Rosh Hashanah: A Festive Holiday or a Day of Awe?

by Rabbanit Dr. Lea Vizel, Dean of Students (Elkana Campus) and Dean of Extramural Studies

Rosh Hashanah - the Day of Judgment – has a dual nature. On one hand, it appears in the Torah together with the other holidays and is specifically described as a festival:

"תקעו בחדש שופר בכסה ליום חגנו."

However, at the same time, Rosh Hashanah is referred to as the Day of Judgment, when the Books of Life and Death lie open before HaKadosh Baruch Hu and:

"כל באי עולם יעברון לפניך כבני מרון."

Furthermore, when Nechemiah saw that the nation wept, mourned, and trembled on Rosh Hashanah, he instructed them:

"לכו אכלו משמנים ושתו ממתקים... כי קדוש היום."

Similarly, Chazal seem to have a contradictory approach to Rosh Hashanah.

How can we explain this? On Rosh Hashanah - which, according to our tradition, is the day when man was created – we renew our covenant with our Father in Heaven, and that is certainly a reason to rejoice. Yet, this covenant entails great responsibility and requires us to treat it seriously and solemnly. We are given a golden opportunity to turn a new leaf and to choose a life of meaning. As the Slonimer Rebbe explains in “Netivot Shalom,” three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah – the tzadikim (the righteous), the beinonim (the average or mediocre), and the resha’im (the wicked) – and as the new year approaches, every person inscribes himself and decides how the upcoming year will look. One who resolves to fulfill his role and destiny is immediately inscribed and sealed for a good life. However, when one does not do so, one implies that one has no role – chalilah – in HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s world.

Nechemiah saw that Am Yisrael grieved over the sins of the past and was unaware that Rosh Hashanah encompasses a great hope for a better future. It is a day of man’s renewal and a renewed covenant with the Master of the Universe. Therefore, although we must certainly rejoice, we cannot ignore the day’s ingrained solemnity.

At Orot Israel College, we are also on the cusp of a new year, and we hope to be inscribed immediately in the Book of Life for a meaningful life of giving and contributing. A heavy yet delightful responsibility rests on our shoulders.

In particular, I would like to focus on Orot’s extramural studies program. Baruch Hashem, we expanded our course offering over the past year, and many post-graduate students came from near and far to partake in our many programs. Inter alia, we introduced an advanced study program in Tanach instruction, an online program for literature teachers, and much more. As we look to the future, we are excited about the many new courses that are set to open this year, including an in-service teachers’ training course for the Ofek Chadash program; a unique course for rami”m and Toshb”a teachers; new complementary medicine courses; art therapy, bibliotherapy, psychodrama, and behavioral-cognitive therapy courses; an in-service training course for preschool teachers about the festivals; Jewish culture and tradition courses; and much more. Our goal is to meet the needs of those who seek to continue their studies even after completing their academic degrees.

May the coming year be a year of successful, fruitful, and meaningful academic achievements, and may all our communal and private prayers be answered.

Best wishes for a gmar chatimah tovah!

Thoughts on the Beginning of the New Semester

Rabbanit Dr. Leah Vizel
Dean of Students (Elkana Campus) and Dean of Extramural Studies

Dear Students,
Shalom u’vrachah!
The chagim have long since given way to our normal, everyday routine. How does one cope with the transition from the Tishrei festivals to the month of Marcheshvan? That depends on the individual person.
Unusual events – such as holidays and celebrations – cannot replace a regular routine. After all, constructing a building is a long, arduous process that requires hard work and much dedication. Our challenge is to find meaning within our daily lives. It is the small, ordinary actions that combine to form our personalities - not just the extraordinary ones.
Those who choose to join the Orot Israel family believe that educating Israel’s children is one of our generation’s most significant missions. Yet, it is not always easy to hold on to that sense of mission during the days, weeks, and months that comprise the typical academic year.
As a student heads out on the path she sets for herself, she will, b’ezrat Hashem, encounter numerous and varied sources, which will enrich her inner world. She will gain the critical knowledge and the essential tools she needs to become an accomplished educator and teacher, to add another key layer to her personality, and to make for herself a Rav and acquire for herself good friends. (See Pirkei Avot 1:6.)
Based on my own experience, here is what I recommend: Do not let the hours, days, months, and years slip by you. Wherever you happen to find yourself, play an active role, and try and learn something from everyone. As you reach for your goals, you will likely encounter tasks and topics that do not “speak to you” and do not seem to be important. However, if you keep your mind on your goal, you will recognize that these mundane parts combine to form a complex whole. In addition, maintaining a sense of mission along the way will help you complete and identify with the task at hand.
A bit about my job at Orot Israel College: At the start of the current academic year, I became dean of students at the Elkana campus and am also responsible for extramural studies. Primarily, my job is to take care of the students’ needs – including technical matters, such as the dorms and scholarships, as well as more substantial issues, such as arranging various activities and solving problems.
Orot Israel College functions like a real family and tries to meet the students’ diverse needs. I am always open to new suggestions and ideas, and I welcome the opportunity to meet with you on an individual basis.
As Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohein Kook zt”l famously stated:

"כשהנשמה מאירה גם שמים עוטי ערפל מפיקים אור נעים."

“When the soul shines, even the fog-veiled heavens emit a pleasant light.”

When one takes a deeper look at reality and focuses on one’s sense of purpose, even winter’s fog-veiled skies and daily life’s drab routine will emit a pleasant light.
Best wishes for a bright and fruitful winter.