Festive Meal
The
woman of
the household lights candles before sunset of the first
night and a half hour after sunset on the second night
of Rosh Hashanah and recites blessings over the candles.
There
are two festive meals each day, one at noon and
one in the evening. Throughout the High Holidays
we eat round baked hallahs, to symbolize fullness
and completion. After making the blessing
over the bread,
we dip the hallah into a bowl of honey to have
only sweetness.
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After the hallah has been eaten,
take an apple and dip it in to a bowl of honey. Make
a blessing
over the apple (since "Hamotzi" did not
cover the apple) and eat a little bit of the apple.
Then say, "May it be Your will, God, to renew us
for a good and sweet new year." (OC 583)
Special
Symbolic Foods
During the festive meals, we eat various foods that
reflect good meanings.
These foods symbolize and connect with the roots of
all good things.
A small bite would be just fine.
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After
eating Leek/Cabbage, say... |
May
it be Your will, God, that our enemies be
Cut off. |
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After
eating Beets, say... |
May
it be Your will, God, that our adversaries
be Removed. |
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After
eating Dates, say... |
May
it be Your will, God, that our enemies be
Finished. |
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After
eating Gourd, say... |
May
it be Your will, God, that the decree of
our sentence should be Torn apart, and may
our merits be Proclaimed before You. |
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After
eating Pomegranate, say... |
May
it be Your will, God, that our merits increase
as the seeds of a Pomegranate. |
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After
eating the Head of a sheep/fish,
say... |
May
it be Your will, God, that we be as the
Head and not as the tail. |
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You can also use other foods and make up your own "May
it be Your will..." For example, you could eat a
raisin and celery, and ask God in the coming year for
a "raise in salary" (raisin celery)!
- On Rosh Hashanah, we add the paragraph Ya'aleh V'yavo
in Grace After Meals.
- It is customary to greet others as follows: "L'shana
Tova -- Ketivah vi-chatima Tova." This means:
"For a good year - You should be written and sealed
in the good (Book of Life)."
-
It is advisable to avoid marital relations, except if
Rosh Hashanah falls on the night of the wife's immersion.
-
If a Brit Milah falls on Rosh Hashanah, it should be
performed between the Torah reading and the shofar blowing.
The Prayers
Since
there are so many unique
prayers on Rosh Hashanah, we use a special prayer book
called a "Machzor."
In
the "Amidah" and "Kiddush" for Rosh
Hashanah, we say the phrase Yom Teruah. However, if
Rosh Hashanah falls on Sabbath, we say Zichron Teruah
instead. (If one inadvertently said the wrong phrase,
he needn't repeat the prayer.)
The
supplication "Avinu Malkeinu" should
be said on Rosh Hashanah, except when Rosh Hashanah
and Sabbath coincide, since supplications are not said
on Sabbath. If Rosh Hashanah falls on a Friday, "Avinu
Malkeinu" is not said during the afternoon prayer.
During
the High Holidays, the curtain on the ark is changed
into a white one, to symbolize that our "mistakes
will be whitened like snow."
The
cantor for the High Holidays should not be chosen for
his vocal talents alone. Ideally, the cantor should
be over 30 years old, God fearing, learned in Torah,
humble, and married. A learned man under 30 with the
other qualifications is acceptable. Though it is preferable
to allow an unfit cantor to lead services, rather than
cause strife over the issue in the community.
Since
it is a question as to whether the She'hechianu blessing
should be said on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we
are accustomed to eat a new fruit or wear a new garment
and say She'hechianu upon it. When saying the She'hechianu,
one should also have in mind the good-deed of lighting
candles, "Kiddush" and hearing the shofar.
The Shofar Sound
The essential good-deed of Rosh
Hashanah is to hear the sounding of the shofar. The shofar
blasts after the Torah Reading are called "Tekiot
M'yushav."
During
the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana, notice there
are three distinct sounds:
Tekiah - one long, straight blast Hear the sound
Shevarim - three medium, wailing sounds Hear the sound
Teruah - 9 quick blasts in short succession Hear the
sound
The
minimum Torah obligation is to hear nine blasts. However,
there is a doubt whether the sound of the shofar should
be a groaning type of cry (Shevarim), or a sobbing weep
(Teruah), or a combination (Shevarim-Teruah). Therefore,
we perform all three sounds, each preceded and followed
by an unbroken blast, Tekiah. Three of each set results
in 30 blasts total, which are necessary to remove all
doubt that the Torah precept has been fulfilled.
It
is customary to blow shofar in the same place that the
Torah is read, so that the merit of the Torah will support
us. The shofar should be blown during the daytime. In
ancient times, when the Romans persecuted the Jews,
the rabbis instituted blowing the shofar before Musaf,
since the Romans had guards in the synagogues during
the early morning.
The
person who blows the shofar must stand. He should be
instructed immediately before blowing to have intention
to fulfill the obligation for all those listening. Similarly,
all those listening should be reminded to have intention
that their obligation is being fulfilled.
Before
blowing, two blessings are recited: "to hear the
sound of the shofar," and She'hechianu. Once the
blessings have been made, one may not speak until the
end of the shofar blowing.
Women
may sound the shofar and say the blessing to accomplish
the mitzvah. A child who is old enough to be educated
regarding good-deeds is required to hear the shofar.
The
shofar is not blown when Rosh Hashanah falls on Sabbath
The
shofar used on Rosh Hashanah should be a curved ram's
horn, and longer than four inches. It is permitted to
use the shofar of an animal not ritually slaughtered.
After the fact, any shofar is acceptable except the
horn of a cow, ox or an unkosher species of animal.
In
the "Amidah" prayer of Musaf, there are three
special blessings: Malchiot (praises to God the King),
Zichronot (asking God to remember the merits of our
Ancestors), and Shofrot (the significance of the shofar).
During the cantor's repetition, we blow an additional
30 blasts in the various combinations.
It
is the custom to blow 40 extra blasts at the end of
services, bringing the total to 100. It is customary
to prolong the final blast, which is called a Tekiah
Gedolah.
See
kabalistic shofar insights
Tashlich
The "Tashlich" prayer
is said on the first afternoon of Rosh
Hashanah by a pool of water that preferably has fish
in it. These prayers are symbolic of the casting away
of our mistakes. Of course, it is foolish to think you
can rid sins by shaking out your pockets. Rather, the
Jewish approach is deep introspection and commitment
to change. Indeed, the whole idea of "Tashlich"
is partly to commemorate the Midrash that says when
Abraham went to the Akeida (binding of Isaac), he had
to cross through water up to his neck
If
Rosh Hashanah falls out on Sabbath, "Tashlich"
is pushed off until the second day. If "Tashlich"
was not said on Rosh Hashanah itself, it may be said
anytime during the Ten Days of Repentance.
Both
the body of water and the fish are symbolic. In Talmudic
literature Torah is represented as water. Just as fish
can't live without water, so too a Jew can't live without
Torah!
Also,
the fact that fish's eyes never close serve to remind
us that, so too, God's eyes (so to speak) never close;
He knows of our every move.
Text of Tashlich
"Who is
like You, God, who removes iniquity and overlooks transgression
of the remainder of His inheritance. He doesn't remain
angry forever because He desires kindness. He will return
and He will be merciful to us, and He will conquer our
iniquities, and He will cast them into the depths of
the seas.
Give
truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham like that you swore
to our ancestors from long ago.
From
the straits I called upon God, God answered me with
expansiveness. God is with me, I will not be afraid,
what can man do to me? God is with me to help me, and
I will see my foes (annihilated). It is better to take
refuge in God than to trust in man. It is better to
take refuge in God, that to rely on nobles".
Many
people also read Psalms 33 and 130.
