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The Jewish New Year comes in the autumn on the first Tishrei, reminding us that this is a time not only to celebrate the miracle of life, but also to contemplate the somber reality of mortality. Between the two -- life and mortality -- comes the important message to consider carefully how we live our lives in order to live them better. Life is lived in relationship: to God and to other people. At this time of year we repair our relationships from the hurts that may have been suffered during the past year in order to enter into the new year spiritually and emotionally cleansed. Hence the most important business of the New Year season is repentance. Ten days are set aside for repentance (which we call the Yamei Teshuvah) which begin on Rosh Hashanah and extend through Yom Kippur. In reality, the month of Elul which precedes Rosh Hashanah is also a time to begin the process of repentance.
Rosh Hashanah goes by three names and each reveals an aspect of the season's meaning. One name is Yom HaZicharon, the Day of Remembrance. On Rosh Hashanah, traditions teaches, God remembers our deeds for the past year. The chief metaphor employed is the Book of Life, in which our deeds are written by virtue of our words and behavior, and which stands in witness for or against us at this time of year. We are called upon to look back and remember what we have said and done, to repent for that which was wrong, and to made amends (atone) for our transgressions.
Rosh Hashanah is also known as Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment. Tradition holds that at this time of the year, our lives hang in the balance because God judges us to determine our future. In fact, it is a time for reflection and self-judgment. As God "scrutinizes our record" so are we to scrutinize our souls. This can be a difficult and painful process, but it is made easier knowing that the entire community is engaged in the same process of introspection and self-judgment.
Jewish tradition holds that whenever we sin against another human being, we sin against God. However, we cannot apologize directly to God until we have first rectified the wrong with the person whom we have offended. The first step, therefore, is to approach those whom we have wronged and ask for their forgiveness. Only then can we ask God's forgiveness. The prayers recited in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah reflect this perspective.
Rosh Hashanah, itself, means "the head of the year, or the beginning of the year. In fact, the Mishnah teaches us (Masechet Rosh Hashanah 2a) that there are four new years, and Rosh Hashanah is the new year for counting years and calculating shmittah (the sabbatical year), the yovel (the Jubilee year), saplings and vegetables. As such, it is a time of celebration, as are all new years, but unlike some, it is not merely a time for riotous festivity, but is part of a larger Season of Repentance which begins in the beginning of Elul, a month before Rosh Hashanah, with the first blast of the shofar and the first introduction of penitential prayers to the daily liturgy. The season continues through Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Day of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, includes Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and the Sukkot festival which follows five days later, lasting for seven or eight days (depending upon which tradition one follows).
FOOD Rosh Hashanah is a joyous time because it is a time
of renewal and repentance, accompanied by the expectation of forgiveness.
The holiday is replete with traditions and rituals reflecting this understanding.
The holiday is ushered in on its eve with candles. After kiddush is recited
over wine, the family shares apples and honey, symbolic of the sweet New Year
we wish for others and for ourselves. Then a round challah is eaten; the shape
reflects the cyclical nature of the year. It is traditional to bake the challah
with raisins, another symbol of sweetness. The food eaten throughout the holiday
is especially sweet: tzimmes (sweet potatoes, carrots, and dried fruits baked
together) and honey cake are especially traditional.
SHOFAR Perhaps the most important aspect of the prayer services
on Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar. It is a mitzvah (commandment)
to hear the shofar blown and its sound reverberates in the Jewish soul. The
Rambam (Moses Maimonides) wrote that the shofar wakes us up spiritually to
our responsibilities to God and humanity. It calls us to repent from our sins.
In addition, the shofar connects us to two occasions for its use: one past
and one future. The shofar was blown at Mount Sinai when the Torah was revealed
to Israel, the Torah tells us, and tradition holds that it will herald the
coming Messianic Age, as well. Hence the Torah beckons us to live our lives
on the continuum between Revelation and Redemption. The names of the blasts
of the shofar are (1) Tekiah (one long blast; (2) Shevarim (three short blasts);
and (3) Teruah (nine staccato blasts). The shofar is blown during the Torah
service of Rosh Hashanah morning, following the reading, and during the musaf
amidah. To here the sounds of the shofar, click here.
The Jewish Holidays: A Guide & Commentary by Michael Strassfeld (Harper & Row).
The How To Handbook for Jewish Living by Kerry M. Olitzky and Ronald H. Isaacs (Ktav).
It's a Mitzvah! by Bradley Shavit Artson (Behrman House and the Rabbinical Assembly).
Jewish Family & Life by Yosef I. Abramowitz and Rabbi Susan Silverman (Golden Books).
The Kid's Catalog of Jewish Holidays by David Adler (Jewish Publication Society).
Seasons for Celebration by Rabbi Karen L. Fox and Phyllis Zimbler Miller (Perigee Books).
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Rosh Hashanah Home Rituals (next page) |
