by Raizy Lichtenstein, Jewish Studies Teacher
In Your Mouth and in your Heart: What the Talmudic Sages Ate on Rosh Hashanah
The book of Deuteronomy encompasses a collection of Moses’s final words to the Jewish nation, whom he has led from Egypt to the border of Israel. Moses employs many rhetorical strategies to encourage the nascent Jewish nation to maintain connection to each other and to God in the years and millennia to come. He reminds his listeners: Remember your shared history. Read the Torah. Live by its teachings. Do not forget your origin story and your shared values.
In Nitzavim, this week’s Torah portion, Moses makes a surprising additional point: Stay close to the teachings of the Torah because they are so easily accessible:
(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃ (יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יג) וְלֹא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבׇר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ {ס}
Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
(Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
Torah is not distant, says Moses. It’s not in heavens, not across the sea; rather, it’s in your mouth and in your heart.
As parents, teachers, educators, and students at JCHS, we strive to relate to Judaism in a meaningful way. The question of how to relate to ancient texts, to a varied nation, and to the complexities of our contemporary Jewish selves and experiences, can feel daunting. The ease that Moses describes often feels out of reach; sometimes even beyond the sea.
Perhaps the solution to this challenge lies in the dual nature of the verses we’ve been exploring. To connect with our hearts, we need to also connect with our mouths.
In our L’Chaim! Jewish Celebrations and Consecrations class, we’ve been exploring the original Rosh Hashanah foods, as outlined in the Babylonian Talmud. Long before apples and honey appeared on anyone’s Rosh Hashanah table, the great Talmudic sage Abaye described the significant foods of the day:
Abaye said: […] A sign is a substantial matter. A person should be accustomed to eat, at the start of the year, gourd, fenugreek/ black-eyed peas, leeks, beets, and dates, as each of these grow and multiply quickly, which is a good omen for the deeds of the upcoming year.
(Babylonian Talmud, Kritot 6A)
Students in one class noticed that, in this formulation, eating becomes an uplifted act; it becomes a sign –an enacted prayer – for the new year. The intentional symbolism of the gourd, leeks, beets, and other fast-growing foods offers a chance to connect to God and to express our hopes and prayers for a swift arrival of blessing and positive behaviors in the new year.
In my second L’Chaim class, students considered creative possibilities for familiar Bay Area plants that, like Abaye’s blessing, could be fast-growing and provide a similar symbolic resonance. The most popular student suggestion was mint; everyone agreed that its prolific and swift growth could make it a great symbolic addition to our Rosh Hashanah tables.
I can’t think of a better exemplification of Moses’s positive approach to continued Jewish engagement than these student conversations about Rosh Hashanah: When the food in our mouths is combined with the intention in our hearts, our connection to God, Torah, and community is not so far away at all.
Wishing you a Shanah Tovah Umetukah: a sweet new year, swiftly filled with every blessing!
