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Are there any texts or commentators which discuss the idea of Rosh Hashanah being a day of friendliness?

The Artscroll/Stone on Bamidbar 23:22 follows Rashi's understanding (Bamidbar 23:21) of "utru'at" as from the language of re'ut (though other meforshim stick with "trumpet blast"). If one can understand tru'ah here as neighborliness, this might add a dimension to the meaning of Rosh Hashanah as Yom T'ru'ah.

Is anyone familiar with sources which explore this possibility?

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    Regardless of if it's cited by the Meforshim, it's a cool Dvar Torah nonetheless.
    – ezra
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 20:48
  • Well, we're taught around here that you're not really supposed to talk on Rosh Hashana. Which kind of gets in the way of being friendly...
    – SAH
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 22:17
  • side note:yom kippur is called a day of friendliness,as stated in the machzor
    – sam
    Commented Oct 1, 2017 at 14:24
  • @sam post here a link to a machzor stating that "yom kippur is called a day of friendliness",
    – ninamag
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 23:39
  • @rosends which authority, OLDER than Rashi, concluded also that "tru'at" תרועת of Bamidbar 23:21 comes from "re'ut" רעות? (I am not able to tell from the answers below if the quoted authority is OLDER than Rashi.)
    – ninamag
    Commented Sep 5, 2018 at 7:09

2 Answers 2

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This is stated by the B'nei Yissakhar (Maamarei Hodesh Tishrei Maamar 3 - Yom Teruah Derush 3):

וכן יש לפרש יום תרועה, לשון ריעות וחיבור, התחלת מעשה לקרב ולהגיש החיבור פנים בפנים, הוא יהיה לכם, הכל תלוי במעשיכם

Similarly one can explain "a day of teruah", as an meaning 'friendliness' and 'connection', the beginning of the act to connect to God intimately, all based on one's actions.

This is part of a lengthy derush there.

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  • I admit I was not 100% sure how t translate the passage, ayein sham...
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 21:13
  • Don't sweat it; that was a hard passage. +1
    – ezra
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 21:25
  • Really good! I wouldn't have thought of that common shoresh. The "friendliness" appears to be a logical connection from Rosh Hashannah to Yom Kippur as we are required to ask forgiveness from others and this action increases friendship.
    – DanF
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 22:32
  • @mevaqesh which authority, OLDER than Rashi, concluded also that "tru'at" תרועת of Bamidbar 23:21 comes from "re'ut" רעות? (Would it be correct that the authority you quoted in this answer is YOUNGER than Rashi?)
    – ninamag
    Commented Sep 5, 2018 at 7:11
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Yannai has a phrase in one of his kerovot for Rosh Hashanah (Zulai's ed., p. 321) that goes:

וירצה בעם בו תרועת מלך

In N. Bronznick's book on Yannai's liturgy (Piyyutei Yannai - Biurim U'pirushim, pg. 388) the author is most certain that Yannai was hinting at this double entendre of "רעות"; friendship/closeness between God and His people.

In the posthumously printed Mishnas Sachir on Moadim (p. 156), R. Teichtal also explores this similar idea where the Jewish people are united with one another and God, but takes this play-on-words further indicating that it alludes to "smashing" ("תרועם בשבט ברזל") revealing another element of the greatness of RH that it can destroy the enemies of the Jewish people.

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