On Rosh Hashanah in the year 1746, the Ba’al Shem Tov experienced an elevation of the soul and gained access to the higher heavenly spheres where he found himself in the presence of the soul of the Mashiach. In response to his question: “When will the master come?” the Mashiach answered with a verse from Proverbs (5:16): “when your wellsprings [of Torah] spread outwards.” (This revelation was explained in a letter written by the Ba’al Shem Tov to his brother-in-law Rabbi Gershon of Kitov and was first published as an appendix to Ben Porat Yosef 128a). Just as Biblical stories archetypically play themselves out in every generation and spiritually relate to each and every person, so too we can understand the meeting of the souls of the Ba’al Shem Tov and the Mashiach to signify much more than just an individual revelation, but as a profound teaching for all of us on many different levels. In addition, the significance of this revelation and the verse quoted from the Mashiach is intimately connected to the very essence of Rosh Hashanah.
According to the teaching of the Ba’al Shem Tov, that each person has a spark of the Mashiach within them, we can understand that the Ba’al Shem Tov had activated and perfected his own spark of Mashiach enough to merit such a meeting. Interestingly, the Mashiach put the onus of his own arrival into the hands of the Ba’al Shem Tov – “when your wellsprings [of Torah] spread outwards.” This dialogue, in a sense, is the ongoing theme of the “Days of Awe,” beginning with Rosh Hashanah. But how?
At certain times, we turn to God and say: “It’s all in Your hands”; while at other times God, as it were, turns back to us and says: “No, really its all in your hands.” During these times of intense reflection and soul searching, our deepest spark of longing for holiness and connection with God is aroused, which in turn enflames our own deepest potential, our spark of Mashiach deep within, causing our inner wellsprings to begin to bubble and flow.
The image of the wellspring is especially significant on Rosh Hashanah due to the custom of Tashlich, where we go to a body of natural water, most preferably a spring or other natural body of flowing water where there are fish and cast our sins on the water which carry them away. There are many levels of symbolism present in this beautiful custom, which we will explore here and, more fully, later on in this chapter.
For starters, water is always a symbol of purity, cleansing and rebirth, the very essence of Rosh Hashanah. Not only is this day the “birthday of the world,” as we recite in our prayers, but Rosh Hashanah, when properly appreciated, also serves as a vehicle for personal rebirth as well. Fish, and other aquatic life teeming in the water that we go to for Tashlich, allude to their position in the Biblical chain of being as the first creations of the animal kingdom. They were also the first creatures to receive the blessing to be “fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:20-22). We too, on Rosh Hashanah, as we approach the waters of Tashlich, are seeking to tap into our ability to productively create and fruitfully express all that we contain within us. The flowing waters assist us in cleansing and clearing the rigid remains of our past that are best let go, while the fish remind us of our innate creative potential and fecundity.
In fact, the letters of “be fruitful” (p’ru), along with the letter shin, form the word, shofar, the ram’s horn we blow on Rosh Hashanah. The blowing of the shofar concentrates all the basic themes of Rosh Hashanah in a most powerful and dramatic experiential manner relating to the process of creation and birth introduced above. When looking in a prayer book at the series of shofar blasts we see an interesting arrangement of repeating series of nines. This number represents the nine months of pregnancy, as explored previously. Therefore, hearing the shofar acts, as it were, as the birth pangs of each person as they attempt to give birth to a new self in a New Year. Just as each day has its unique energy and opportunities, never to be repeated, each year brings a totally new and unique energy into the world. Yet this energy must be grasped and developed or else it will remain dormant and hidden. On Rosh Hashanah, each person is thus like a midwife to themselves, with the exciting opportunity to give birth to a new reality in the upcoming New Year.
This is admittedly hard work, with many challenges along the way. For inspiration and instruction regarding such a process, we may look to the Torah portion traditionally read on Rosh Hashanah. For instance, when Abraham was taking Isaac to Mount Moriah, in the episode known as Akedat Yitzchak, the binding of Isaac, Satan tried to derail their journey by creating a mirage of a raging river (Sh’lah; Levush). Their ability to see through the illusion, combined with their determination to carry on their journey, allowed them to transcend the intended obstacle. The custom of Tashlich, performed at a real and symbolically charged body of water, reminds us that most of our obstacles in life are illusionary in nature, and are in fact strategically placed to push us to newer and greater levels of self-awareness and faith in God.
Truly, each soul has rooted within it wellsprings of creativity and unique talents waiting to be born, nurtured and revealed to the world. Activating and manifesting these innate qualities is not a matter of achieving fame, wealth or power. Using our God-given abilities is reward enough, as it fulfills our Divine purpose and therefore satisfies our soul on the deepest level. If one reaches a wider audience, well and good, but sharing one’s gifts with friends, family and community in venues large or small also has its own rewards and tangible impacts. Similarly, the process and experience of creating or expressing just for oneself or God in moments of quiet or solitude also reveals sacred parts of our being hidden even to ourselves.
The wellsprings deep within us have the power to water our dormant seeds of creativity just waiting to sprout forth. Yet, it is only through a determined effort, much like the birthing process, that we can indeed bring to fruition all that we are truly capable of achieving. Though in principle we can do this at any time of the year, Rosh Hashanah, with its numerous prayers, rituals, stories and intentions, is particularly attuned to the energy of birth and newness. May we merit to use this time and opportunity to tap into our hidden depths and bring all that is concealed within to light for the good of our soul, as well as the world.
