Bo: Beginning Anew, Anew, Anew

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." A pretty common saying, right? Well, when it comes to the Torah, or indeed most Biblical books or later rabbinic writings, when 

there's a choice between a simpler, easier way of presenting something, or a more complicated, challenging, hard way, the Torah/rabbis will pretty much always choose the more difficult option. And I find myself saying this a lot, whether on the blog or in synagogue, so you may have heard this from me before. But that's because it's true! My example for you this week is the structure of the Jewish calendar. Our parashah teaches us about the laws of Passover, and says that this month, Nisan, is the first month of the year. Simple, no? That's what you think...

Right now, we are in the Jewish year of 5775, and that will switch over to 5776 in... the calendar's SEVENTH month, Tishrei, in the Fall at Rosh Hashanah. And in a few weeks, we'll also be celebrating ANOTHER New Year on our calendar; the holiday of Tu Bishvat, which is the New Year 

for planting trees. There's also a FOURTH New Year, but let's not go there... So what's the deal? Why does the Hebrew Calendar make things so complicated??? Is Nisan (Passover) the start of the year, as the Torah so adamantly insists in our Torah portion, or is it Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah)? The secular, or Gregorian, calendar is so much simpler, don't you think? In the Western World, the year has a straightforward beginning: January 1st. Well, that is unless you ask school children when the (school) year starts, and they say Labor Day; or an accountant, and s/he says April 16th; or a non-profit and they say August 1st. Hmm, not so simple anymore, is it?

 

This, by the way, is why I love the complexity of the Torah, and later the methodology of the rabbis. Because life IS complicated, and it IS nuanced. It has many starts and stops, and turns along the way. 

Our lives don't follow straight trajectories, or have only one primary component. A calendar with multiple new beginnings reflects our multi-faceted lives; Venn diagrams of overlapping circles filled with work, family, religion, and so much more. Each one is separate, yet they also overlap. And we keep track of them all in our heads, our smartphones, and our daily lives constantly. Our Jewish calendar acknowledges this reality, and teaches us to bless and honor each of these aspects with a separate, distinct, and important New Year's celebration. 

Look at the Israelites, who this week are at the precipice of the Exodus; the end of hundreds of years of slavery, and the start of... who knows? This is indeed a New Year for them, a MAJOR new beginning in their existence as a people. But even as they journey into the desert, they also 

bring with them memories of slavery, and of their ancient ancestors, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. One new beginning doesn't negate all that came before or that will happen later. This is precisely why we celebrate multiple New Years across our calendar, and throughout our lives. And that is also why we don't always take the easy way, even when it may seem simpler, faster, or less complicated. Occasionally our path should reflect the complexity of our lives. Sometimes the more challenging road has much to teach us, and will help us understand life in a whole new way. So if, right now, you yourself are at the start of something new in your life, celebrate this moment. Acknowledge the excitement, fear, opportunity, joy, and trepidation of this crossroads in your life, and give thanks for it. And... Happy New Year!

Photos in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of Thomas R Machnitzki on Wikimedia Commons
2. Image courtesy of a wall calendar in my house (and a Sharpie) :-)
3. CC image courtesy of Dando Dangerslice on Wikimedia Commons
4. CC image courtesy of Helgi Halldórsson on Wikimedia Commons