{"id":12159,"date":"2023-09-04T17:17:22","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T00:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/?p=12159"},"modified":"2023-12-28T16:07:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T00:07:30","slug":"rosh-hashanah-begins-the-high-holidays-in-the-jewish-calendar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/09\/04\/rosh-hashanah-begins-the-high-holidays-in-the-jewish-calendar\/","title":{"rendered":"Rosh Hashanah – a few facts and insights"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the\u00a0shofar<\/i>\u00a0(ram\u2019s horn) on both mornings of the holiday (except on\u00a0Shabbat<\/span>), which is normally done in the synagogue\u00a0as part of\u00a0the day\u2019s services.<\/p>

Rosh Hashanah feasts\u00a0traditionally include\u00a0round challah\u00a0bread (studded with raisins) and\u00a0apples dipped in honey, as well as\u00a0other foods\u00a0that symbolize our wishes for a sweet year.<\/p>

Other Rosh Hashanah observances include\u00a0candle lighting\u00a0in the evenings and desisting from\u00a0creative work.<\/p>

Together with\u00a0Yom Kippur<\/span>\u00a0(which follows 10 days later), it is part of the Yamim Nora’im (Days of Awe, or\u00a0High Holidays).<\/p>

Rosh Hashanah has multiple names that invoke different components of the day:<\/p>

  • Yom Hadin<\/em>\u00a0(The Day of Judgment)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 This is a time when we each stand before God as the Ultimate Judge and are called to judge our own actions as well.<\/li>
  • Yom Hazikaron<\/em>\u00a0(The Day of Remembrance)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014\u00a0We pray that God will \u201cremember\u201d us by inscribing us in the Book of Life, and we \u201cremember\u201d our own deeds over the past year.<\/li>
  • Yom Harat Olam<\/em>\u00a0(The Day the World Was Conceived)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014\u00a0Rosh Hashanah is associated with creation based on a tradition that the world was created in the month of\u00a0Tishrei<\/em>.<\/li>
  • Yom Teruah<\/em>\u00a0(The Day of Blasting)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014\u00a0The shofar is sounded at Rosh Hashanah services as a call to repentance.<\/li><\/ul>

    Rosh Hashanah is both a joyful and serious occasion. It is associated with creation based on a tradition from the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 10b) that the world was created in the month of\u00a0Tishrei<\/em>. Because of this, one of the many names of Rosh Hashanah is \u201cyom harat olam<\/em>\u201d (the birthday of the world).<\/p>

    At the same time, Rosh Hashanah is a day of accounting and judgment. The High Holiday liturgy states, \u201cOn Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed\u2026\u201d This refers to the belief that on Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life is opened, and on Yom Kippur, our fates are sealed for the coming year (we hope we will be inscribed in the Book of Life). This is a time when we each stand before God as the Ultimate Judge and when we are called to judge our own actions as well. That is why another name for Rosh Hashanah is \u201cYom Hadin<\/em>,\u201d the day of judgment.\u00a0<\/p>

    The theme of accounting and judgment begins in the month of\u00a0Elul<\/em>\u00a0(leading up to Rosh Hashanah) when Jews engage in\u00a0cheshbon hanefesh\u00a0<\/em>(\u201can accounting of the soul\u201d). This entire month is a \u201cpreparatory period\u201d of introspection and reflection about our mistakes in the past year and how we can improve our behaviour in the coming year. There are a number of special observances in the month of Elul<\/em>. The shofar is sounded immediately following morning services as a call to repentance, and\u00a0Psalm 27\u00a0and\u00a0selichot<\/em>\u00a0(prayers of repentance) are recited. Sephardic Jews begin reciting\u00a0selichot<\/em>\u00a0on the second day of the Hebrew month of\u00a0Elul<\/em>, while Ashkenazi Jews start reciting them on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah.<\/p>

    One of the central themes of Rosh Hashanah and the High Holiday season is\u00a0teshuvah\u00a0<\/em>(meaning \u201crepentance\u201d or \u201creturn\u201d). This describes the process in which we acknowledge what we have done wrong, feel regret and vow not to do it again. Jewish tradition says that through\u00a0teshuvah<\/em>, we can influence our own fate and have an opportunity to be inscribed in the Book of Life. The\u00a0Unetaneh Tokef\u00a0prayer states this idea: \u201cBut repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severity of the decree.\u201d<\/p>

    If you\u2019re attending a Rosh Hashanah celebration, here are a few things you can expect.<\/p>

    • Apples and honey:\u00a0<\/strong>Jews traditionally dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah to express their wish for a sweet new year.<\/li>
    • New fruit:<\/strong>\u00a0It is customary to eat a new, seasonal fruit that hasn\u2019t been tasted since the previous year to symbolize the new year.<\/li>
    • Round challah<\/strong>: Instead of braided challah, a round challah is served on Rosh Hashanah, symbolizing the circular nature of the year.<\/li>
    • Brisket, chicken, tzimmes, kugel:\u00a0<\/strong>These traditional Jewish foods are frequently served at Rosh Hashanah meals in Ashkenazi Jewish homes.\u00a0<\/li>
    • Chicken, lamb, dried fruits, rice, couscous, sweet potato, pumpkin or leek patties:\u00a0<\/strong>These foods are frequently on the Rosh Hashanah menu in Sephardic Jewish homes.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the\u00a0shofar\u00a0(ram\u2019s horn) on both mornings of the holiday (except on\u00a0Shabbat), which is normally done in the synagogue\u00a0as part of\u00a0the day\u2019s services. Rosh Hashanah feasts\u00a0traditionally include\u00a0round challah\u00a0bread (studded with raisins) and\u00a0apples dipped in honey, as well as\u00a0other foods\u00a0that symbolize our wishes for a sweet year. Other Rosh Hashanah observances include\u00a0candle lighting\u00a0in the evenings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-holidays"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/rosh-gettyimages-1013937104-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcJuXT-3a7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12233,"url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/09\/04\/yom-kippur-most-solemn-of-jewish-religious-holidays-just-a-few-facts\/","url_meta":{"origin":12159,"position":0},"title":"Yom Kippur, most solemn of Jewish religious holidays – Just a few facts!","author":"admin","date":"04\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Yom Kippur means \u201cDay of Atonement.\u201d It is the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year and is a fast day. According to tradition, at the end of Yom Kippur, God \u201cseals\u201d our fates for the coming year (i.e., whether we will be inscribed in the Book of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shofar-tallit-high-holidays-yom-kippur-rosh-hashanah.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shofar-tallit-high-holidays-yom-kippur-rosh-hashanah.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shofar-tallit-high-holidays-yom-kippur-rosh-hashanah.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shofar-tallit-high-holidays-yom-kippur-rosh-hashanah.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shofar-tallit-high-holidays-yom-kippur-rosh-hashanah.webp?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shofar-tallit-high-holidays-yom-kippur-rosh-hashanah.webp?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58,"url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2018\/03\/09\/the-most-important-jewish-holidays\/","url_meta":{"origin":12159,"position":1},"title":"The Most Important Jewish Holidays","author":"admin","date":"09\/03\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Rosh HashanahThe Jewish New Year, the beginning of ten days of penitence or\u00a0teshuvah\u00a0culminating on Yom Kippur. Traditionally celebrated with sweet or round foods such as apples and honey, and the blowing of the\u00a0shofar, a hollowed-out ram's horn, during religious services. A customary greeting is\u00a0shanah tovah\u00a0or \"happy new year!\"Yom KippurThe Day\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/xEwRBH6DSWDdFkrc8AjrJbF4aa.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/xEwRBH6DSWDdFkrc8AjrJbF4aa.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/xEwRBH6DSWDdFkrc8AjrJbF4aa.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/xEwRBH6DSWDdFkrc8AjrJbF4aa.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13886,"url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/12\/14\/facts-about-hannukkah\/","url_meta":{"origin":12159,"position":2},"title":"Quick Facts about Hanukkah","author":"admin","date":"14\/12\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Why HanukkahHanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is the winter \"festival of lights,\" celebrated by nightly candle lighting, special blessings, and eating tasty foods. Holiday traditions and observance vary by different origins and sects of Judaism.In the second century BCE, Judea was invaded by a Seleucid king who tried to force the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/528498099.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/528498099.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/528498099.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/528498099.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12265,"url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/09\/04\/sukkot-is-a-festive-time-meant-for-gathering-together-a-few-facts-to-help-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":12159,"position":3},"title":"Sukkot is a festive time meant for gathering together. A few facts to help you.","author":"admin","date":"04\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Sukkot\u00a0is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after\u00a0Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection\u00a0G\u2011d\u00a0provided for the children of\u00a0Israel\u00a0when they left Egypt. We celebrate Sukkot by dwelling in a foliage-covered booth (known as a\u00a0sukkah) and by taking the\u00a0\u201cFour Kinds\u201d\u00a0(arba minim), four special\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sukkot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sukkot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sukkot.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sukkot.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sukkot.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sukkot.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13275,"url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/01\/shavout\/","url_meta":{"origin":12159,"position":4},"title":"Shavuot commemorates the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.","author":"admin","date":"01\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Shavout also know as, the \u201cFeast of Weeks,\u201d is celebrated seven weeks after\u00a0Passover\u00a0(Pesach). Since the counting of this period (sefirat ha-omer) begins on the second evening of Passover, Shavuot takes place exactly 50 days after the (first)\u00a0seder. Although its origins are to be found in an ancient grain harvest festival,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1152535974-729x486-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1152535974-729x486-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1152535974-729x486-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1152535974-729x486-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11360,"url":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/01\/26\/felonious-monk-is-celebrating-tu-bishavat\/","url_meta":{"origin":12159,"position":5},"title":"Felonious Monk is Celebrating Tu-Bishavat","author":"admin","date":"26\/01\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Felonious Monk is celebrating Tu Bishvat with a (daydream) hike in the Holyland! He is resting against an olive tree that is hundreds of years old. He reflects on how peaceful it is here with an ancient symbol of peace (remember the dove and the olive branch from the story\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Picture1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbi-mercy.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}