The text opens with a quote from Deuteronomy, saying God is "near it." But who is "it"? The verse itself speaks of a nation that has God near to it. Devarim Rabbah, in its characteristic fashion, finds something deeper there.
Rabbi Yoḥanan offers a stunning image. He says that when the ministering angels gather before the Holy One, Baruch Hu (blessed be He), and ask, "When is Rosh Hashanah? When is Yom Kippur?" — God turns the question around!
"Why are you asking Me?" God replies, according to Rabbi Yoḥanan. "Let us, I and you, go to the earthly court."
Wait, what earthly court? What's going on here?
The Midrash finds support for this idea in that very verse: “That has God near [kerovim] it.” The text emphasizes that it doesn't say God is near to the nation, but rather the nation has God near it. It's not written, "Who has a nation near [Him]," but rather, "That has God near it." The Midrash interprets this to mean that God and His entire entourage are close to Israel.
The implication, according to this reading, is that, to a certain extent, Israel is primary. But how can that be? How can mortals determine the holy days?
Rabbi Yoḥanan continues, offering an explanation. The Holy One, blessed be He, says, "Until you became My nation – 'the appointed times of the Lord' (Leviticus 23:2)." This refers to the period before the giving of the Torah, when God alone determined the calendar. "From then on," God continues, "'that you shall proclaim them' (Leviticus 23:2)."
In other words, once the covenant was established, the responsibility for proclaiming the holy days – for determining the calendar – shifted, at least in part, to Israel.
This is a radical idea, isn't it? It suggests that human agency, our choices and actions here on Earth, actually influence the divine realm. It means that the Jewish calendar, and by extension the Jewish experience of time, is a partnership between God and humanity.
What does this mean for us today? It's a reminder that we are not passive recipients of tradition. We are active participants in shaping it, in interpreting it, and in living it out in the world. We have a role to play, not just in observing the holidays, but in understanding their meaning and making them relevant to our lives. It's a weighty responsibility, but also an incredible privilege.