Jewish sages say the Hebrew calendar has two distinct starting points. The most widely known origin of the Hebrew calendar occurs every year during the month of Tishre (August-September), during the High Holidays. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a day to ask for forgiveness 10 days before we have a fresh start on Rosh Hashana (the Head of the Year). The new year is not only symbolic, but it is also the time when we finish one full cycle of reading the torah and roll the scrolls from Devarim (Deuteronomy) to Bereshit (Genisis) during the holiday of Simchas Torah (Happy Torah).
The second time that marks a starting point in our calendar is in the month of Nissan (March-April). The holiday of Pesach (Passover) is the time in which the Jewish people were liberated from Egyptian bondage, and our religion began as a nation of free people at Mount Sinai. Both Rosh Hashana and Pesach embody a new beginning in Judaism. So where does the New Year begin? At both. Rosh Hashana is when the world was "thought," and Pesach is when it was actually created.
Rosh Hashana is a time of reflection, analyization, and introspection. In a way, it can be seen as our blueprint. Meticulous in design, every last detail must be measured out. Can you imagine what would happen to a building if the architect's blueprint was off by even a few centimeters? Rosh Hashana is a time for us to work on our blueprint.
By Pesach, the year has begun, things are in motion, we have set foot on our journey through that year. If Rosh Hashana was the blueprint, Pesach is the result of that blueprint. When an architect is actually building a structure, and he hammers in a wooden frame a few centimeters off, so nu, no big deal. If we plan things out well, we then have some room to make mistakes - just as long as our design isn't flawed.
So. A New Beginning. My time in California over the past few weeks has given me new insight into designing my blueprint.
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