A Blessing for the Jewish New Year of 5763
To all the Jewish People,
Righteous Gentiles and Lovers of Israel--Shalom!

It is customary to meditate on the numerical significance of each new Jewish year. The upcoming Jewish year, starting on Rosh HaShanah, is 5763. Traditionally, Jewish years are referred to without the thousands, so this year will be known as '763. 763 is the numerical value (gematria) of two thematically related expressions:

The first gematria of 763 is Yom HaShabbat ("The Sabbath day"). This phrase appears in the beginning of the fourth of the Ten Commandments: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Shabbat is the seventh day, the day that God rested from the work of creation. In Hebrew, the phrase Yom HaShabbat consists of seven letters and its numerical value is a multiple of 7. 763 = 7 times 109; 109 = menuchah ("rest"). And so, the average value of each of the seven letters of Yom HaShabbat is "rest."

Remarkably, the first day of the upcoming year is Shabbat. Inasmuch as "everything follows the lead of the beginning," the Rebbe teaches us that a year whose first day is Shabbat will be a Shabbosdike year, i.e., a year imbued with the tranquil rest of Shabbat. How much more is this the case this year, whose numerical value is the same as the phrase Yom HaShabbat, 7 times "rest!"

The second gematria of 763 is Beit Shammai ("The school of Shammai"). The Talmudic sages Hillel and Shammai and the schools that they founded differed on many issues in Jewish law, among which was the proper way to prepare for Shabbat during the preceding week. It is told of Shammai himself that whenever he would come across something suitable to be used to honor the Shabbat (such as a tasty item of food), he would set it aside. If he came across an even more suitable item, he would designate that one for Shabbat and use the previous one for the weekday. In this way, he fulfilled the verse, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."

Hillel, however, did not do this. He relied on God to provide his Shabbat needs on Friday, fulfilling the verse, "Blessed be G-d day by day."

This is one of the few instances in the Talmud where the law is decided in favor of the school of Shammai. We are bidden to follow Shammai's example and always designate the best of whatever is on hand for Shabbat use, releasing it for weekday use only if a better item comes along.

In the Kabbalah, we are taught that in the messianic future we will follow the opinion of the school of Shammai in all cases. Thus, those few cases in which we follow the school of Shammai nowadays constitute a foretaste of the future order, reminiscent of the practice of tasting the Shabbat foods on Friday afternoon.

The Rebbe explains this phenomenon as follows: The methods we use to decide matters of Jewish law will not change in the future, for, as Maimonides teaches, "this Torah will not be exchanged." Thus, in the future, we will continue to follow the school of Hillel, but the school of Hillel will themselves then agree with the opinions of the school of Shammai.

Thus, the year '763 directs our attention to the messianic future, when Jewish law will be decided in accordance with the opinions of "The House of Shammai," as it is nowadays with regard to how we should honor "The Sabbath Day."

May it be a truly Shabbosdike year, a year of material and spiritual delight, blessing, peace, tranquility, and redemption for each and all.

With blessings to be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year!

Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh