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This Hebrew month (which coincides with the month of October) is connected to the Patriarch Isaac, who is associated with the attribute of Gevurah (Judgement). The Hebrew month of Nissan (1/2 a year later coinciding with the month of April) on the other hand, is connected to the Patriarch Abraham, whom is connected to the attribute of Chesed (Loving Kindness).

This creek bed in Hebron is noted to be one that Abraham took water. Photo by SL Phares

Isaac was conceived in the month of Tishrei. The Matriachs, Rivkah, and Chanah also conceived on Rosh HaShanah (the New Year that starts in Tishrei).

From the book of Bereishit/Genesis, we learn that G-d wanted to create this world with the attribute of Gevurah/Judgement, however when G-d saw that the world could not exist with such a harsh level of Judgment, He included the attribute of Rachamim/Mercy in the Creation of the world.

Rosh HaShanah (the New Year) is on some level, a day in which G-d reveals this level of Judgment before God revealed the Attribute of Mercy (Rachamim). And as we know, in each generation there are people who live on such a level of Judgment (Gevurah) every day of their life.

For example Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva’s role in life was to repent (Teshuva), to learn Torah and to teach it to his students. Why did he have his flesh "raked" ? Why should he be put to death in such a horrible manner? It says in the Talmud (Oral Law) that he did not stand up, in respect for Rabbi Eliezer. He did some "little" sin--how can someone think that this is a reason to have ones flesh "raked" ?! However G-d judges the Tzadikim (the Righteous) on a level of Judgment before Creation. And there are people that are on that level. They are judged totally on the basis of the attribute of Judgement (Middah of Din). That’s called living on the level of Rosh HaShanah, your entire life.

That’s why we need the Righteous (Tzadikim) to pray for us on that day (the New Year), because only they know how to deal with such a level.

A tzadik who is not on that level, cannot deal with such harsh judgment. It has to be a tzadik who lives his whole life on such a level, only such a person can deal with such a day.

If God would judge the whole world according to such harsh judgment, everyone would be wiped out. We are not really worthy of anything that we receive. So we need that level of a tzadik Someone like Rabbi Akiva or Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, or the Arizal,or like Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. People who are able to stand up to such harsh judgment all year long and thus can give us a Rectification (Tikkun) on Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh HaShanah is a day of Judgement (Yom haDin) while Yom Kippur (10th of Tishrei) is a day of Mercy (Rachamim) in which G-d allows the High Priest enter the place of His revelation (his "bedroom"), the Holy of Holies and performs the Rectification for the nation.

David’s birth and death date is on Shavuot, and the Ten Commandments were given on Mt. Sinai on that day (7th of Sivan). The first tablets and the Torah were supposed to be given to the nation, 40 days later, on the 17th of Tammuz, however, because of the sin of the Golden Calf, the second tablets were given to the nation 80 days later. Moshe prayed for forgiveness for us, 40 days and 40 nights, and then waited another 40 days and nights to receive another set of Tablets, which were received by the nation on Yom Kippur (10th of Tishrei). Yom Kippur is already a level where we can work on our own, or maybe we need a lower level of a Tzadik. It is a day of correcting ones level of sexual desire, the level of the rectification of marriage, the level of the "bedroom".

This information was written, published and compiled by Atarah Gur and kabbalahtorah.com.