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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.
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