On the Birth of the World

The Birth of the World

הַיּוֹם הֲרַת עוֹלָם

Sacks – This day is the birth of the world.

Routledge – This day the world was called into being.

Harlow - Today the world is born.

הָרָה  conceive, become pregnant ( Assyrian erû ) Impf. וַתַּ˜הַר Gn 4:1 + 26 times.

Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1

There are four New Years:

The first of Nisan is the new year for the kings and for the festivals

The first of Elul is the new year for the tithing of animals

The first of Tishrei, the new year for years, for the Sabbatical years and for the Jubilee. The first of Shevat is the new year for the trees.

Rosh Hashannah 10b-11a

It is taught Rabbi Eliezer says: In Tishrei the world was created; the Patriarchs were born and died, Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered and Joseph came out from prison.

Rabbi Yehoshua says: In Nisan the world was created; the Patriarchs were born and died, Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered and Joseph came out from prison.

Rabbi Eliezer says: How do we learn the world was created in Tishrei? As it is stated: “And God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind” (Genesis 1:11). Which is the month in which the earth brings forth grass and the trees are full of ripe fruit? You must say Tishrei.

Rabbi Yehoshua says: How do we learn the world was created in Nisan? As it is stated: “And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed and tree yielding fruit” (Genesis 1:12). Which is the month in which the earth is full of grass and the trees bring forth fruit? You must say Nisan.

Rabbeinu Bachya Gen 1:3

You need to appreciate that the real beginning of the creation of the universe commenced with this directive of “let there be light.” This occurred on the 25th day of Ellul, the number 25 corresponding to the numerical value of the word יהי. As to the statement in the Talmud that the world was created in the month of Tishrei, the reference was to the creation of Adam, the first human being. Creation of humanity was the completion of the creative process and this is what the Talmud referred to. The human is the “seal” of all of God’s activities up until then. The Talmud could not say that the universe was created in Ellul as it concerned itself with a finished product only.

Vayikra Rabba 29:1

It was taught in the name of Rabbi Elazar: on the 25th of Elul the world was created... We thus find to say: on Rosh Hashanah, at the first hour, God had the idea of creating the first human ...at the third hour, God gathered the dust; at the fourth hour, God molded this dirt... At the eighth hour, God brought them into the Garden of Eden. At the tenth hour, they violated God's command. At the eleventh hour, they were judged. At the twelfth hour, they were pardoned. Said the Holy Blessed One to Adam: this is a sign for your sons--just like you come before me in judgment and I have given you a pardon, so too will your sons come before Me in judgment and I will give them a pardon.

Jeremiah 20 14-18

Accursed be the day That I was born! Let not the day be blessed When my mother bore me! Accursed be the man Who brought my father the news and said, “A boy Is born to you,” And gave him such joy! Let that man become like the cities which God overthrew without relenting! Let him hear shrieks in the morning and battle shouts at noontide because he did not kill me before birth. Oh that my mother might have been my grave, And her womb pregnant [with me] for all eternity [Harat Olam]. Why did I ever issue from the womb? To see misery and woe, To spend all my days in shame!

Hil Teshuvah, Maimonides 5:1-3

Free will is granted to all humanity. If a person desires to include towards the good way, they have the power to do so. Give no place in your minds to that which is asserted by any of the ignorant, that the Holy Blessed One desires a person, from their birth, should be either righteous or wicked. The power of doing good or evil is in our own hands.

הַיּוֹם הֲרַת עוֹלָם

הַיּוֹם יַעֲמִיד בַּמִּשְׁפָּט כָּל יְצוּרֵי עוֹלָמִים אִם כְּבָנִים אִם כַּעֲבָדִים

 אִם כְּבָנִים רַחֲמֵנוּ כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים

וְאִם כַּעֲבָדִים עֵינֵינוּ לְךָ תְלוּיוֹת עַד שֶׁתְּחָנֵּנוּ וְתוֹצִיא כָאוֹר מִשְׁפָּטֵנוּ

אָיוֹם קָדוֹשׁ

A New Translation By, Ahem, Me

This day is the last day of being be-wombed before our birth into the year to come.

This day – next year – we will stand to be sentenced for our actions, like all the creations of the world, whether we have proved to be like children or like slaves.

If we prove to be like children, be merciful towards us, like the mercy of a parent to a child.

And if we prove to be like slaves, know that we turn our eyes towards you until you gracefully free us, like the light that comes at the end of our sentence.

O mighty and holy One.