Every year before Y"T I always feel that I am not really prepared for the upcoming chagim, and this year is no exception -- the feeling is only intensified due to the disruption of the normal davening procedures and normal everything procedures. We are in uncharted territory more than ever.
R' Amiel in his derashos points out that there are preparations that we have to make for every Y"T. Pesach requires cleaning the house of chametz and ideally, getting a korban pesach. We have 50 days of sefirah that is a count up to Shavuos. Sukkos is the culmination of the Rosh haShana/Y"k season and requires building a sukkah, obtaining 4 minin. Mes Yoma starts with the din that the kohen gadol would separate from his home 7 days before Y"K to prepare. For Rosh haShana -- nothing. Before every Rosh Chodesh we have a Shabbos Mevorchim, and for Tishrei, Rosh haShana, we don't even have that.
This is not by accident. Every Yom Tov connects with the days prior, leading up to Y"T. Rosh haShana, on the other hand, is by definition a clean break from the past. It is by definition a new beginning. We don't want to bring old baggage from last year into this new point in time.
selichos and shofar are not preparation?
ReplyDelete1.those are minhagim, not even dinim derabbanan.
Delete2. shofar during elul (and slichos for sefardim) is because it is 40 days of eis ratzon when Moshe was on har sinai, culminating with Y"K. Nothing to do with R"H.
https://ph.yhb.org.il/plus/15-02-01/
Delete"a clean break from the past"; no "old baggage from last year"
ReplyDeletefor a Rosh haShana that immediately follows a seven-year cycle, when loans had just been cancelled (at the end of year seven). otherwise debts are carried into the new year (as is borne any anxiety of the creditor, awaiting payment)...