The origins of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year – like many Jewish holidays – go back to the Torah, the first Five Books of Hebrew Scriptures: what we call the Jewish Bible. The Book of Leviticus (23:24-25) declares: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of rest, a memorial proclaimed with the blowing of the Shofar, a holy convocation.”

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Although this day later became known Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it was not originally so.  According to the Talmud, in ancient times, there were four different New Years in the Jewish calendar. Each had a distinct significance:

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     •    The 1st of the Hebrew month of Tishrei – now called Rosh Hashanah, our Jewish New Year – was originally the beginning of the agricultural year.

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     •    The 15th of the Hebrew month of Sh’vat – which comes approximately mid-January - known as Tu B’Sh’vat, considered the “New Year of Trees,” when the Holy Land’s first buds were ready to bloom.

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     •    The 1st of the Hebrew month of Nisan – the first month of Spring - was the New Year of Kings: the date used to calculate the number of years the King had reigned.

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     •    The 1st of the Hebrew month of Elul – approximately mid-August – was the New Year for tithing of cattle: the time when one of ten cattle was marked and offered as sacrifice to God.

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The Torah actually refers to the Spring month of Nisan as the first month of the Jewish year, not Rosh Hashanah’s month of Tishrei, which is noted as the seventh month.

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The Babylonians, among whom the Jews lived, marked a “Day of Judgment” each year.  They believed on that day the deities assembled in the Temple of their chief god, Marduk.  They imagined their Gods renewed the world and judged each human being, inscribing the fate of every individual on a Tablet of Destiny.  The legend was a powerful one and Jews borrowed it, shaping Rosh Hashanah.

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Thus in rabbinic thought, the God of Israel consigned our deeds to the Book of Life each Rosh Hashanah, inscribing us for life or death in the year to come.  During the Ten Days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur one was given the additional opportunity to repent before the Book of Life was sealed for the year.  From this construct came the well-known Jewish New Year’s greetings – “Shana Tova”: a “Good Year”;  “L’shanah Tova”: to “A Year of Goodness”;  and “L’shanah Tova Tikatevu”: “May you be inscribed for a Good Year.”

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In addition to the Torah’s “Holy Day of Convocation,” – and following the Babylonians, the “Day of Judgment,” Rosh Hashanah became associated with the anniversary of the creation of the world. It was not until the second century C.E. that the holiday acquired the name Rosh Hashanah, first appearing in the Mishnah.  Prior, the day had other designations.  The oldest, found in the Torah (Numbers 29:1) is Yom T’ruah: “Day of Sounding the Shofar”.  Two later names – still preserved in the liturgy and rabbinic literature – reflect Babylonia’s influence – Yom HaZikaron: “Day of Remembrance,” and Yom HaDin: “Day of Judgment.”

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We just say "Shana Tova: Happy New Year!"

Rabbi Ari Fridkis, adapted from ReformJudaism.org,