America is a superpower. Israel is a sliver on the map. America is vast. Israel is a tiny nation with no natural resources.

Which is why it is so jarring to hear the United States, with the largest military on earth, speak about fighting side by side with Israel, and even describe that partnership as an honor.

It stops you because, on paper, this should not be the story. A nation this small should not carry this kind of weight.

This is more than a headline. It reveals something remarkable about the Jewish story.

Yesterday began the Jewish month of Nissan. With it comes the very first commandment given to the Jewish people as a nation:

“This month shall be for you the head of months, it shall be the first for you of the months of the year.”

Nissan is explicitly called the first month of the Jewish year. But that seems strange, because we all know that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, comes at the beginning of the month of Tishrei.

So which one is it? When does Jewish time begin?

More deeply, why do we need two beginnings for one year?

The Rebbe explains that this is not a technical detail. These two “heads” describe a fundamental definition of Jewish identity.

Tishrei celebrates the beginning of the world. It represents nature, order, and stability. Rosh Hashanah marks the birthday of creation itself, and the beginning of a world that functions according to a dependable pattern. Seeds grow. Rain falls. Planets orbit on schedule. People build lives through effort and structure.

There is something........

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