Happy Birthday!

In Jewish theology, much importance is attached to the day upon which one dies, one's yahrtzeit, but little is mentioned about one's birthday. Some Torah authorities, such as the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoelish Teitelbaum (1887-1979)[1] are opposed to any sort of celebration of one's birthday, while other authorities, such as the Lubavitcher Rebbe[2], Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994)[3] and the Rebbe from Piaczezna, Rabbi Kalonymos Kalman Shapiro[4], permit and encourage such celebration on one's birthday as means of inspiring self-reflection and introspection[5]. Rabbi Matis Blum explains[6] that the rationale of those who oppose birthday celebrations is based on a statement of King Solomon, who said, "A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death [is better] than the day of birth.[7]" He also explains this opposition is seemingly supported by the Talmud which determined[8] that it is better than man not have been born than man having been born. A third reason for opposing birthday parities is simply the fact that the Torah only mentioned such a party in conjunction with the Pharaoh celebrating his own birthday. This implies that only such morally degenerated people as the sovereign of Egypt would celebrate a birthday, but not Torah True Jews.

In describing the date of the release of Pharaoh's butler from jail, the Torah says, "It was on the third day, the birthday of Pharaoh, and he [Pharaoh] made a banquet for all his servant[9]…" The Targum explains[10] that "birthday of Pharaoh" in this context means Yom Genussa. Rashi explains[11] that "birthday of Pharaoh" literally means his birthday, the anniversary of his birth[12]. The Mishnah lists[13] Yom Genussa and the King's Birthday as two separate idolatrous holidays. Rashi explains that on the King's Birthday, a national holiday would be declared annually and the people would offer sacrifices to idols. Yom Genussa, according to the Talmud[14], is the day of the coronation of the king[15]. In this, Rashi is consistent with his opinion in his commentary to the Torah, but the explanation of the Targum requires explanation. The Jerusalemic parallel to this passage in the Babylonian Talmud concluded[16] that Yom Genussa is "birthday". Then why is the King's birthday also listed in the Mishnah if it is the same as Yom Genussa? The Jerusalemic Talmud[17] answers that the King's Birthday is a national holiday celebrated by all of the king's constituents on the anniversary of the king's birthday, while Yom Genussa is a day celebrated by each man and his household on each man's own personal birthday. From here, one clearly sees that the celebration of one's birthday is an idolatrous practice. Although Rabbi David Altschuler explains[18] seems to understand that even Jewish monarchs celebrated their birthdays, this does not justify anything because in the context the Prophet is actually rebuking the nation for the celebration which consisted of drinking and other debauchery.

HaShem promised that if the Jews follow the Torah then "I [HaShem] will fill the number of your [the Jews'] days.[19]" This means that for the righteous observers of the Torah, HaShem will complete their days and allow them to die in complete years, meaning on their birthdays. The Midrash says[20] that when Moses said on the day of his death, "I am one-hundred and twenty years old today[21]" it was his birthday, making him exactly one- hundred and twenty years old on the day of his death, a complete year. Indeed the Talmud assumes[22] that Moses was born and died on the seventh of Adar. The Talmud says[23] that when Haman was planning the genocidal cleansing of the Jewish people from the world, he drew a lottery to determine during which month he should carry his final plan. Through the lottery, Haman happily resolved to carry out his systematic extermination of the Jews in the month Adar because Adar was the month in which Moses died, which shows it is an inauspicious time for the Jews. However, the Talmud notes that Haman did not realize that no only did Moses die during Adar, but Adar was also the month in which Moses was born. Rabbi Avraham Maskil L'Eisan (1788-1848) explains[24] that the Talmud says[25] that according to the laws of astrology, a person cannot die on his or her own birthday. However, since the righteous are not constricted by the restraints of the zodiac, HaShem causes them to die on their birthdays, to show the world who is actually pious and upright. From here, one sees that Judaism does afford some religious significance to one's birthday.

In relating an explanation of Amalek's war tactics[26], the Talmud seems[27] to imply, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi that one's birthday has an astrological affect on him. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi explains that the Amalekites knew the rule that one cannot naturally die on their birthday[28] because of astrological influences, so they only conscripted men into their army for their birthdays, so that none of their soldiers could ever be defeated. Therefore, in order to fight the Amalekites, Moses had to Kabbalistically mix-up the zodiacal constellations in order to confuse the angel of death and allow him to kill people even on their birthdays. Even though Jews are not really bound by astrological influences (called Mazel)[29], Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (1832-1909) says[30] that even a Jew is afforded special protection and "luck" on his birthday. He explains that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria merited a miracle in which he miraculously grew eighteen rows of white hair[31] because it was on the day of his eighteenth birthday. He proves this linguistically from the expression used by the Talmud to say that he was eighteen years old[32]. In practical Halacha, Rabbi Yosef Chaim ruled[33] in favor of his own familial tradition of celebrating a birthday as a pseudo-holiday as a good omen. He also mentioned a custom of celebrating the anniversary of one's own circumcision, in which he entered the covenant of the forefather Abraham. Indeed, some understand that Abraham himself followed this custom.

Rabbi Moshe Sofer (1762-1839) explains[34] that when the Torah says that Abraham made a party on the day that Issac was weaned[35], this refers to a festivity which Abraham launched every year on the anniversary of the circumcision of Issac. Since Issac was born on the first day of Passover, this yearly celebration was held yearly on what was later to be the final day of Passover in the Diaspora. Rabbi Moshe Sofer says that this celebration held by Abraham on the centenary of his son's circumcision is analogous to the yearly birthday celebrations of the Pharaohs. Although this clearly justifies the celebration of birthdays, the Satmar Rebbe explains that the forefathers were Noahide and it is indeed appropriate for Noahides to celebrate their birthday, but not for Jews to do so. Furthermore, the Talmud records[36] a dispute between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua as to whether Abraham and Jacob were born in Tishrei or Nissan. If there is no religious significance attached to birthdays, then this argument is irrelevant and should not have been included in the Talmud.

The Talmud says[37] that when Rav Yosef reached the age of sixty, he made a festival for his rabbinical colleagues. Upon their questioning, he explained that he made the party because now that he reached the age of sixty years old, he can no longer be punished with divine excommunication. Rabbi Yosef ben Moshe (1423-1490) related[38] that his teacher, Rabbi Yisrael Isserlein (1390-1460), the author of Terumas HaDeshen, hosted a siyum (a meal of completion) on a tractate upon reaching the age of sixty and specifically used this to discharge himself of his obligation of making a party at the age of sixty. Accordingly, some halachik authorities seem to require one to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer (1815-1871) said[39] that his personal custom was to complete a tractate every year on his birthday and therefore make a siyum on his birthday; the same custom has been attributed to his father, Rabbi Moshe Sofer[40].

Cursing one's birthday is an expression of one's dissatisfaction in one's situation. The Midrash says[41] that two people cursed the day on which they born. Job cursed the day he was born[42] as a reaction to all the suffering to which he was subjected. Jeremiah also cursed the day of his birth[43] as a means of conveying the message of his bitterness in having to foretell the destruction of the Holy Temple, and worse, his knowing that prophecy was destined to be fulfilled. Nonetheless, the significance of one specific birthday can serve as inspiration and hope for a brighter future: The Midrash says[44] that on the day of Tisha B'Av, the Messiah will be born. May it be the will of HaShem that he whose birthday is Tisha B'Av shall arrive soon, accompanied by the building of the Holy Temple, speedily and in our days: Amen.
[1] Divrei Torah 5:88
[2] It should be noted that Education and Sharing Day is proclaimed yearly in the United States of America on the birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in honor and memory of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Education Day is a legal holiday originally proclaimed by American President Jimmy Carter and has been reaffirmed by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.
[3] L'Chaim 961: Ki Sisa
[4] See To Heal the Soul: The Spiritual Journal of a Chasidic Rebbe, Chapter 19
[5] Rabbi Blum notes that Rabbi Moshe Kolodny (of Agudas Yisroel) showed him a Jerusalem newspaper article which reported (Chavatzeles, 12 Shevat, 5669) that the ninety-third birthday of Rabbi Shmuel Salant (1816-1909) was attended by the great Torah sages of Jerusalem, and Rabbi Chaim Berlin (1832-1912) even brought a cake with a blessing in Hebrew—whose numerical value was equivalent to the year 5669—to the "birthday boy" written on it. Rabbi Mordechai Kornfeld said (Insights to the Daf, Moed Katan 28a) that the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan (1838-1933) celebrated all his later birthdays as a means of publicizing the rewards of refraining from speaking lashon harah.
[6] Torah L'Daas Volume 6, pg. 258
[7] Ecclesiastes 7:1
[8] Eruvin 13b
[9] Genesis 40:20
[10] Targum Yonasaon to Genesis 40:20
[11] To Genesis 40:20
[12] A third explanation (see Seder HaDoros, Year 2228) is that this was the day on which Pharaoh fathered his firstborn son, therefore it is called the "birthday of the Pharaoh" because it was the day on which the future Pharaoh was born. Although, this son of the Pharaoh died as Seder HaDoros in the same year says that the sign by which Pharaoh knew that Joseph's explanation of his dream was correct is the fact that the Pharaoh's firstborn son died, so his potential to become the Pharaoh never actually materialized. See Rabbeinu Bachaya to Genesis 40:20 who says that this child was named "Pharaoh" like the name of his father.
[13] Avodah Zarah 8a
[14] Avodah Zarah 10a
[15] It is unclear whether this is specifically the day of the coronation itself or it is an anniversary of the day of the coronation celebrated annually like the King's Birthday.
[16] Avodah Zarah 1:2
[17] As explained by Rabbi Moshe Margulies (d. 1781) in Pnei Moshe to Jerusalemic Avodah Zarah 1:2
[18] To Hoshea 7:5
[19] Exodus 23:26
[20] Yalkut Shimoni, Torah §360
[21] Deuteronomy 31:2
[22] Sotah 13b, Kiddushin 35a, and Rosh HaShannah 11a
[23] Megillah 13b
[24] Mitzpeh Eisan to Megillah 13b
[25] Jerusalemic Talmud, Rosh HaShannah 3:8
[26] See Exodus 17:8-16
[27] Jerusalemic Talmud, Rosh HaShannah 3:8
[28] The actual terminology used by the Jerusalemic Talmud is Yom Genussa, this is consistent with the opinion of the Jerusalemic Talmud in Avodah Zarah that Yom Genussa means birthday, not the day of the king's coronation as explained in the Babylonian Talmud.
[29] See Shabbos 156a
[30] Ben Yehoyada to Brachos 28a
[31] Brachos 27b-28a
[32] The Talmud says "that day he was eighteen" instead of saying "at that time he was eighteen" which implies on that day he became eighteen years old.
[33] Ben Ish Chai, Year 1, Parshas Re'ay §17
[34] Toras Moshe to Genesis 21:9
[35] See Genesis 21:8
[36] Rosh HaShannah 10b-11a
[37] Moed Katan 28a
[38] Leket Yosher, pg. 40
[39] Responsa Ksav Sofer, Yoreh Deah §148
[40] Minhagei Chasam Sofer
[41] Yalkut Shimoni, Prophets, §301
[42] Job 3:1-9
[43] Jeremiah 20:14-18
[44] Jerusalemic Talmud, Brachos 2:4, Lamentations Rabbah 1:51