in the same strike as Nasrallah.
Iran backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, providing the Islamist terrorist groups with weapons, funding, and training.
“After a period of restraint, Iran has targeted the heart of the occupied territories with tens of missiles following the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh … the intensification of the Zionist regime’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, the martyrdom of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and [of] Guards Commander Abbas Nilforoushan,” the IRGC reportedly said.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the missile launches were ordered by Iran’s so-called “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that Tehran is “fully prepared” for an Israeli response. According to Reuters, Khamenei has remained in a secure location since the Israeli airstrikes on Beirut that killed Nasrallah last week.
Tuesday’s missile barrage came after Israel said its troops launched limited ground raids into neighboring Lebanon, where Iran’s chief proxy force Hezbollah wields significant influence and has been firing drones, missiles, and rockets at northern Israeli communities almost daily for the past year.
About 80,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate and flee their homes amid the relentless attacks. Israeli leaders have said they are committed to making it safe for the displaced citizens to return to their homes, even if that means using military force to push Hezbollah forces further away from the Israel-Lebanon border.
US officials had reportedly said earlier on Tuesday that they had indications Iran was preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel and that Washington was actively supporting preparations to defend the Jewish state, its closest Middle Eastern ally.
US President Joe Biden said the United States was prepared to help Israel defend itself from Iranian aggression.
“We discussed how the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region,” Biden posted on X/Twitter about a meeting held with Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House national security team earlier in the day.
In April, Iran launched what was then an unprecedented direct attack on Israeli soil. In that attack, Iran fired some 300 missiles and drones at Israel, nearly all of which were downed by the Jewish state and its allies. The failed barrage was in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital of Damascus that killed seven IRGC members, including two senior commanders. One of the commanders allegedly helped plan the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel. Israel neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the incident.
Iran’s latest attack came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned nowhere in the Middle East was beyond its reach to strike.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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