Chazal [=our Sages], however, point out that there are indeed biblical indications supporting our tradition regarding the Rosh Hashanah holiday. In Devarim 11:12 the Torah tells us that our destiny for each year -- whether financial, physical, or other -- is preordained on the day that starts that year (Tractate Rosh Hashanah 8a). The Gemara identifies the day on which this judgment takes place with the Yom Teru'ah of Bamidbar (Rosh Hashanah 16a), basing this on Tehilim 81:4-5, "Sound the Shofar on the New Moon, on the day that marks our holiday, for it is a [time for] judgment for the God of Yakov." Since there is only one holiday that occurs on a new moon --namely, Yom Teru'ah -- the "time of judgment" to which the verse refers must be on that same holiday, the day we call Rosh Hashanah. The mention of the Shofar [=ram's horn trumpet] in the verse from Tehilim bears out the contention that it is referring to the Yom Teru'ah holiday.

1. The Ba'al HaTurim (14th cent. Spain) on Devarim 11:12 points out that the word "beginning" (heb. Reishit), in the verse, "From the beginning of the year," (Devarim 11:12), is spelled in an unusual manner. It is lacking the letter "Alef." The letters of "Reishit" the way it is spelled here are identical to the letters that spell the word "Tishrei" -- the name of the seventh month. This, he asserts, is to intimate to us that the "beginning" mentioned in this verse occurs in Tishrei.

2. The Maharsha (17th cent. Poland) points out (in Gemara Rosh Hashanah, beginning of 16a) that in Vayikra 23:24 the Torah refers to Rosh Hashanah as "the Day of the *Remembrance* of the Shofar-blasts." The intimation of this appellation is that the Shofar-blasts that were ordained for this day are intended to bring Hashem to remember us (i.e., single us out) for goodwill. They are reminiscent of the devotion of our forefathers (see Rosh Hashanah, ibid.). It is thus apparent from this source, explains the Maharsha, that Rosh Hashanah is some sort of judgment day, for otherwise why would the Torah require us to practice this course of action on this specific day?

3. Yet another hint to substantiate the identification of the yearly day of judgment with the 1st of Tishrei is given by the Ran (14th cent. Spain) in his commentary to Rosh Hashanah 16a. The Ran points out that even the heavens themselves seem to indicate a correlation between the month of Tishrei and justice. The zodiacal constellation that the sun "passes through" during the month of Tishrei is Libra, the Scales. The Scale has always been the symbol of judgment, representing the weighing of good against bad. The Ran suggests that this arrangement of the stars hints to us that heavenly judgment is taking place during this month. (See also Vayikra Rabba 29:8, "he forgives them ...in the month of Mozna'im, i.e. Tishrei ...". The question of how Zodiacal signs should be interpreted in the context of history upon considering the effects of precession will have to be put aside for a future discussion - see Ibn Ezra Iyov 5:8).