Happy Birthday World, Mankind, or Both?

Many Rabbis teach that Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of mankind. Many others teach that Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of creation. Some Rabbis (such as Rabbi Yitzchak Botton) teach (or at least mention) that Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the birthday of both: that is 

1. all of creation AND

2. humankind. 

Since we know that the Creation of Creation began on day one and the Creation of Mankind occurred on day six, a single day seemingly cannot celebrate both events. This contradiction must have an answer. How can we reconcile the seeming disparity?

First Things First: Holy Wisdom

We must remember that Hashem exists outside of space and time. For anything to exist, Hashem first had to create space and time. But, before creating the space and time that allows parameters for existence, Hashem first created the foundational blueprints for all of creation from eternity past to eternity future. This foundation stone (if you will) was the creation of His Holy Wisdom.

Thus, the birth of creation began before anything was created. The creation story actually begins with the creation of all wisdom (Proverbs 8:22–31). From this wisdom, everything in creation was (and is) formed, maintained, and sustained.

"Let There Be Light!"

On day one, Hashem made a spark of His infinite divinity finite in the form of Shekhinah light. This light is the physical manifestation of Hashem’s Holiness and holy wisdom. (Kabbalistic teachings say this Shekhinah is the feminine energy of Hashem—see Proverbs where wisdom is personified as a woman.)

Shekhinah is the state of existence in which Hashem dwells on earth (think the pillar of fire in the wilderness, the burning bush, the lightning on Mt. Sinai). This light that was created on day one is the Divine Presence of Hashem. This helps us to understand why Genesis 1:1 can be translated as, "in the beginning, when Elokim created heaven, earth, and God or god."

As is mentioned in Deuteronomy 4, Hashem created heavenly beings (sometimes called gods) and assigned them to people other than His beloved Jews to worship. These "gods" do not compete with Hashem in any way and hold no Divinity or Deity.

The One True G-d, Hashem, exists without creation. He exists beyond space and time. But, He made is infinite being finite in the form of the Shekhinah—glory light—which separated light from darkness. Since this glory-light was the manifestation of Divine Wisdom, this light was more than normal light. This light had (and has) within it real righteousness. This righteousness radiates from Hashem and is able to separate out what is holy from what is unholy and unrighteous.

"Let Us Make Mankind in Our Image"

Humans were not physically formed until day six. The body of Adam (all mankind) was created from dust on day six. But, Adam was literally DOA: dead on arrival. He was not a low life, he was a no-life (no insult intended). Adam was nothing more than a lump of lifeless clay formed by the Potter's Hands. To come to life, Hashem breathed into Adam’s nostrils and Adam became a נפש חיה: Nefesh chaya, living soul.

That soul contains within it a part of Hashem. Thus, the human soul is the part of man that is capable of holiness, likeness of Hashem, and eternal life. This soul was created in the “secret place (Psalms 139:15),” (ie: when darkness was still on the face of the deep—see a literal translation. The darkness at the beginning of Creation can be translated as ‘secret place’).

So, since the soul of man was created when darkness was still on the face of the deep and the face of the deep was created when Hashem made a spark of His wisdom finite (at the start of creation), then the birth of creation AND the birth of mankind CAN be celebrated on the same day—Rosh Hashanah.

The Beauty in Dirt & Stardust

After all, our dusty bodies made of dirt and stardust are simply vessels that hold our true self: our neshumah. The neshumah is the part of each one of us that is truly made in “God’s image”—our soul that is forever wholly holy, interconnected with Hashem, and is able to animate our dirt-filled bones with radiant light that allow us to shine like stars (lights in darkness).  Thus, from dirt and stardust, Hashem will bring us to glory when we keep mitzvot, ignite our inner nerot, and shine with more of His Holy Or.

Proverbs 6:23 (Mishlei 6:23) says, "For the mitzvah is a lamp/candle (נר (ner)), Torah is light (אור (or))."

Since our human souls hold a spark of Hashem, our souls hold the ability to light the נר (ner), the flame of holiness, and radiate the or of Hashem’s holiness that was on day one—His glory light (אור (or)).

The אור (or--holy light) that can be ignited within our souls has the power to pierce darkness and separate evil from good—like Hashem at the beginning of space and time on day one.

A promise of this ability for His holy people to shine His glory light in darkness was set when Hashem placed light in the dark sky. This light was given in forms of the sun, moon, and stars on day 4 of Creation. 

The Promise of Holiness Written in the Heavens:

These balls of glowing light were more than mere burning balls of gas. Rather, Hashem held within them eternal covenantal promises. Tanakh tells us that the sun and moon were set as an eternal promise of King David’s throne and kingdom in Jerusalem (Psalm 89:36-38).

אַ֭חַת נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתִּי בְקׇדְשִׁ֑י אִֽם־לְדָוִ֥ד אֲכַזֵּֽב׃

36 I have sworn by My holiness, once and for all;
I will not be false to David.

זַ֭רְעוֹ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִהְיֶ֑ה וְכִסְא֖וֹ כַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ נֶגְדִּֽי׃

37 His line shall continue forever,
his throne, as the sun before Me,

כְּ֭יָרֵחַ יִכּ֣וֹן עוֹלָ֑ם וְעֵ֥ד בַּ֝שַּׁ֗חַק נֶאֱמָ֥ן סֶֽלָה׃

38 as the moon, established forever,
an enduring witness in the sky.”    Selah.

(Revised JPS, 2023)

Later in Genesis, the stars were set as an eternal promise of the numerous offspring that would come from Issac’s line from Abraham (Genesis 15:5). This line was and is the Jewish nation of Israel.

"וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃

[Then in the vision, God] took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them”—continuing, “So shall your offspring be.”

(Revised JPS, 2023)

The Light of Hashem Goes Forth From Jerusalem & Torah-Observant Jewish People

Eventually, Hashem gave the Torah (His אור (or--holy light) to the Jewish people on Mt. Sinai. By keeping mitzvot, we light the nerot (candles) that shine the glory light of Hashem (אור, or) into the darkness of this world. 

Shana Tova U’Metuka (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה): A Good & Sweet Year to You!

This Rosh Hashanah, May Hashem let us merit the ability to ignite our nerot with an abundance of mitzvot, and thereby merit a holy neshumah.  May our holy neshumah overflow an reflect more and more of Hashem's likeness, and shine more and more of His holy Or (glory light)! May we all merit to be written in His book for life, abundance, prosperity, health, joy and shalom!

May we merit to see the coming of moshiach (and most importantly, Hashem!) speedily in our days!

Shana Tova U’Metuka (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה),

Kimberly Davis

9/9/2026