World of the Sages: A year that counts

A king, a year and a dream all must begin with the Almighty's mercy.

By LEVI COOPER
We all need divine compassion; we ask for it in our daily prayers and hope that God's mercy will accompany all our endeavors. Yet the Talmud specifies three things that are conditional on divine mercy: a good king, a good year and a good dream (B. Brachot 55a). Commentators question the limitation applied in this assertion: Indeed, divine mercy is a prerequisite for the success of a king, for a year of plenty and for the materialization of a promising dream. However, isn't everything contingent on the compassion of the Almighty? Isn't every success, every accomplishment dependent on God's mercy? Why does the Talmud identify these three items exclusively? The classic commentator Rashi (11th century, France) notes that these items are granted directly by the Almighty and not through the agency of a ministering angel. According to one commentator, this only serves to strengthen the question. Compassion is built-in to God's decision-making process. When the future is dependent on the Almighty, we can be confident that mercy will be a factor. A ministering angel, however, is merely a bureaucrat carrying out the divine will, a clerk charged with a specific task that has no room for considerations of clemency. Thus we need divine mercy more for all other items other than the three mentioned, for the Almighty personally oversees the appointment of a ruler, the prosperity of a year and the materialization of a dream (Rabbi Yosef Haim, 19th-20th centuries, Baghdad). Commentators over the ages have sought to explain this talmudic claim. One suggested that success in these three fields is particularly dependent on the first steps. The effectiveness of a sovereign's rule is determined in the crucial first period where a tone is set and a vision conveyed. Even nowadays, a newly elected official is assessed after an initial period in office. Similarly, if the year does not begin with rains of blessing, the remainder of the year is spent in hope and in prayer that extra rains will come or, in more dire situations, dealing with water shortages. Likewise, a dream that begins well is a positive omen of future events. Indeed, the Jewish calendar reflects this idea. On Rosh Hashana we start the new year crowning the king of kings and beseeching the Almighty for a prosperous year. We try to begin the year on a positive note, and our sages tell us that if the first day of Rosh Hashana is full of holy excitement the entire year will follow suit. Conversely, a spiritually cold first day of Rosh Hashana forecasts a year bereft of spiritual achievement. Thus a king, a year and a dream are unique in that they must begin with the Almighty's mercy; other items are also contingent on divine compassion though the first stage is less decisive (Maharsha, 16th-17th centuries, Poland). Other commentators took an opposite approach. Even if these three things display promising beginnings, divine mercy is necessary so that they fulfill their maximum potential (Rabbi Ya'acov Reisher, 17th-18th centuries, Central Europe). Moreover, one commentator suggested that while on Rosh Hashana all matters are decided by God, the success of the king, the prosperity of the year and the potential of a dream are all subject to further consideration over the year. Thus specifically these three items call for the Almighty's compassion (Rabbi Naftali Katz, 17th-18th centuries, Poland). This line is furthered by another commentator who claimed that only these three items constantly demand the Almighty's attention, for at any moment they could take a turn for the worse. Despite hopeful starts these three items can quickly sour. A promising year that begins well, with inclement weather, for instance, can easily turn gloomy. A natural disaster can wipe out the prosperity of an entire year. An ominous twist can turn any dream into a nightmare. A fine ruler can easily make a wrong decision that bears serious repercussions. How many times have we had leaders who when they first grace the public stage they appear so attractive, only to disappoint as their tenure lengthens? For such items, continued divine compassion is necessary so the propitious start will continue (Rabbi Ezekiel Landau, 18th century, Poland-Prague). The Talmud offers biblical proof texts for the three items that require God's mercy. The need for the Almighty's compassion for a good year is buttressed by the verse: The land that God, your Lord, constantly seeks out; the eyes of God, your Lord are on it from the beginning of the year until end of year (Deuteronomy 11:12). Why does the biblical verse describe the year as spanning "from the beginning of the year" (hashana) - employing the definite article - "until end of year" (shana) - without the definite article? Rabbi Menahem Ben-Zion Sacks, who founded the day school movement in Chicago in the 1930s and served at its helm until the 1970s, asked this question. He explained that at the beginning of the year we expectantly look forward to the coming year. We formulate various plans and make new resolutions that augur a better year and bode well for the future. We think to ourselves that this year will not be like previous years; our achievements this coming year will surpass all bygone years. This coming year - we say to ourselves - will be the year. Alas, as the year wears on, we often realize that the potential of the year will not be fulfilled. As the year draws to a close, we look back with disappointment and perhaps frustration as we admit that what was supposed to be the year has turned out to be just another year, no special achievements, no spiritual attainment. This year too will fade into anonymity, together with other years that have barely left their mark on our lives. Reading Rabbi Sacks's analysis together with our talmudic passage, we can understand why a good year requires divine attention, for only through God's compassion can we realize the full potential of the year, ensuring that this year will be the year. The writer is on the faculty of Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and is a rabbi in Tzur Hadassah.