ימים נוראים Should We Tremble or Should We Rejoice?

(23) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (24) Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the first day of the seventh month, there will be a solemn rest for you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. (25) You will do no manner of work; and you will bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

(26) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (27) Howbeit on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; there shall be a holy convocation unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; and you will bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (28) And you will do no manner of work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. (29) For whoever does not afflicted himself on that day will be cut off from his people. (30) And whoever does any manner of work in that same day, that soul will I destroy from among his people. (31) You will do no manner of work; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (32) It will be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you will afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month at even, from evening to evening, you will keep your sabbath.

(33) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (34) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. (35) On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you will do no manner of work. (36) Seven days you will bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD; on the eighth day will be a holy convocation for you; and you will bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD; it is a day of solemn assembly; you will do no manner of work.

(1) And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you will have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you. (2) And you will prepare a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; (3) and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth part for the ram, (4) and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs; (5) and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you; (6) beside the burnt-offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering thereof, and the continual burnt-offering and the meal-offering thereof, and their drink-offerings, according unto their ordinance, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

(7) And on the tenth day of this seventh month you will have a holy convocation; and you will afflict your souls; you will do no manner of work; (8) but you will present a burnt-offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish; (9) and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the one ram, (10) a several tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs; (11) one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the sin-offering of atonement, and the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and their drink-offerings.

(12) And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you will have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work, and you will keep a feast unto the LORD seven days; (13) and you will present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish; (14) and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth parts for each ram of the two rams, (15) and a several tenth part for every lamb of the fourteen lambs; (16) and one he-goat for a sin-offering beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof. (17) And on the second day ye shall present..(20) And on the third day... (23) And on the fourth day...And on the fifth day...(29) And on the sixth day...(32) And on the seventh day...(35) On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no manner of servile work; (36) but ye shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD...

(1) [A Psalm] of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (2) When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. (3) Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise up against me, Even then will I be confident. (4) One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, and to visit His sanctuary. (5) He will hide me in His shrine in a day of evil; He will shelter me in the covert of His tent; He will lift me up upon a rock. (6) And now He will lift my head up above my enemies round about me; And I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

(7) Hear, O LORD, when I call with my voice, And be gracious unto me, and answer me. (8) To You my heart said: ‘Seek My face'; Your face, LORD, will I seek. (9) Do not hide Your face far from me; do not reject Your servant; You have always been my help; do not forsake me and do not leave me, O God of my deliverance. (10) For though my father and my mother leave me, The LORD will gather me up. (11) Teach me Your way, O LORD; And lead me in an even path, Because of those who lie in wait for me. (12) Do not abandon me to the will of my foes; For false witnesses have risen up against me, people who breathe out lies. (13) If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living--

(14) Hope in the LORD; Be strong, and let thy heart take courage; Yea, hope in the LORD.

(2) Utter futility! says Koheleth; Utter futility! All is futile! (3) What real value is there for a man in all the gains he makes beneath the sun? (4) One generation passes away, and another generation comes; And the earth remains the same for ever.

(9) That which has been is that which shall be, And that which has been done is that which will be done; And there is nothing new under the sun. (10) Is there a thing about which it is said: ‘See, this is new’?—it hath been already, in the ages which were before us. (11) There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither will there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after. (12) I Kohelet have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. (13) And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. (14) I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. (15) That which is crooked cannot be made straight; And that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

(13) The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man. (14) For God will bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His Commandments; for this is the whole man.

Rabbi. Hama son of Rabbi Hanina, and Rabbi Hoshaya-- one said, "Is there a nation like this nation? Ordinarily someone who knows he is on trial wears black and wraps himself in black and lets his beard grow since he does not know how his trial will turn out. But that is not how it is with Israel. Rather, on the day of their trial they wear white and shave their beards and eat, drink, and rejoice, for they know that the Holy One blessed by He does miracles for them.

From the fact that the Mishna states "when Hallel is recited..." one can infer that on Rosh Hashana, Hallel is not said. What is the reason that Hallel is omitted on Rosh Hashana? Rabbi Abahu said: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, why don't the Jewish people recite songs of praise (ie. Hallel) before You on Rosh Hashana? God said to them: Is it possible that while the King is sitting on His throne of judgment, with the books life and death open before Him, Israel should sing praise?

(1) We lend power to the holiness of this day. For it is tremendous and awe filled, and on it Your kingship will be exalted, Your throne will be established in loving-kindness, and You will sit on that throne in truth.

(2) It is true that You are the One who judges, and reproves, who knows all, and bears witness, who inscribes, and seals, who reckons and counts. You remember all that is forgotten. You open the book of records, and from it, all shall be read. In it lies each person's signature (insignia).

(3) With a great shofar it will be sounded, and a thin silent voice shall be heard.

And the angels will be dismayed, and will be seized by fear and trembling, and they will proclaim: This is the Day of Judgment on which the hosts of heaven shall be judged, for they too shall not be judged blameless by You.

And all creatures shall parade before You as a herd.

As a shepherd herds his flock, directing his sheep to pass under his staff, so You shall pass, count, and record the souls of all living, and decree a limit to each person's days, and inscribe their final judgment.

(4) On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed -

how many will pass away and how many will be born,

who will live and who will die,

who in good time and who by an untimely death,

who by water and who by fire,

who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst,

who by earthquake and who by plague, who by strangulation and who by stoning,

who will have rest and who will wander,

who shall be at peace and who pursued,

who shall be serene and who tormented,

who shall become impoverished and who wealthy,

who shall be debased, and who exalted.

But repentance (t'shuva), self-reflection (t'fillah), and providing for others in justice (tz'dakkah) will avert the severity of the decree.

(5) For your praise is just as your name. You are slow to anger and quick to be appeased. For you do not desire the death of the condemned, rather, that they turn from their path and live and you wait for them until the day of their death, and if they repent, you receive them immediately. (It is true -) [For] you are their Creator and You understand their inclination, for they are but flesh and blood.

(6) We come from dust, and return to dust. We labour by our lives for bread, we are like broken shards, like dry grass, and like a withered flower; like a passing shadow and a vanishing cloud, like a breeze that passes, like dust that scatters, like a fleeting dream. But You are the king who lives eternal.