I often talk about how time itself is colonized. For Jews, it is the year 5784, not 2024. The words BC and AD correspond to the years of Jesus’ birth and the Gregorian calendar is based upon Pope Gregory’s understanding of time. Jews have been counting time for 5784 years.
We also understand that time is not linear but rather cyclical. Every ending leads to a new beginning. For example, when reading the Torah (Five Books of Moses/Pentateuch), as soon as we finish reading the story of Moses’ death in Deuteronomy, we immediately are supposed to start over and begin reading the story of Genesis. Every ending is a new beginning.
There are, according to Judaism, four new years, each corresponding to the four seasons. Most of us know Rosh Hashanah as “the Jewish new year”. It happens in the Fall, and indeed, from a religious perspective, it corresponds most closely to our new year celebration. It represents the birthday of the world and also the spiritual renewal that we pray will be ours every year. We are supposed to look back on the year that has passed and think about everything we did wrong and try to make amends. It is a time of restorative justice and reconciliation: we are not supposed to pray to G!d for forgiveness until we have made amends for the ways we may have caused harm in the past year. By looking back to what we did, it helps us refocus on what we need to do differently or better in the coming year.
But there are actually 3 additional new years in Judaism: Tu B’Shvat is in the Winter and corresponds to the birthday of trees. Even as the trees appear to be almost dead, with the cold of winter upon them, we are commanded to celebrate the promise of Spring and to remember that they will bloom again. The start of the month of Nissan is the start of Spring and it is the month of Passover, and the promise of liberation and freedom for us all. The Hebrew Bible in the book of Exodus identifies it as the “first of months”. This is the time of new beginnings, and it lead us to the planting of seeds and the rebirth of nature.
Deep at the end of the summer is the month of Elul, which corresponds to the beginning of our preparations for Rosh HaShanah, but is also called the new year for the animals. As a vegan, I believe firmly that there is a deeper spiritual meaning in this, because celebrating animals and learning to connect with them can teach us the compassion that our world desperately needs. This compassion can help us to prepare spiritually for Rosh HaShanah. The Hebrew month of Elul corresponds to the words: “ani l’dodi, v’dodi li” which means “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine”. It is a time of returning to our Essence and reconnecting with our soul’s purpose: Love. It is a time for “”teshuvah” or restorative justice and forgiveness. This leads us back to the rebirth of our planet and the endless cycle of the seasons of which we are a part.
As the Spring begins with the Vernal Equinox and the start of more sunlight shining upon us, the Bahai New Year begins tomorrow with Naw-Rúz. To celebrate their new year, the Bahai community near me has invited diverse religious leaders to share more about their understanding of the new year. At their request, I created the video below to explain briefly the four Jewish new years. I pray that this season marks the beginning of our collective redemption, liberation, rebirth, renewal and restoration to our soul’s purpose.
The many new years teach me that it is never too late to start over: May we begin today with a fresh start. May our planet awaken to its purpose and may we remember the Sacred and Healing Wisdom of our ancestral traditions and may this lead us to peace and blessing.
Emerging Torah as Rabbi Nachshon emerges 