New Year For Animals
Judaism actually recognizes four different “new years” in the Mishnah. Most people can name Tu BiShvat—the birthday of the trees—and, of course, Rosh HaShanah. But there’s another you might not know: the New Year for Animals, Rosh Hashanah La’Behemot, observed on Elul 1.
As Tu BiShvat has evolved into a kind of Jewish Earth Day, Rosh Hashanah La’Behemot invites us to look squarely at our bond with animals. They accompany us, feed and clothe us, and shape daily life in countless ways. This day asks us to notice and honor those relationships.
Picture the chicken on a Shabbat table, the milk in your mug, the leather on your shoes. How—and how often—do animals touch your life? Pay attention for a day and you’ll notice just how dependent we are on domesticated creatures. That alone is reason to mark the date with gratitude.
Historically, Rosh Ḥodesh Elul served as the cutoff for maʿaser behemah—the tithing of herd animals like cattle and sheep. In Temple times, Elul 1 functioned as the animals’ fiscal new year, the moment from which tithes were counted. Rosh Hashanah La’Behemot thus paralleled Rosh Hashanah La’Ilanot (Tu BiShvat), which set the calendar for tithing fruit trees.
The focus here is on domesticated animals—those bred and tended by humans, whether kosher or not: cats, dogs, cattle, chickens, pigs, llamas, goats, and more. Today, our influence extends even further than our barns and homes. Industrial farming, deforestation, and other human activities reshape habitats and shrink biodiversity, affecting even species we never meet.
Use this day to reflect on the human–animal relationship in its fullest sense. It’s a perfect moment to recall tza’ar ba’alei ḥayim—the mandate to avoid needless cruelty to animals—and to spark conversations and concrete actions that improve animal welfare near and far.
Because Rosh Hashanah La’Behemot hasn’t been widely observed since Temple days, there’s ample room to reimagine it. Let the tradition inspire creative, modern practices that honor animals and respond to the ethical challenges of our time.