Did Jew Know That - New Years

by Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum, Temple Judea Scholar-in-Residence

How many times a year do you say Happy New Year? Some of you might answer “Once,” thinking of the recent dropping of the ball, and tons of confetti as December 31 yielded to January 1. Some may have offered, “Twice,” thinking of the secular year and the Jewish new year, Rosh haShanah. Some, remembering last year’s Tu b’Shvat Seder, might have answered “Four, or five counting the Gregorian New Year.”

Four New Years? While at first glance this doesn’t make sense to us, think of the notion of a “fiscal year” or even the beginning dates of your yearly subscription to dozens of services. Some of us might experience dozens of “new years” per year!

So, we are entering what I will call 2 O 26. There is a Jewish practice called “gematria” which assigns a numerical value to the letters of the alphabet. (More on that another time.) In that system, the special 4-letter name of God equals 26, so we have part of our year.

What can it mean 2 O, i.e., “to owe” Adonai? How do you plan to repay your debt of gratitude for the blessings you have received or the support you’ve felt? Can you find ways to “pay it forward,” whether through interpersonal behavior or synagogue involvement or commitment to worthy causes?

New Year’s resolutions tend to be about oneself. The Jewish approach is about relationships with others and with the Divine. Let’s see this year through that Jewish lens.

Chazak! Chazak! V’nitchazeik! Be strong! Be strong! And let us strengthen one another!