NEW YEAR: BIRTHDAY OF THE WORLD

Rosh HaShanah is the Biblical/Jewish New Year. Rosh in Hebrew means, “Head”. Shanah in Hebrew means, “Year”. Therefore, Rosh HaShanah is the head of the (civil) year. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh HaShanah / Yom Teruah is also the birthday of the world (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 11a).

According to Jewish tradition, the rabbis teach that Adam was created on Rosh HaShanah (Talmud, San Hedrin 38b). How was it determined that Rosh HaShanah was the day that the world was created? The first words in the Book of Genesis / Bereishit, “In the beginning” when changed around says in Hebrew, “Aleph b’Tishrei”, or the first of Tishrei. Therefore, tradition tells us that the world was created at this time.