Rabbi's Musings

What is the Difference Between the Jewish New Year and the Secular New Year?

On one level this question is absurd in that we all know there is a difference. No one ends up at synagogue on Rosh Hashanah with a lampshade on their head! New Year’s Eve in the secular world is about celebration, fitness resolutions, and Times Square. Rosh Hashanah is about forgiveness, judgment, moral clarity, and returning to the more serious questions of life.

And yet, there are some similarities. Both occasions offer opportunities to stop and take account of one’s life. Both celebrate new possibilities. And both can feel awkward when forced family reunions (sometimes involving God) can be part of the observance.

There is one key difference: The usual greeting for the secular January 1 is Happy New Year. On Rosh Hashanah we say, “Shanah Tovah” which literally means have a good year. Happiness and goodness are not the same thing. From a Jewish point of view, happiness, while nice, is overrated. Goodness is the focus of our endeavors. And goodness can lead to contentment. Happiness does not lead to goodness.

For me the bottom line is that, while I enjoy a mellow New Year’s Eve and Day, I would not want to live without the spiritual reset of Rosh Hashanah. The first is optional, the second is vital.

Have a safe and meaningful secular New Year!