The account of the birth of Yitzchak is read on the first day of Rosh Hashana because it was then decreed in heaven that Sarah should give birth to a son.
Although other connections can be made, this Machzor highlights the tradition that it was decided on the first day of Rosh Hashanah that Sarah should, at the age of 90, should give birth to a son, Isaac.
Digging Deeper
After the Torah recounts the birth of Isaac, the story continues with Isaac's mother, Sarah, demanding that Abraham send out his first son, Ishmael, and Ishmael's mother, Hagar.
According to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, this part of Abraham's story, along with the section that is read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, characterizes Abraham's challenges and greatness. Each time that Abraham seems closer to fulfilling his dream, in this case of having a son to carry on his legacy, something happens that moves it out of his grasp.
From Negative Capability by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
A pattern is beginning to emerge. Abraham was learning that there is a long and winding road between promise and fulfilment. Not because God does not keep His word, but because Abraham and his descendants were charged with bringing something new into the world. .. It would become a nation of pioneers. And God was teaching Abraham from the very beginning that this demands extraordinary strengths of character, because nothing great and transformative happens overnight in the human world. You have to keep going, even if you are tired and lost, exhausted and despondent.
God will bring about everything He promised. But not immediately. And not directly. God seeks change in the real world of everyday lives. And He seeks those who have the tenacity of faith to keep going despite all the setbacks. That is what the life of Abraham was about.
- How does this message connect to the start of a new year?
- Does the message have new meaning as we celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the middle of a pandemic?
Clue #2
What story is told in the second day’s Torah reading? Find the verse in the Torah reading that mentions a ritual item used on Rosh Hashanah