Rabbi in Israel explains symbolism of the hidden month of Tishrei
In Israel, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites Shmuel Rabinovitch, in a column for the Jerusalem Post, explained the spiritual meaning of the tradition of not blessing the month of Tishrei before Rosh Hashanah. According to him, this feature is connected both to the calendar and to the inner meaning of the holiday.
The tradition before Rosh Hashanah
Traditionally, on the last Sabbath of the month, known as Shabbat Mevarchim, Jews bless the coming month, announce it and prepare for it. However, before Rosh Chodesh Tishrei, the blessing of the new month is not recited. Rosh Hashanah, the holiday that marks the beginning of the Jewish year, falls in Tishrei.
One explanation for this custom is that everyone knows the date of Rosh Chodesh Tishrei because it coincides with Rosh Hashanah. Halachic authorities also explained the omission of the blessing as a desire to keep the month “hidden” so that Satan would not know the day of judgment.
Rabinovitch cited a verse from Psalms: “Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the appointed time of our feast.” He also mentioned an interpretation from the Talmudic tractate Rosh Hashanah, which speaks of a holiday during which the moon is “hidden.”
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Self-reflection and the sound of the shofar
In the rabbi’s view, the hiddenness of the moon is not merely a calendar detail. He described Rosh Hashanah as a time when a person must step away from their outward image, everyday roles, achievements and the assessments of others, and turn to their own inner world.
He linked this idea to the meaning of the day of judgment. Before the Creator, as he explained, there appears not only a list of deeds but also the person themselves — their thoughts, true priorities and spiritual path throughout the year.
Rabinovitch called the sound of the wordless shofar a symbol of such an inward appeal. Referring to the work “Shem Mishmuel” by the Rebbe of Sochaczew, he noted that the sound of the shofar should lead a person from realizing what needs to be changed to experiencing it more deeply in the heart.
