a. The verse states (Psalms 81:4), “Blow the shofar at the moon's renewal, at the time appointed (bakeseh) for our
festive day.” The word bakeseh also means “hidden.” From this our sages
infer that the time of the holiday of Rosh Hashanah is meant to be shrouded in secrecy. This is also one of the reasons
why we do not bless the month of Tishrei on the Shabbat beforehand, and why Rosh Chodesh is barely alluded to in the entire
Rosh Hashanah services.
(One explanation for
this secrecy is that we are trying to confuse and confound the Satan by not
revealing the the date of Rosh Hashanah.)
b.
Rosh Hashanah is the first and second days of Tishrei. But only the
first day of Rosh Hashanah is Rosh Chodesh. The rabbis were
concerned that if Rosh Chodesh prayers and practices were followed on the first
day of Rosh Hashanah, people would erroneously assume that these customs and
prayers are to be continued on the next day as well.
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