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FromtheRabbi’sStudyRabbiAdam WohlbergThere I was enjoying lunch after serviceson the first day of Rosh Hashanah when Iwas asked, “The Question.” “The Question”comes up several times-a-year and I rarelyfind that people are satisfied with the answerthat I provide.“Why,” I am asked, “is Rosh Hashanahcelebrated on two days rather than on one?”And my response is always, “Would yourather have Rosh Hashanah be one day andYom Kippur be two?!?”Well, that isn’t really how I answer thatquestion, but the real answer is a bit involvedand too long for most people’s tastes.But a bulletin column may be the bestplace to offer a response since it will offeryou the opportunity to read through it severaltimes, and, if necessary, come back to itlater.An excellent article on the Jewish calendarcan be found in Dr. Phillip Birnbaum’sbook, Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts(Hebrew Publishing Company, Brooklyn,NY, 1964). A noted author, translator andeducator, Dr. Birnbaum received his doctorateat the Dropsie College in Philadelphia.Today, what was Dropsie College is part ofthe Center for Advanced Judaic Studies atthe University of Pennsylvania.It is important to note that months in theJewish calendar have either 29 or 30 days,and that the beginning of a new month correspondswith the appearance of a new moon.Dr. Birnbaum explains that in the days of theTemple in Jerusalem, the start of a newmonth in the Jewish calendar was determined“on the basis of both calculation andobservation.” Witnesses would come to theSanhedrin (Supreme Court) in Jerusalem andgive testimony as to having seen the newmoon. There had to be at least two witnessesthat confirmed the sighting.The witnesses were asked a series of thequestions by the sages of the Sanhedrin onwhat would have been the 30 th day of themonth. “If their testimony was found reliable,the day was declared Rosh Hodesh [thebeginning of a new month] and the precedingmonth had 29 days.” In the absence ofreliable witnesses, “the day was added to theprevious month, making it a month of 30days, and the following day was observed asRosh Hodesh.”What happened next? “The decision ofthe Sanhedrin was immediately proclaimedin Jerusalem, and messengers were sent outto outlying districts of Eretz Yisrael [TheLand of Israel] to announce the day of RoshHodesh, so that the festivals coming withinthe month might be observed by all on thesame day.” The problem was that the messengerscould not reach all of the Jewishcommunities outside of Israel in a timelyfashion, so it became the custom for Jewsliving outside of Israel “to observe two festivaldays instead of one, so as to be certain ofobserving the proper day.”At this point, we can understand whyholidays like Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot arecelebrated for one fewer day in Israel thanthey are outside of Israel. But why is thatnot the case for Rosh Hashanah which iscelebrated for two days even in Israel?“Rosh Hashanah was observed for twodays even in Jerusalem,” writes Birnbaum,“because even there it was uncertain as to thefirst day of Tishrei” (Tishrei being the Hebrewmonth in which Rosh Hashanah occurs).Since Rosh Hashanah was the onlyJewish holiday that occurs on the first andsecond day of a Jewish month, the courtcould not afford to wait and declare that thenew moon had been properly witnessed. Bythe time of the pronouncement, Rosh Hashanahwould have already begun causing allkinds of problems for Jews living in Israel,as well as for Jews outside of Israel.The question remains, however. If wenow have a set calendar and no longer relyon sightings of the new moon and officialproclamations of new Jewish months tocome out of Israel, why do we celebrateRosh Hashanah over two days? And why dowe preserve the custom of celebrating all ofthe major holidays (save for Yom Kippur) foran additional day outside of Israel? Towhich Birnbaum responds: “Even now whenall festivals are fixed and calculated withease ahead of time, it has the force of lawhallowed by time, and cannot be abrogatedby any individual community of observantJews.” In a word, it’s “Tradition!” Andcertain traditions take on the force of law.If you are still confused, don’t worry.The next Jewish holiday is Hannukah andeveryone, no matter what country they live,in celebrates that one for 8 days and no oneseems to mind, least of all the children.Save the Date: A Musical Tribute to Cantor ChaitovskyMark your calendars now for Shabbatmorning, December 15, when former membersof Cantor Chaitovsky’s children’s choirand adult choir will be on the bimah singing“oldies but goodies” in honor of CantorChaitovsky, and led by none other thanYaacov Chaitovsky!If you sang with the Cantor back in the day,and would like to join the group that will beserenading the shul that morning for Halleland Musaf, send your email address to JackieRaginsky at jraginsky@comcast.net. (And ifyou have email addresses for others whosang, send those, too!) We’ll be sendingdates for a few rehearsals, but trust us, thesetunes come flowing back, whether you canmake it to a rehearsal or not.For more information, contact Debbie Albertat debbiealbert221@gmail.com, JackieRaginsky, or Cantor Freedman.So be sure to join us that morning – either onthe bimah or in the congregation, as we paytribute to a man who has done so much forTemple Sinai.Services will be followed by a festiveKiddush Luncheon underwritten through thegenerosity of Temple Sinai Sisterhood andMen In The Kitchen.2