Happy Jewish New Year - le Shana Tova

Published: Mon, 09/03/12

Shana Tova - Happy Jewish New Year

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Bluenoemi's Specials #14

Shana Tova to all our friends!

Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year. It falls once a year during the month of Tishrei and occurs ten days before Yom Kippur.

Together, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are known as the Yamim Nora'im, which means the Days of Awe in Hebrew.

In English they are often referred to as the High Holy Days.

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Traditions

We celebrate Rosh Hashanah with sweet foods, like apples dipped in honey and honey cake, as a wish for a sweet year. Some families also celebrate with symbolic foods like the head of a fish, pomegranates, and carrots.

The head of a fish is so that we can be "like the head and not like the tail." This is a symbol of having a year in which we are on top and not the bottom.

Pomegranates are symbolic of plenty. Have you ever tried to count how many seeds there are in a pomegranate? Far too many to count. We want plenty of health and happiness for the New Year, just as many good things as there are seed in a pomegranate.

We also eat carrots, and it isn't just to see better in the dark. For Ashkenazi Jews, carrots symbolize the Yiddish word "merren" which also means more.We want more of all the good things in life. More health, more happiness, more success.

For Sephardic Jews, carrots are symbolic of the phrase "Yikaretu oyveychem" which means may your enemies be cut down. We ask that those who wish bad for us not get their wish, that they don't succeed.

And of course, we have round Challot made with honey and raisins. These are another symbol of a sweet and happy year. We put decorations on the Challot, such as birds (symbolizing doves of peace).

Rosh Hashanah starts on the first day of Tishrei and lasts two days. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Yamim Noraim, the ten days of atonement.

On Rosh Hashanah, all mankind is judged. HaShem writes the judgment for each of us in the Book of Life. This judgment is based on our lives of the year before, and is the decision of what will happen to us in the coming year.

But the judgment is not final. The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur give us a time to change the judgment for good. We are given the chance to improve our coming year through Teshuvah (asking forgiveness), Tefillah (prayer), and Tzedakah (charity).

On Rosh Hashanah we wish each other "L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevuh" may you be written in for a good year. But Rosh HaShanah is not the end of the judgment, it is only on Yom Kippur that our judgment is made final.

Rosh Hashana - Shofar

In ancient times the shofar was sounded to announce a new month. The horn of a ram is most often used for making a shofar because it is much like the story of the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, an event which, according to tradition, is believe to have happened on Rosh Hashanah.

There are three types of shofar blasts that we hear during Rosh Hashana.

Tekia - one long blast

Shvarim - 3 short blasts

Trua - 9 short blasts

The blessing before the Shofar is blown:

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kid-shanu
bemizvotav vetzivanu lishmo'ah kol shofar.

I praise G-d, who is King and Ruler over all,

who commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar.

Torah Readings

The Torah readings for Rosh Hashanah are Genesis chapter 21 (the birth of Isaac) on the first day and chapter 22 (the binding of Isaac) on the second day. The birth of Isaac combines the theme of birth, renewal, and the covenantal promises fulfilled for another generation. The binding of Isaac is a far more complex story which involves sacrifice, redemption, and commitment. It would appear that traditionally the Torah reading was the birth of Isaac and the subsequent chapter was read the following day because the Torah was rolled to that spot. However, the power of the Akedah (the story of the binding of Isaac) is so enormous that in many Reform congregations, the Akedah is read the first day of Rosh Hashanah, and the account of Creation (Genesis, chapter 1) is read the second day.

Tashlikh

There is a tradition to visit a moving body of water on Rosh Hashanah afternoon and empty one's pockets of crumbs (symbolic of one's sins) into the water. This is a charming tradition, especially when the weather is good. It derives from verses from the book of the prophet Micah, which are read as the crumbs are scattered on the water:

Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? Adonai does not retain anger for ever, because God delights in mercy. Adonai will again have compassion upon us; Adonai will suppress our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-20 You will show truth to Jacob, and loving mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.

Originally, the only requirement was that the water must be flowing -- not stagnant -- to carry away sins. Later rabbis required presence of fish: Like fish caught in nets, we are constrained by the web of sins we weave we are held down weakens our sense of self sin becomes a habit that leads us further down. Similarly, guilt can sometimes prevent us from rising above the past to become better people. Having repented throughout Elul, on Erev Rosh Hashanah, and on Rosh Hashanah morning, Tashlikh provides an opportunity to unburden ourselves of guilt that no longer serves a purpose so we can move on with our lives.

Shanot Tovot Greeting Cards

Some people choose to send New Year's greeting cards on Rosh HaShanah. Before the advent of modern computers these were handwritten cards that were snail mailed weeks in advance, but nowadays it is equally as common to send Rosh HaShanah e-cards a few days before the holiday. So here is our wishing for our readers and friends Shana Tova. We also want to hope that this will be a good year for Israel the Palestinians and the Arab neighbours. Neither side will have a good year alone. It could only be a happy year for both people or it won't be a good year for the both.

Once there was a tradition to send Shanot Tovot - special greeting cards for the new year, today you usually get e-cards instead.

Anyway we will present here with all kinds of different old Shanot Tovot for the nostalgic souls.

Best wishes for a happy New Year!