“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, shall be a rest for you, a remembrance by means of a blast, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:24). “In the seventh month, on the first of the month” – that is what is written: “Forever, Lord, Your word stands in the heavens” (Psalms 119:89). It is taught in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: On the twenty-fifth of Elul, the world was created. Rav’s statement is in accordance with what Rabbi Eliezer taught, as we learned in the tekiata of Rav: This day is the beginning of Your works, a commemoration of the first day. “For it is a statute for Israel, [a law of the God of Jacob]” (Psalms 81:5). Regarding the countries, it will be said: Which is for the sword and which is for peace, which is for famine and which is for plenty. The people will be remembered on it, to be ascribed for life or for death. In conclusion, you say: On the day of Rosh HaShana, in the first hour it entered His thoughts, in the second [hour] He consulted with the ministering angels, in the third He gathered his dust, in the fourth He kneaded it, in the fifth He shaped it, in the sixth He made it into a lifeless body, in the seventh He breathed a soul into him, in the eighth He brought him into the Garden, in the ninth he was commanded, in the tenth he transgressed, in the eleventh he was sentenced, in the twelfth he emerged with a pardon. The Holy One blessed be He said to Adam: ‘This is a portent for your descendants. Just as you stood trial before Me this day and emerged with a pardon, so your descendants are destined to stand trial before Me on this day and emerge before Me with a pardon.’ When? It is “in the seventh month, on the first of the month.” Rabbi Naḥman began: “You, have no fear, My servant Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:10) – it is speaking of Jacob, as it is written: “He dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set on the ground…[God’s angels were ascending and descending on it]” (Genesis 28:12). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: These are the guardian angels of the nations of the world, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It teaches that the Holy One blessed be He showed him the guardian angel of Babylon ascending seventy rungs, [the guardian angel] of Media [ascending] fifty–two, [the guardian angel] of Greece [ascending] one hundred and eighty, and [the guardian angel] of Edom ascending, but [Jacob] did not know how many. At that moment, Jacob our patriarch grew fearful. He said: ‘Is it possible that this one has no descent?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘“You, have no fear, My servant Jacob,” even if it ascends and sits near Me, I will bring it down from there.’ That is what is written: “If you raise yourself like the eagle, or place your nest among the stars, [from there I will bring you down, the utterance of the Lord]” (Obadiah 1:4). Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: It teaches that the Holy One blessed be He showed Jacob the guardian angel of Babylon ascending and descending, of Media ascending and descending, of Greece ascending and descending, and of Edom ascending and descending. The Holy One blessed be He said to Jacob: ‘You, too, will ascend.’ At that moment, Jacob our patriarch grew fearful and said: ‘Perhaps, God forbid, just as there was descent for these, so it will be for me.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘“You, have no fear,” if you ascend, there will be no descent for you forever.’ He did not believe, and he did not ascend. Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: Rabbi Meir would expound: “Nonetheless, they continued to sin and did not believe in His wonders” (Psalms 78:32), this is Jacob our patriarch, who did not believe and did not ascend. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Had you believed and ascended, you would never have descended. Now that you did not believe and did not ascend, your descendants will be subjugated by the four kingdoms in this world with land taxes, produce taxes, animal taxes, and head taxes.’ At that moment, Jacob grew fearful. He said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, is it, perhaps, forever?’ He said to him: “Do not be afraid, Israel, as, behold, I will save you from afar” (Jeremiah 30:10). Just as it says: “They came to me from a distant land, from Babylon” (Isaiah 39:3). “And your descendants from the land of their captivity” (Jeremiah 30:10), that is from Gaul, from Spain, and from its allies. “And Jacob will return” (Jeremiah 30:10) from Babylon, “and be calm” (Jeremiah 30:10), from Media, “and tranquil” (Jeremiah 30:10), from Greece, “and there is none to cause trembling” (Jeremiah 30:10), from Edom. “For I will bring annihilation upon all the nations to which I dispersed you” (Jeremiah 30:11), upon the nations of the world who reap their entire fields, I will bring annihilation. “But I will not bring annihilation upon you” (Jeremiah 30:11); but upon Israel, who do not reap their entire fields, as it says: “You shall not reap the corner of your field” (Leviticus 23:22), I will not bring annihilation. “I will chastise you with justice” (Jeremiah 30:11), I will afflict you with suffering in this world in order to cleanse you of your iniquities in the future. When? It is in the seventh month. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Naḥman began: “God ascends with a blast, the Lord with the sound of a shofar” (Psalms 47:6). When the Holy One blessed be He sits and ascends on the throne of justice, He ascends in justice. What is the source? “God [ Elohim ] ascends with a blast.” When Israel take their shofars and sound them before the Holy One blessed be He, He rises from the throne of justice and sits on the throne of mercy, as it is written: “The Lord with the sound of a shofar.” When? In the seventh month. Rabbi Yoshiya began: “Happy are the people who know the blast; they walk, Lord, in the light of Your countenance” (Psalms 89:16). Rabbi Abahu interpreted the verse regarding five elders who convene to intercalate the year. What does the Holy One blessed be He do? He leaves His Heavenly Council on High and contracts His Divine Presence in their midst below. The ministering angels say: ‘Is this the Mighty? Is this the Mighty? Is this the God? Is this the God? Does He, in whose regard it is written: “The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy” (Psalms 89:8), leave His Heavenly Council on High and contract His Divine Presence in their midst below?’ Why to that extent? So that if they err regarding a matter of halakha , He will illuminate their countenance. That is what is written: “They walk, Lord, in the light of Your countenance.” Rabbi Yoshiya said: It is written: “Happy are the people who know the blast.” Are there no nations of the world who know how to sound a blast? How many horns do they have? How many trumpets do they have? How many bugles do they have? Yet you say: “Happy are the people who know the blast”? It is, rather, that they know how to appease their Creator with the blast. He rises from His throne of justice and becomes filled with mercy toward them and transforms the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy. When? In the seventh month. Rabbi Berekhya began in the name of Rabbi Yirmeya: “The path of life goes upward for the intelligent” (Proverbs 15:24). “The path of life” is nothing other than Torah, just as it says: “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it” (Proverbs 3:18). Alternatively, “The path of life goes upward for the intelligent,” just as it says: “Rebukes of admonition are the path of life,” (Proverbs 6:23). “Upward for the intelligent,” this is to one who looks at the mitzvot of the Torah. What is written before this matter? “You shall not reap the corner of your field” (Leviticus 23:22). Rabbi Berekhya began: “Sound the shofar at the New Moon [at the covering of our festive day]” (Psalms 81:4). Are all the months not the New Moon? “At the covering,” – is [the moon] not covered [at the beginning] of all months? Rather, “of our festive day.” But is Nisan also not a month that is covered and has its own festival? Rather, which is the month that is covered, has a festival, and its festival is on that day? You find it only in the month of Tishrei. In this month, renew your actions. “The shofar” – in this month, improve [ shaperu ] your actions. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you have improved your actions, I will become like this shofar for you. Just as this shofar takes in from this side and lets out from that side, so I rise from My throne of justice and sit on My throne of mercy and transform the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy.’ When? In the seventh month. Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina began: “So said the Lord, your Redeemer, Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you [ melamedkha ] for your benefit, [Who guides you on the way you should go]” (Isaiah 48:17). He goads you with a prod the way a cattle prod pokes a cow. [The cattle prod] has three names: Malmad , marde’a , dorvan . Malmad , as it teaches [ melamed ] the cow to plow so it can give life to its owner. Marde’a , as it imparts knowledge [ moreh daat ] to the cow. Dorvan , as it imparts understanding [ moreh bina ] to the cow. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If for his cow a person crafts a goad, for one’s evil inclination, which expels him from this world and the one to come, all the more so.’ “Who guides you on the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17) – Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: This is analogous to the son of kings who stood trial before his father. His father said: ‘If you seek to be exonerated before me in judgment on this day, appoint as your advocate so-and-so and you will be exonerated before me in judgment.’ So the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘My children, if you seek to be exonerated in judgment before Me on this day, mention the merit of the patriarchs and you will be exonerated before Me in judgment.’ “On the first [of the month],” this is Abraham, as it is stated: “Abraham was one” (Ezekiel 33:24). “A remembrance by means of a blast,” this is Isaac, as it is stated: “He saw, and behold, a ram” (Genesis 22:13). “A holy convocation [ mikra kodesh ],” this is Jacob, as it is stated: “Listen to Me Jacob, Israel who was called by Me [ mekora’i ]” (Isaiah 48:12). When will you mention the merit of the patriarchs and be exonerated before Me in judgment? In the seventh month. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba in the name of Rabbi Levi began: “People are nothingness; men are but deceit; they rise together on a scale, lighter than nothingness” (Psalms 62:10). According to the way of the world, what do people say? So-and-so man shall marry so-and-so woman – [but] “people are nothingness.” So-and-so woman will be married to so-and-so man – but “men are but deceit.” “They rise together on a scale, lighter than nothingness.” Rabbi Ḥiyya said: While they are still nothingness in their mother’s womb, they are together. Rav Naḥman said: All the acts of vanity and deceit that the descendants of Abraham our patriarch perform in this world, he is worthy to atone for all of them. That is what is written: “The greatest man among giants” (Joshua 14:15). “They rise together on a scale,” on the scale he atones for them, in the month whose constellation is Libra. Which is that? It is the month of Tishrei. You will atone [ tishrei ] and forgive all the sins of Your people. When? In the seventh month. Alternatively, “in the seventh [ hashevi’i ] month,” as it is plentiful [ mesuba ] in all respects; the wine presses and olive presses are [active] in it, there are blessings in it. Yom Kippur is in it, sukka is in it, lulav and arava are in it. Another matter, “in the seventh month” – Rabbi Berekhya would call it the month of the oath, for in it the Holy One blessed be He took an oath to Abraham our patriarch of blessed memory. That is what is written: “He said: I have taken an oath by Myself, the utterance of the Lord” (Genesis 22:16). What need was there for an oath? Rav Beivai bar Abaye said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Abraham our patriarch stood in prayer and supplication before the Holy One blessed be He and said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, it is revealed and known before You that when You said to me: “Take now your son, your only one” (Genesis 22:2), I had in my heart what to answer You, and I had in my heart what to say: Yesterday You said to me: “For it is through Isaac that offspring will be considered yours” (Genesis 21:12), and now You say to me: “Offer him up there as a burnt offering”? (Genesis 22:2). However, just as I had what to answer You, but I suppressed my evil inclination and did not answer You, “Like one who is deaf, who does not hear; like a mute who does not open his mouth” (Psalms 38:14), so when Isaac’s descendants engage in transgressions and wicked deeds, recall for them the binding of Isaac their patriarch, and rise from the throne of justice to the throne of mercy, become filled with mercy upon them, have mercy upon them, and transform the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy on their behalf.’ When? In the seventh month. “Abraham lifted his eyes and saw that behold, there was a ram, after it had been entangled in the thicket by its horns” (Genesis 22:13), this teaches that the Holy One blessed be He showed Abraham our patriarch the ram freeing itself from one thicket and becoming entangled in another thicket. The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘Thus your descendants are destined to be caught in iniquities and entangled in troubles and ultimately, be redeemed with the horns of a ram.’ That is what is written: “The Lord God will sound the shofar” (Zechariah 9:14). Rabbi Huna ben Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It teaches that the Holy One blessed be He showed Abraham our patriarch the ram freeing itself from one thicket and becoming entangled in another thicket. The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘Thus your descendants are destined to be caught among the nations, entangled in troubles, and drawn from kingdom to kingdom: From Babylon to Media, from Media to Greece and from Greece to Edom. They will ultimately be redeemed by the horns of a ram.’ That is what is written: “The Lord will appear over them, and His arrow will emerge like lightning; and the Lord God will sound the shofar” (Zechariah 9:14). Rabbi Abba son of Rav Pappi and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: All the days of the year, Israel is engaged in their labor and on Rosh HaShana they take their shofars and sound them before the Holy One blessed be He. He rises from the throne of justice to the throne of mercy and becomes filled with mercy for them. When? In the seventh month. All the sevens are forever beloved. Above, the seventh is beloved: Shamayim , shemei shamayim , rakia , sheḥakim , zevul , maon , and aravot , and it is written: Praise Him Who rides in the aravot , with His name, the Lord” (Psalms 68:5). Regarding lands, the seventh is beloved: Eretz , adama , arka , gai , tziya , neshiya , tevel , and it is written: “He will judge the universe [ tevel ] in righteousness, the nations with uprightness” (Psalms 9:9). Regarding generations, the seventh is beloved: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Yered, Ḥanokh, and it is written: “Hanokh walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). Regarding our ancestors, the seventh is beloved: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kehat, Amram, Moses, and it is written: “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3). Regarding sons, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated: “David was the seventh” (I Chronicles 2:15). Regarding kings, the seventh is beloved: Saul, Ish Boshet, David, Solomon, Reḥavam, Aviya, Asa, and it is written: “Asa cried out to the Lord” (II Chronicles 14:10). Regarding years, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated: “But in the seventh, you shall let it rest and leave it fallow” (Exodus 23:11). Regarding Sabbatical years, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated: “You shall sanctify the fiftieth year” (Leviticus 25:10). Regarding days, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated: “God blessed the seventh day” (Genesis 2:3). Regarding months, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated: “In the seventh month, on the first of the month.” Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish were sitting, deliberating, and saying: ‘We learned: On the festival day of Rosh HaShana that coincides with Shabbat, they would sound the shofar in the Temple but not in the outlying areas. If it is a matter of Torah law, it should override even in the outlying areas. If it is not a matter of Torah law, it should not override even in the Temple.’ While they were sitting and deliberating, Kahana passed. They said: ‘The master of the halakha has come, let us go and ask him.’ They went and asked him. He said to them: ‘One verse says: “A remembrance by means of a blast” (Leviticus 23:24), and one verse says: “A day of a blast” (Numbers 29:1). How so? When it coincides with Shabbat, “a remembrance by means of a blast,” – one mentions it but does not sound the shofar.’ Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: Let it override in the Temple, where they know the time of the New Moon, but let it not override in the outlying areas, where they do not know the time of the New Moon, as Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: It shall be a day of the blast, you shall perform a fire offering; in the place where the offerings are sacrificed. Rabbi Taḥlifa of Caesarea said: Regarding all the additional offerings it is written: “You shall sacrifice,” but here it is written: “You shall perform a fire offering,” how so? The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘My children, today I ascribe to you as though today you were formed before Me, as though today I created you as a new creation. That is what is written: “For just as the new heavens and the new earth [that I will make will remain before Me…so your descendants and your name will remain]”’ (Isaiah 66:22).
Leviticus Rabbah 29
Tap any verse to see what it echoes — and start a chain or echo from it.