Words of Wisdom...from Arthur Waskow

Shabbat Shalom.
After services on Rosh HaShana morning, I picked up a copy of the Jewish Calendar for 5771.
The first month was Tishrei - no surprise there! But Judaism can be tricky - as Arthur Waskow explains in the following excerpt from his book, Seasons of Our Joy:

"Rosh Hashanah comes in the month of Tishri, which the Bible calls the seventh month. It is the month of early fall, of catching our breath after the dry hot winds of summer. Because it is in the seventh month, it echoes the seventh day, the Shabbos of rest and contemplation, of catching our breath after six days of hard work.

So perhaps Rosh Hashana is the new year for renewal. Like Shabbos it is the time to focus our attention on ultimate spirtual truth. This is then the new year for learning how a human being can turn toward God. Perhaps it is the head of the year because the head is raised toward heaven, away from the earth..."

Shabbat Shalom - Rest and Renew.