That’s the sense I get reading Bereshit Rabbah 98, a beautiful passage from the ancient midrashic collection, which interprets a verse from Psalm 57:3: “I cry out to God on High, to the Almighty who completes for me.” It connects this verse to two of the most solemn days in the Jewish calendar: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Bereshit Rabbah, for those unfamiliar, is a classical, line-by-line interpretation of the Book of Genesis, filled with stories, allegories, and insights into the text. It's a treasure trove of wisdom.
So, how does this verse tie into these High Holy Days? Well, the Midrash explains that "I cry out to God on High" refers specifically to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It's a time of intense prayer, of blowing the shofar (ram's horn), and of acknowledging God's kingship. It’s when we cry out, recognizing God's sovereignty.
And "To the Almighty who completes for me" refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. On this day, the fate of the people is sealed. Remember the Temple service? Two goats were brought forth. Lots were drawn to determine which would be sacrificed to God and which would be sent away, carrying the sins of the people into the wilderness. The latter was pushed off a cliff. Talk about symbolic!
Now, get this: if the High Priest drew the lot marked "to God" with his right hand, it was considered a very good omen. Matnot Kehuna, a commentary on the Midrash, explains that this signified God was inclined to accept the people's prayers and grant them atonement. It's as if God was saying, "I'm with you; your prayers are heard." The verse, according to this interpretation, speaks to that moment of divine judgment and potential forgiveness.
But there’s another layer to this interpretation. The Midrash doesn’t just limit the verse to the High Holy Days. It also connects it to our patriarch, Jacob. "I cry out to God on High" – this, says the Midrash, is Jacob! He's crying out, yearning for connection. And "To the Almighty who completes for me" means that the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with Jacob to give to each of his sons exactly what they deserved. In other words, God ratified Jacob's blessings.
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Jacob, on his deathbed, blessed his sons, each according to their character and destiny. This second interpretation in Bereshit Rabbah suggests that God endorsed those blessings, making them a permanent part of each tribe's inheritance.
So, what does this all mean? Perhaps it's about recognizing that prayer and divine connection aren't just for special occasions. They are woven into the fabric of our lives, from the grand sweep of the High Holy Days to the intimate moments of a patriarch blessing his children. It's a reminder that God is both transcendent ("on High") and intimately involved in our lives, working to "complete" us. It’s a call to cry out, to connect, and to trust that our prayers are heard and that our lives are being shaped by a divine hand.